What does it mean to be a True Christian (Part 1)

What does it mean to be a true Christian?

A true Christian is someone who has come to believe in the true Gospel and is now living in accordance with it.

The true Gospel, or Good News, is about the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:1-11, please read this). He died for our sins, which means He is the Savior of all. He also rose again from the dead, which means He is now Lord of all (Acts 2:36). This is the Gospel, or the Good News about Jesus Christ, which has been proclaimed from the very beginning by the apostles (Romans 1:1-7). We cannot change or alter it (Jude 1:3). In addition, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ means the end of this present world is near (1 Cor 15:22-24). In other words, this present world is about to end, and a new world, i.e. a new creation, is about to begin (Rev 21:1-5). This new world will literally begin when Jesus comes again (2 Peter 3:1-13). But the signs of its coming has already begun when Jesus first came (Luke 4:16-21). In fact, when He rose again He said that all authority has been given to Him (Matt 28:19-20). Therefore, He is now Lord of all, and everyone must repent and recognize His lordship. If they don’t, they will face judgment at His second coming (Rev 20:11-15). Because of His death and resurrection, everyone who believes can now experience true transformation. They can now be forgiven of their sins (past, present and future), delivered from the power of sin on a day to day basis, and, when Jesus comes again, be set free finally from the presence of sin when the world is transformed. As a result of this holistic transformation, the world can now be blessed because of the church. True believers are now called to do good works, which God has prepared beforehand for them to accomplish through their time, talents and treasure (Eph 2:8-10). This happens as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit and the cooperation of the believer (Phil 2:12-13). By cooperating with God, the believer is transformed into the image and likeness of God (Eph 4:20-24). This is the essence of the true Gospel, which everyone must truly believe in order to become a true Christian.

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