What the Bible Says...about God, Man, Satan, the Christian Life, the Church, Future Things, and Salvation

 

The Christian Life

The Christian life is to be a life that is like Christ.

Christians were first called Christians because they were acting like Christ. The Christian should be a person with a changed life – a life that no longer lives for self, but that lives in obedience to Jesus Christ, which also means to live for others within the context of Christ’s command.

The Bible describes the Christian as one who dies to self by identifying with the death of Jesus Christ through faith and who has then been made alive again by the power of His resurrected life. A true Christian has chosen to permit Jesus Christ to begin living through him. While some of the characteristics of Christ may be seen in a person who is not in Christ, such as forgiveness, human compassion, and kindness, it is only when Jesus Christ is actually alive in a person, having made him alive, that that person is born again and a true Christian.

The Christian is not perfect in this life, even though he should strive for perfection. He has already been perfected in the heavens through the application of the blood of Jesus, but he is certainly expected to become more like Jesus in this life on earth. This happens as he continues to permit the life of the Spirit of Jesus Christ to live through him, but he will not become just like Jesus until he actually sees Him face to face.

The Christian starts out life as a baby and matures to adulthood. It is a process of time and experience that aids the Christian to become like Jesus. It does not only involve the act of surrendering to the righteous ways of God over the unrighteous ways that he would otherwise be inclined to follow, but it also involves the undoing of old thinking. Our thoughts and our rationale as natural men must change completely. The Bible says that we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” For the Christian, both the heart and the head should be in the process of total transformation for a continuing whole-life change. There will be setbacks for sure since that whole-life change is really radical, and it requires time and experience with much patience. But God gives sufficient grace.  

God’s ways are higher than ours and His thoughts are higher than ours – infinitely higher – and it takes time and experience for us to be transformed to be like Him. Some blatant sins must be, and will be, done away with immediately after the salvation experience. Other habits will fade away as well as time goes on. But many changes involving the natural mind may take years to fully turn around. This is why we need to be patient with each other, considering each other’s weaknesses as we all grow up into His image together. We should seek to take on the longsuffering, patient attributes of our loving Heavenly Father when we consider fellow believers in their quest to become Christ-like Christians.

The Christian life is strengthened to become like Jesus in several ways: by prayer; by passing through trials of faith; by partaking of the Word of God; by exercising our walk in the Spirit; and by wholesome fellowship with other Christians. It is important to the spiritual well-being of a Christian to be an active part of a local church that is teaching the Word of God under the inspiration and influence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, that is seeking to operate in the Spirit of Jesus, and that is maintaining wholesome fellowship around Him.


Select Scriptures about the Christian and His New Life

And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26b)

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:4-10)
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:11-13)
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2 KJV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:24-26)
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. (Romans 6:1-13)
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:4-9)
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12)
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. (Proverbs 4:18)