The Stand

I'm going to start this off with a quote of lyrics from a "no-nonsense" young man whom I admire for his rawness...his non sugar-coated approach.   "I ain't apologizing for not compromising. And I don't rock w/ that 'prosperity gospel' either.  The Gospel's about Christ, not us. So we REALLY need to advertise Christ, not stuff!" (a portion of lyrics by Bizzle from a song entitled Violin off his newly released album Martyrs In The Making).   These few lines of words are a large portion of what is wrong with today, especially in America, and even more so in the Christian community.  You see, we are constantly pushed, poked and prodded to "go with the flow", "compromise a little", "just do it", "just do you", "be about your money", etc.  In other words, we are pressured to be without standards and forfeit what is truly precious in exchange for stuff with temporal (if any) worth.  That spotlights an issue though; whether ignorANT to or simply ignorING the truth, the result is the same....and it's not good.

Let me first clarify a few things and then break it down even further for non-Christian individuals and/or people who claim Christianity but really are not Christian. Yes, I am about to put The Gospel in plain English for some of you. Yes, I am going to offend most of you. Yes, I am going to check all of you, but please keep in mind this post came to me first. Therefore, I am not exempt from the message in it.


Christian Identity:

• belief in the existence of one Supreme Creator who is not limited; the Eternal YHWH (I AM) who has presented Himself in 3 distinct persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
• belief that the scriptures of the Holy Bible are the ONLY, authoritative, collective, inerrant written Word of God breathed through His servants (2 Peter 1:20-21); the Bible is the standard set and the main source of communication by God
• aware of the presence of sin, and the need for repentance (whole-heart remorse for sin committed followed by turning from it) and God's grace
• understands that Christ's death on the cross has given redemption to those who accept it, and that it is not a license to continue sinning
• belief that the soul of a person is eternal, and will spend eternity in the presence of God (which is true life) or severed from Him (death and damnation)

The Gospel in a nutshell:

• Man sinned (broke God's law), thus embedding and passing sin to all mankind
• death came to all
• God created a remedy to end the reign of death and reconnect man back to Him

*summary in John 3:16-18 & Romans 5:12-19

This all being pointed out, the title or branding "Christian" seems to be tossed about rather loosely.  People seem to be under the assumption that if you go to church, you're a Christian; if you pray, you're a Christian; if you grew up with or around Christians, you're Christian; if you can say "Christ", you're a Christian.  Wrong on all accounts.  The definition of a "Christian" is a person who is Christ-like; a follower of Christ Jesus and His instruction; one who has accepted Him as Savior AND Lord (can't just pick one or the other).  The importance of knowing the name Christ Jesus is far less crucial than Him knowing you personally and having an intimate relationship.  No relationship can exist without communication.  Therefore, if you do not make a concerted effort to read, study and adhere to His Word, you are not a Christian (1 John 2:4-6).  That's what He said!  No, really....read it for yourself!  Just know that if you don't decide to read, study, and stick to it, there is still no excuse for not knowing when the time comes.  We are and will be held accountable for the things we do or don't do according to His instruction, so, no, I'm not judging (which will be a topic I blog about in the near future).

Closing this one out, I know there are a lot of damaged and confused individuals out there who will simply accept whatever they are told or given in order to receive a false sense of validity.  My aim/duty is to present truth and reality in hopes that all will come to receive them.  The saying is so true, "if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."