I consider this portion of Scripture as the most terrifying portion of Scripture. Recently, God has been ministering to me about true and false religion. He had shown me that many people we call Christians aren’t recognised as such in heaven.
There are many pastors we call ‘mighty men of God’ who are not recognised as such in heaven. Some of them aren’t even recognised as the least of the saints in heaven! It’s a pity that there are pastors who have never been truly saved yet they are leading some mega churches. The blind is leading the blind and both will fall into a ditch.
The Scripture above should make us consider our ways whilst we still have the opportunity to do so. Following are 7 marks of a genuine Christian as outlined in the Bible:
1. HATRED TO SELF: Luke 14: 26: “If any man come to Me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple”.
Matthew 10: 37 Jesus says: “He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
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| The & Marks Of A Genuine Christian |
Any Christian who can still boldly stand in the middle of unbelievers’ party and dance to worldly music, may the Lord have mercy upon him. It means he is still very far from the Lord. If a Christian still has friends who are only interested in parties, he is still far. He needs to recover himself today.
3. CARRYING THE CROSS: Luke 14:27 says, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.”
To bear the cross is to take up the cross and follow Jesus. It means you voluntarily share in His reproach and suffering. It means that the kind of suffering Jesus went through, you are willingly to share in it. It means you are willing to put aside your own dreams, your own plans, your own ambition and your own goals in exchange for the will of God. It means that in a situation where your desire and that of God are opposite each other, you should follow that of God.
When Jesus was here on earth, Herod sought to destroy Him as a baby. His town’s men at Nazareth wanted to throw Him over a cliff. The scribes charged Him with being in league with Beelzebub. The people tried to stone Him. The chief priest and the elders paid Judas to betray Him and accuse Him falsely before Caiphas. He was charged for treason before Pilate. Pilate asked the Jews “Whom shall I set free for you? You want Barabbas, the robber or Jesus?” They said, “Give us Barabbas.” Pilate then condemned Jesus to death. And He was crucified between two thieves.
4. FORSAKING ALL: Luke 14:33 says, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.”
5. CONTINUING IN THE WORD: In John 8:31, Jesus said to the Jews: “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed.”
You are not a genuine Christian if you live holy on Sunday and the rest of the week you live like the devil. Some believers only follow parts of the Scriptures that are convenient to them. This will take you to hell. Repent.
6. CRUCIFYING THE FLESH: Colossians 3:5-10 says, “So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. You used to behave like them as you lived among them. But now you must also get rid of anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene speech, and all such sins. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old nature with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is being renewed in full knowledge, consistent with the image of the one who created it.”
You can’t serve God correctly if you are still alive in the flesh. You must die. Crucify the flesh. Dead men do not commit fornication. Dead men do not abuse people. Dead men are incapable of doing what people who are alive are doing. They cannot gossip. They can’t take offences. Crucify the flesh and start serving God.
7. LOVE ONE ANOTHER: John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”
If you hate anyone in the church then you are not a genuine Christian. Love is the mark of true Christianity.
May the Lord help you become a genuine Christian lest you become a castaway.
3. CARRYING THE CROSS: Luke 14:27 says, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.”
To bear the cross is to take up the cross and follow Jesus. It means you voluntarily share in His reproach and suffering. It means that the kind of suffering Jesus went through, you are willingly to share in it. It means you are willing to put aside your own dreams, your own plans, your own ambition and your own goals in exchange for the will of God. It means that in a situation where your desire and that of God are opposite each other, you should follow that of God.
When Jesus was here on earth, Herod sought to destroy Him as a baby. His town’s men at Nazareth wanted to throw Him over a cliff. The scribes charged Him with being in league with Beelzebub. The people tried to stone Him. The chief priest and the elders paid Judas to betray Him and accuse Him falsely before Caiphas. He was charged for treason before Pilate. Pilate asked the Jews “Whom shall I set free for you? You want Barabbas, the robber or Jesus?” They said, “Give us Barabbas.” Pilate then condemned Jesus to death. And He was crucified between two thieves.
4. FORSAKING ALL: Luke 14:33 says, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.”
5. CONTINUING IN THE WORD: In John 8:31, Jesus said to the Jews: “If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed.”
You are not a genuine Christian if you live holy on Sunday and the rest of the week you live like the devil. Some believers only follow parts of the Scriptures that are convenient to them. This will take you to hell. Repent.
6. CRUCIFYING THE FLESH: Colossians 3:5-10 says, “So put to death your worldly impulses: sexual sin, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). It is because of these things that the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. You used to behave like them as you lived among them. But now you must also get rid of anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene speech, and all such sins. Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old nature with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new nature, which is being renewed in full knowledge, consistent with the image of the one who created it.”
You can’t serve God correctly if you are still alive in the flesh. You must die. Crucify the flesh. Dead men do not commit fornication. Dead men do not abuse people. Dead men are incapable of doing what people who are alive are doing. They cannot gossip. They can’t take offences. Crucify the flesh and start serving God.
7. LOVE ONE ANOTHER: John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another.”
If you hate anyone in the church then you are not a genuine Christian. Love is the mark of true Christianity.
May the Lord help you become a genuine Christian lest you become a castaway.
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