The Authentic Christian
Only what Jesus taught! Only how Jesus lived!
"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

A Life in Christ Jesus!
         What is a Christian? How do I know I am an authentic Christian? How do I know if I have authentic Christian beliefs and living a genuine Christian life? These were some of the questions I was asking myself. I was not questioning the authenticity of the gospels or the historical events about Christ and the early church. I was not questioning whether there was a more valuable and comprehensive life-giving faith than Christianity. I was asking what are the essential characteristics of an authentic Christian. I had experienced a number of denominations, churches, liturgies, styles of worship and emphases on the practice of the Christian faith. What among all those variations was essential, basic and necessary for authentic Christian living? And what would be the standard for making these judgments?
         I know I am not the only Christian asking these questions. There is a great deal of personal searching and even confusion today in the Christian church and community as to what are the essential and authentic characteristics of the Christian person and life. There are widespread misconceptions and many erroneous cults and practices, all being described as authentic Christianity. There are Christian theologians and scholars questioning traditional doctrines and beliefs, including the reliability of the Bible itself. There are a variety of charismatic, fundamentalist, evangelical, denominational differences and emphases.
          I understand that while there may be a variety of Christian expressions, there must be some things that all Christians must know, believe and practice in order to be called a Christian. Where is that core of Christianity to be found? Is it in a particular church? Are there people we can look to as examples of authentic Christianity? Can you point me to a person or church who is living the authentic Christian life?
         Is it a creed, a code of conduct, or a form of worship? Yes, authentic Christianity has a creed, but it is not primarily a creed. Authentic Christianity does have a recognizeable code of conduct, but it is not primarily a code of conduct. The Christian likewise engages in a form of worship, but Authentic Christianity is not primarily a system of worship.
         With complete confidence, we can say with absolute certainty that the Authentic Christian is a person who has his heart and soul and mind and life centered on the person of- - JESUS CHRIST!
         Surely that is the starting place with which no Christian would argue or disagree. The words which Christ used of himself, and which his contemporary followers the apostles used, witness to Christ as the center of the Christian faith and life. "I am the bread of Life" (John 6:35); "I am the light of the world" (9:5); "I am the door" (10:9); "I am the good shepherd" (10:11); "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25); "I am the vine" (15:1). In one discourse Jesus had with his listeners he said, (John 6:27-29), "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him (Christ) whom he (the Father) hath sent." Christ did not ask people to join a church, adopt a philosophy, or join a social movement. He asked people to come to himself and receive him in faith. He asked that people attach themselves to Him!
         He said, "Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me" (Mt 11:28-29); "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven" (Mt 10:32-33); "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Mt 10:37-38); "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (Mt 8:22); "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:10-12).
         Jesus simply asked people to believe in him as the Son of Man and the Son of God, recognizing who he is and where he came from, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16); "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven" (John 3:13); "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John 6:51).
         Jesus simply asked people to love, obey and follow him. "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Mt 4:19); "But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead" (Matt.8:22); "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him" (Mt 9:9); "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mt 16:24).
         Paul the Apostle, to whom was assigned the work of interpreting the Gospel to the world, also spoke of Christ as the center of authentic Christian living:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Philippians 3:7-9
         Christ is Emmannuel, God with us. God the Father was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, God among us! In Christ we see the face of God, the love of God, the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven. "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father" (John 6:46); "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?" (John 14:9); "While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him" (Mt 17:5). "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority." (Col 2:9-10).
         If Christ is the one essential author and finisher of our faith, then it would seem safe to say that "Only what Christ taught and only how Christ lived" would be an acceptable criteria for the authentic Christian life.
         What is it that Jesus taught? And how did Jesus live? We believe we can describe it in a number of ways:

First: Belief in, Attachment to, Union with Jesus Christ!

         An authentic Christian is a person who accepts the gift of God the Father; the Gift Who is His Son Jesus Christ. He comes to believe that Christ is who he says he is and has come to accomplish what he did accomplish. He comes to accept and receive Jesus as his own Savior, Lord and Friend. He has formed a loving, faithful, trusting heart-felt attachment to him, and he seek an ever-deeper union with him.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16); "If you only knew the gift of God..." (John 4:10); "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift" (2 Cor 9:15).

          He believes Christ to be who he says he is, receives him in faith as the Savior and Son of God ("true God of true God"), his own Savior and Lord. He believes that Christ suffered, died and was buried to take away the sins of the world and to destroy the works of the devil. "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29); "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8)

"By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born" ( 1Cor 15:2-8).

         There can be no Christian life without Christ. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). There is no Christian truth without Christ. "I am the Truth" (John 14:6). There is no fruit in the Christian life without Christ. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:4-5). Paul sums it all up when he says, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21).

Second: A New Life as a Child of God the Father

         We believe that the complete and authentic Christian is the person In Christ, with all that this means as described above. The immediate result of turning to Christ in faith is a New life. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor 5:17); "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" (Gal 6:15). "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again'." (John 3:5-7).

         There are many ways of describing this new life. We can say he is a new creature, there is a new birth, he has received the life of God, there is regeneration; he has awakened to spiritual truth and reality. But I believe that Jesus taught that the person has become a Child of God the Father. This is the best way to describe the change that has come about because, unlike some of the phrases above, this phrase, "Child of God the Father", is the most accurate way of saying that a new, personal relationship has begun between a person and God. It is the new relationship which makes it clear that I am a child before God. God is, and desires to be known and called "Father" and to have many children. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom 8:16); "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:26); "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).

          This is how Jesus viewed it! For Jesus, the Father-child relationship was THE only kind of relationship between a person and God the Father. They are those who walk in the Spirit of His Son Jesus Christ, and who live in the Truth of a fervent, faithful, filial fellowship with God as sons! This is the relationship which Jesus Himself had with the Father, and which the apostles had with the Father. This was the kind of relationship they preached.
          Let me share a number of verses with you which show the biblical emphasis upon our Father-child relationship.

  • "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 6:1)
  • "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (Mt 5:48)
  • "Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him" (Mt 6:8)
  • "Yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Mt 6:26)
  • "Your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you openly" (Mt 6:18)
  • "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses" (Mk 11:26)
  • " For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father" (Rom 8:15)
  • "And your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things" (Lk 12:30)
  • "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him" (Lk 11:13)

Thirdly: Jesus taught the Comfort and Guidance of the Holy Spirit!

          Two aspects of an authentic Christian life have been identified: A life centered on and in Christ Jesus with a heart-felt attachment, and a life as a Child of God the Father. There is a third! And all three are intertwined, overlapping and co-enacted as a Child of the Trinity.

         In the letter to the Galations, the fifth chapter, verses 16 through 26, Paul begins by saying: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law" (16-18).

         Here we see a list of blessings which result from the new life as a child of God; a life in which God's Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells and works in an authentic Christian.
          The first blessing is the fact that the Holy Spirit (Who is God's life, light, love, power and voice) will contend against the old sinful nature. the Christian no longer can do what the sinful nature wants, that is, not without wrestling with God's Spirit. The old law could only prescribe what was right or wrong to do, but had no power to enable you to live a good moral life. Not so with the Spirit! The Spirit empowers you to live a morally righteous life. And so, if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the standard of a powerless legal system any longer.

         The authentic Christian, indwelt and empowered by the Spirit of Christ in him, also develops a holy character which bears fruit! "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (22-24)

         And in Paul's letter to the Romans, the eighth chapter, verses 5-11, he says:

5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. 9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

          The sinful minded man is spiritually dead. He is hostile toward God. He refuses to obey God's law or do His will. Indeed, he is actually unable to do so, for he has no power! He cannot please God and doesn't desire to do so!

          But there are more blessings for the Christian who has the Spirit of Christ in him. He belongs to Christ, and will be his forever. That is, even though the fleshly body dies because sin brought physical death into our world, (Adam and Even eventually died) our soul and spirit remains alive and living because we are spiritual Children of God. The same indwelling Spirit who raised Christ from physical death and gave him a new spiritual body, will also give life to our mortal bodies through his (Christ's) Spirit, who lives in us. And so........

We are Authentic Christians because (1) we live in Christ, (2) we are children of the Father , and (3) we walk in the Holy Spirit.

We are Children of the Most Holy Trinity!

Here are ten questions which can be asked to identify the authentic Christian who knows that he or she has the internal witness of the Spirit that he is a child of God the Father..

  • 1. Are you seeing and experiencing yourself as a Child of God?
  • 2. Are you listening to His Voice; the Spirit Voice of Christ?
  • 3. Are you praying simply by listening to His Voice and letting the Holy Spirit pray in you?
  • 4. Are you confessing sins and seeking forgiveness?
  • 5. Are you reading, meditating and reflecting on the Bible daily?
  • 6. Are you involved with and enjoying God’s family, your church?
  • 7. Are you aware of and able to discern the evil that is in our world?
  • 8. Are the Names "Father" and "Jesus" meaningful to you? Do they hold a heart-felt attachment of love, trust, thankfulness and praise?
  • 9. Are spiritual things becoming more important than worldly things?
  • 10. Do you feel compassion towards others and acting on it?

             In all that has been said above, it should be clear that an Authentic Christian is a person who has formed the rich relationship of love and attachment to each Person of the Holy Godhead Trinity. Authentic Christianity is a Trinitarian faith based upon the reality of the nature of our God; three divine, holy Persons in One God.
             And now we desire to elaborate how the authentic Christian is in relationship to each Person of the Trinity and to the One God.

    My relationship to Father, Son and Holy Spirit Separately!

    God my Father
    1. His Love and Goodness to me.
    2. His Providence in my life.
    3. His Protection over my life.
    4. His Prescriptions for my life.
    5. His Preservation of my life.

    God the Son (Jesus Christ, my Brother, Savior, Lord and Friend)
      The Lord's five ministries applied to my own life:
    1. His Teaching and Preaching to me.
    2. His Healing and Deliverance toward me.
    3. His Saving and Sanctifying of me.
    4. His Power and Authority toward me.
    5. His Return and Judgment of me.

    God the Holy Spirit (My Counselor, Advocate, Voice of God and Power)
      The Spirit's work of Regeneration in my heart
    1. His Converting
    2. His Convicting
    3. His Cleansing

      The Spirit's work of Renewal of my heart

    4. His Counseling
    5. His Convincing
    6. His Correction
    7. His Confirming

      The Spirit's work of Reassurance to my heart

    8. His Comforting
    9. His Consoling
    10. His [power to cause you to] Confess the Name of Jesus
    11. His Conforming you to Jesus
    12. His Communion
    I thank You and Praise You my FATHER.
             You created and care for me.
             Your child I am, though a sinner I be,
             Even though a weak sinner I be!
    I thank You and Praise You Lord JESUS.
             You suffered and died for me.
             Your new creation I am, though a sinner I be,
             Even though a lost sinner I be!
    I thank You and Praise You Holy Spirit.
             You dwell in, and speak to me.
             Your temple I am, though a sinner I be,
             Even though a poor sinner I be!

    God's View of Man's Life!

             The diagram below represents God's view of man's life-cycle. From God's viewpoint man's life is a full circle comprising both his life on earth and in heaven. Secular man without biblical faith often views his life as the upper half circle only, that is, from his physical birth to his physical death.
          
    He often does not believe there is a God, a heaven or eternity (the bottom half of the circle). But the man with a biblical faith who has been spiritually awakened or re-born understands that he was created by God in His image, seeks after the God whose image he bears, and finds himself homesick for God. He knows that one day at the end of his earthly life he will return to his heavenly home with God.
              The person (man, woman, child) with a biblical faith has the spiritual discernment to understand that there are 6 (SIX) momentous points of change and transition in every person's life. More accurately, there are 5 inevitable changes he must undergo and one very critical chosen change in each person's life.

    1. Spiritual Conception = Each person is spiritually conceived in the heart and mind of God with an immortal soul. Once so conceived by God, he will live forever. God imagines the person in His own Image, which is to say, the Image of the Father's Son, Jesus Christ.
    2. Biological Conception = Each person is biologically conceived in a mother's womb by parental fertilization. Some nine months later......
    3. Physical Birth = A child is born into the world.
    4. Spiritual Birth or Awakening = If a person hears the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ the Savior; through the action of the Holy Spirit, he is quickened or awakened to new spiritual birth. He is, as is said, born-again, regenerated or saved. Of the six points of change in a person's life, this 4th one is the only one in which the person must exercise his or her own free will.
    5. Physical Death = Each person must come to the end of his eathly life. Then......
    6. Eternal Birth = Each person, having an immortal soul, enters into eternal life. The born-again Christian; the person spiritually awakened by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ, is united to God in Heaven. The unsaved, unregenerated person faces the second death and eternal banishment from God. This separation from God is Hell!

        

        
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who holds certain Concepts, is developing a certain Character, engages in a certain Conduct, and produces certain Consequences or fruit. That is, he or she has become a Child of God, holds certain knowledge and beliefs; is being transformed into a godly person through a transforming relationship with God, attends to certain disciplines, and bears recognizable positive consequences or fruit.

I. The Authentic Christian is a Child of God

The Child of God - reborn into a new life!
Christ is Savior - Christ is my personal Savior!

II. The Authentic Christian's Knowledge and Beliefs

The Concepts - what he must know!
Christ is the Truth - Christ is the Truth for me!
  1. The History of God and Man in the OT and NT-Christ in all the Bible
    Period -Passage - People - Places - [Processes, Principles, Promises, Provisions, Pictures, Prophecy, Punishment, Personal Ponderings]

  2. Doctrines and Beliefs (Creed)

    1. Creation... BaptistPillar
    2. The Nature of God -The Holy Trinity -Father, Son, Holy Spirit Trinity...Christ and the Trinity...The Trinity Defended
    3. The Plan and Purposes of God - A general and personal plan (salvation and sanctification) ... Salvation/Sanctification
    4. The Incarnation...Incarnation...Understand the Incarnation...The Incarnation of Christ
    5. Christology - The Life, Nature and Person of Jesus Christ (Two natures) Christ Messiah ...Christ is All...Christ in the Bible
    6. Sin, Confession, Redemption, Salvation, The Cross ...Five Solas...Man redeemed from sin and death...Ephesians...The Cross JCRyle
    7. Regeneration and the New Birth...The New Birth...John Ritchie-Regeneration
    8. Death and Resurrection
    9. The Last Things - Escatology ...Last things...Arthur Pink on the Last Things
    10. The Return of Christ ...Christ is Coming
    11. The Judgment
    12. Heaven and Hell, the New Heaven and Earth

III. The Authentic Christian's Relationships

The Character - who he is in his relationships!
Christ is the Way - Christ is the Way for me!
  1. GOD
    Father - Knowing and Loving the Father ...God Our Father
    Son - Being in Christ Jesus ...Names and Titles of Jesus in the Bible...Christ of the Bible......
    Holy Spirit - Walking in the Spirit (Temple)
  2. Spirits - Evil: Satan and evil spirits; Good: Angels
  3. Self - Body/Soul/Spirit (Healing, Self-esteem, Self-image)
  4. Others - Family, Friends, Neighbors (Love and serve)

IV. The Authentic Christian's Living

The Conduct - how he acts!
Christ is the Life - Christ is My Life! He in me and I in Him!
    1. Sin and Confession, temptation, spiritual warfare, vigilance
    2. Discernment, testing the spirits, hearing God's Voice
    3. Prayer - simple and profound, listening and speaking in the Spirit
    4. The Bible - God's Word - Read, hear, study, apply.
    5. Walking in the Spirit -faith, hope, trust, love, gifts, fruit, callings, 12 C's
    6. The Christian's enemies - the flesh, world, devil.
    7. Witnessing and evangelizing < br>8. Defending the faith and Convicting the world of truth and error ...Cults and Corruptions...
    9. Work, vocation, avocation
    10. LOVE - He bears, suffers, gives and forgives.

IV. The Authentic Christian's Consequences

The Consequences or Fruit - known by his fruit!
Christ is the Vine - I am the branch!