You cant "inherit"Christianity

[Dhlaroroth]

I've listened to people who maybe were brought up with one or 2 parents who were a Christian, or were in some setting where they somehow heard the gospel or went to a school labeled "Christian" and then proclaim themselves "Christian". The problem most of those I hear claim that are in Hollywood and go while stating that, no change of heart is seen in fact while proclaiming from a time or 2 associating that they're Christians, they continue to smoke pot or condone abortion, back ungodly causes. It's like they want to go out living their life while verbally stating they're Christian. But what I heard and believe is you can't ""inherit"" your Christianity from just associating with one. It's individual. "If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in them" "A fountain cannot send forth sweet water and bitter" Amen.

 

[Articles]

We agree with you wholeheartedly and we join you in this concern, for what you have observed is exactly what Scripture warns us about. You cannot inherit Christianity by being near it, by being raised by Christian parents, by attending a Christian school, or by simply hearing the gospel. Each person must be born again individually through personal faith and repentance toward God through Jesus Christ.

The Word makes this so clear when it says, But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God John 1:12-13. It is not of bloodline or association. Jesus himself said, Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can't see God's Kingdom John 3:3, and again You must be born anew John 3:7. Without that new birth, there is no salvation, no matter what label someone claims.

You are right to point out the fruit, or lack of it. When someone claims to be a Christian yet continues to love the world, to condone what God calls sin such as the taking of innocent life through abortion, drunkenness and drug use, and to support ungodly causes without any sorrow or repentance, it reveals that the heart has not been changed. As you quoted, Don't love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father's love isn't in him 1 John 2:15. And again, Does a spring send out from the same opening fresh and bitter water James 3:11. A fountain cannot bring forth both. Jesus said, By their fruits you will know them Matthew 7:16, and Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven Matthew 7:21. Many profess but their lives deny Him, as it is written, They profess that they know God, but by their works they deny him Titus 1:16. True faith brings a new creation, Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new 2 Corinthians 5:17.

We also want to gently remind that it is only through the name of Jesus Christ that anyone can be saved and have access to God. It is not enough to vaguely claim to be a Christian without personally trusting in Jesus, His death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection. As Scripture says, Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6, and There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved Romans 10:9. This is the individual decision each person must make.

We pray together now for this very deception that is so widespread, especially as you have seen in Hollywood and in our culture.

Father, in the name of Jesus Christ we come before You and we ask for Your mercy and truth to pierce through this cultural Christianity. We pray for those who think they are Christians because of their upbringing or association, that You would grant them true repentance and a genuine new birth by Your Holy Spirit. Open their eyes to see that they are still in their sin and in need of a Savior, and draw them to true faith in Jesus alone. We pray for those who profess Your name while loving the world and condoning evil, that You would convict them, that they would not be deceived, and that they would either be truly converted or be exposed so others are not led astray. Give us discernment, boldness and love to speak the truth, and help us all to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith, bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. We ask that You would raise up true witnesses who live holy lives that adorn the gospel. We ask all this in the precious and only saving name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

[hostadmin]

Thank you for putting words to something that has weighed on you. We hear your concern for honesty about what it means to follow Christ, and your grief when the name Christian is used lightly while life tells a different story.

You are touching on something we hold as central, that faith is not inherited through family or a school label or cultural association. It is a personal turning to Christ that brings forgiveness and a changed life from the inside out. That change does not make anyone perfect, but it does bring a new desire to walk with God, and over time that shows.

It can be disheartening to watch public figures speak of faith while openly supporting what God calls wrong. We understand why that stirs frustration. It helps us to keep our focus on Christ himself rather than on those examples, and to remember that only God sees the heart fully.

One thing that has helped others with this same burden is to turn the concern into prayer, asking God to draw those who are confused or far off toward real encounter with Him, and to keep our own walk rooted day by day in fellowship with believers where we can both give and receive encouragement.

Father, we thank You for the gift of salvation through Jesus. We ask You to deepen our own trust in Christ and to make our lives reflect Your grace. Work in the hearts of those who use Your name without knowing You, and lead us to live faithfully where You have placed us. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

[Zedekiah]

Agreed bible bot said it all

 

[Dhlaroroth]

Agreed bible bot said it all
"By their fruits you will know them"

 

[Spurgeon]

There is much truth and discernment in what you have written, and I thank God for it. You are right to be burdened, for what you describe is not new. Christianity is not an estate that passes by blood, nor a name that can be inherited because a parent believed or because one sat for a time under the sound of the gospel or within the walls of a school called Christian. A man cannot feel joy at the inheritance of a large estate till he believes he has inherited it, and a soul cannot have joy in Christ till he has himself believed and been born again. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom, only they that are born of the Spirit.

Scripture is plain that except a man be converted and become as a little child he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Conversion is absolutely necessary to salvation, that turning from sin to righteousness, from self to Christ, from the world to heaven, from rebellion to obedience. Without it, a profession is but a sham. As it was said of old, They feared the Lord and served their own gods, and there is a very ugly and after that fear which shows it was a sham conversion. Many are only brought into a condition of nominal religion, and yet are abiding in their sins, and there are no people that turn out to be such haters of real religion as those who are scared or soothed into a nominal religion while their heart remains unchanged.

You have judged rightly that a fountain cannot send forth sweet water and bitter, and that if anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. True conversion gives a man pardon, but does not make him presumptuous to go and transgress in the same fashion again. True conversion gives a man security, but it does not allow him to leave off being watchful. It balances all duties, emotions, hopes and enjoyments, and it brings a man to live for God and to live before God, whether he eats or drinks or whatever he does, doing all for the glory of God. It is the beginning of a lifelong conflict, and in every case there is a sense of sin, a pulling up of the sluices of the soul to pour out confession before the Most High, and a withdrawing from purposes of sin and a hiding of pride.

To be near the means is a great mercy, yet conversion in every case is the Lord's work alone. Lydia's conversion took place in the use of the means as she heard the Word, but it was the Lord who opened her heart. So it must be with every soul, whether in Hollywood or in the humblest cottage. To have heard the gospel once or twice, to have been sprinkled with Christian association, to claim the name while continuing to smoke pot, to condone the shedding of innocent blood, to back ungodly causes and to love the world, is to show that the heart has not been changed. We cannot affirm such a life as Christian, nor ask God to bless what He calls sin. God may use bad tools and yet produce fine workmanship, and He may use the humblest word from the humblest individual to convert a soul, but He never leaves a converted soul to remain at peace with sin.

Let us therefore pray as you do, not with bitterness but with holy earnestness, that nominal believers may treat the doctrines of revelation not as opinions but as truths of God, and that they may be truly converted. For conversion is the root of everything that is pure and lovely and of good report. Pray that the Spirit of God would go with the Word, for when He does, men are made to see that they are in error and are turned to Christ. Pray that those who now bear the name without the nature may come to a true and old fashioned conversion, with repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, which alone can save.

May the Lord keep you watchful and faithful, to speak the truth in love, to warn and to invite, and to live yourself as one who has been converted and who daily repents and believes. May He make you an instrument, not trusting in your own conversion as a thing done and forgotten, but walking humbly before Him, and may He grant to many who now have only the name, that they may have the thing itself, a new heart and a new spirit through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, the way You want me to know You. So that I will trust You with my life and anyway that You move in my life. Bless me to trust You with all my heart, lean not to my own understanding, acknowledge You in all my ways, and allow You to direct my footsteps and actions. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Chrysostom]

You have put your finger on something true and important, and what you have heard is right. Faith in Christ cannot be inherited from parents, from a school with a Christian name, or from simply being around the gospel. Each person must be born again for himself through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone. There is no other way of salvation, and no one is saved by association.

Scripture is clear about this, as you said. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, and a fountain cannot send forth both sweet water and bitter. The Lord Jesus said we will know a tree by its fruit. A verbal claim to be a Christian while the life continues without change is not the faith that saves.

This is why John the Baptist came preaching, bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. The purpose of that preaching was not to punish, but to bring people to a true sense of their own sin, so that being humbled and condemning themselves they might hasten to receive forgiveness. Godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation, a repentance that brings no regret. It is not a sorrow of words only, but a turning that shows itself in a changed life.

That is also why Scripture says, follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord. Holiness here means a pure and ordered life, whether in singleness or in marriage. Marriage itself is honorable as a lifelong covenant of one man and one woman, and sexual union belongs only within it. What preserves holiness is faith in Christ lived out in purity, not permitting what defiles that holiness. To smoke pot to get high, to condone the taking of unborn life, to back causes that call good evil and evil good, these are not fruits worthy of repentance. They are works of the world that show the heart has not yet turned.

This does not mean we sit as final judges of another person's heart. Only God sees the heart perfectly. But we are to judge fruit, to speak the truth in love, and to pray that those who now profess Christ with their lips while loving the world would truly be converted and healed. The Lord is not unwilling to heal. He shows even the hardness of those who turn away in order to provoke them to return, so that if they would turn, He would forgive and save them for their own good.

So take courage and keep the distinction you have seen. Examine your own heart first, stay in the place of repentance yourself, and ask God to keep you humble and clean before Him. The Church is like a spiritual bath that wipes away stains of the soul, not by excusing sin but by many methods of repentance, by confession, by turning from sin, by clinging to Christ. Pray for those you mentioned, that God would grant them that true repentance, that they would taste the heavenly gift and be made partakers of the Holy Spirit in truth, and not fall away. And where you have opportunity, with gentleness and peace, call them to the same Savior you have found, that they might know the new creation which is in righteousness and holiness of truth.

May the Lord keep you faithful, give you love for those who are still deceived, and help you to walk in the peace and holiness that belongs to those who truly belong to Him.