Two in One – Are true Christians recognisable?

Character part 2

At the Furaha Sports fellowship which took place at Little down on Saturday the 3rd the subject under review was - Are true Christians recognizable?

Today our faithless public worlds demand strength of Character. This is needed in the form of good people who can walk among the masses and negotiate with the powerful, but never change, never capitulate and never compromise in their stance on the truth in God’s word and be a true witness for Christ. Character is the raw material blocks for constructing the building/ destiny of a godly life. Christian Character is the strength needed for our selves and others that reflects Jesus Christ character while he walked on earth. This is because it sources it’s the attributes from him by the Holy Spirit. He said I am the light of the world...so let your light so shine that men may Glorify God... Christian Character is on high demand in our apostolate public worlds today.

True Christians are recognisable as those who have experienced the ordering of their private/ inner worlds so that they are constantly radiating strength and vitality from a life, lived from a Center, a divine Center – Christ Jesus. Each one of us can live such a life of amazing power and peace and serenity, of love and confidence on one con­dition - that is, if we really want to. Do we really want order within our private worlds? There are however 3 broad types of Christians who are differentiated by their choices in this regard.

If it is true that actions speak louder than words, it can be said that the 1st group represents the average Christian who does not really seek an ordered private world/ deep inner life experience as a top priority. These Christians follow a pick and mix route. Sure evidence to this is the compromise of Christian values with the ‘love of the world’ and the end result is the presence of sin. You may ask, how can they manage this if they are Christian? Galatians 6:1 teaches that it's possible to be tripped up suddenly and fall into sin. Granted,
one sudden transgression may not be as heinous as many habitual sins; but the sinner still has to take the responsibility. A life of deliberate, habitual sin is an indi­cation that the person has never been born of God (1 John 3:4-10). As Christians we never lose the ability to sin (but even then, the sinner has nobody to blame but themselves), we however can conquer the appetite for sin through the strength that a Christ centered relationship gives.

The 2nd group represents the average Christian who prefers to find effectiveness through busyness, frantic programming, material accumulation, and rushing to various conferences, seminars, film series, and special speak­ers. These Christians follow their own preferred devotions and good works which though good in them selves are in short trying to bring order to the inner world by begin­ning with activity in the outer one. However this is exactly the op­posite of what the bible teaches us (Jesus said the Father who sees in secret will reward you in the open.), what the great saints have shown us, and what our dismal spiritual experiences regularly prove to us as the correct route. Such strength sourced from the outside eventually fails and enthusiasm runs out.

The 3rd group represents the special Christians who endeavor to separate themselves in order to escape all the interference so that once all has been left behind; the picture of the Lord Jesus Christ in all His majesty becomes much clearer. It is at that center that we begin to see Him as he is; more than what is contained in some doctrinal statement about Him. He is more than the mushy words of some contemporary song. At the center, He com­mands attention as the risen Lord of life; and we are com­pelled to follow after Him and draw from the strength of His character and compassion. At the center, we are appropriately awed by the splendor and majesty of God as heavenly Father. There is solemn but joyful worship; there are confession and breaking. And there is forgiveness, restoration, and assurance. Finally, at the center, we are filled by the power and strength of God as Holy Spirit. There is a resurgence of con­fidence and expectancy. We receive insight and wisdom; faith that removes mountains is generated, and a love for others, even for the unlovable, begins to grow. When we come from this experience, where all is returned to proper proportion and value, the pub­lic world can be managed and properly touched. Relationships with family and friends, with school/ college and work associates, neighbors, and even enemies take on a new and healthier perspective. It becomes possible to forgive, to serve, to not seek vengeance, to be generous. Our work will be affected by exercise at the center. Work will be given new meaning and a higher standard of excel­lence. Integrity and honesty will become important items of pursuit. Fear will be lost, and compassion will be gained. Coming from a deeper inner life experience, we are less apt to be seduced by the false promises and seductions of those out to capture the soul.

Finally how do we escape interference as in group 3 above in order to gaze into the inner space of our private world? That question remains dangerously unanswered in too many lives. We escape into the space of the inner world only when we determine that it is an activity more important than anything else we do. Decide today to make it more possible to look within and cultivate the deeper inner life experience, so that inner strength and spiritual vitality can become a resource feeding into a genuine Christian character much need in our time. As youth this was examined in January at our first sports meeting this year under the title 15 minutes alone with God, please take a little time to review this study too.