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What is it about yourself that causes you to believe your a Christian? Most people say, “Because I believe in
Jesus” Well, a football player doesn’t call himself a quarterback because he believes in football. He must meet
the requirements for playing in that position. You must also meet the requirements for being a Christian. You
first need to understand what it means to be a Christian before you can go around calling yourself one. Most
people who say they’re Christian don't see anything wrong with today’s worldly way of living. What separates a
Christian from a non-Christian now days? People don’t seem to understand the difference between a carnal
person and a person who has truly been saved.
Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him
guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
Living like the world and calling yourself a Christian is taking the Lords name in vain. You are taking the name
of Christ or saying you’re of Christ by calling yourself a Christian, and yet you’re not abiding in His
commandments. If you’re a Christian you are to live in a lifestyle of righteousness. You must either live up to
what you profess or not profess it at all. Don’t call yourself a Christian if your not going to live like one,
because you are misleading people into a vain Christianity.
If you look at the world you will see that the majority of people who say they are Christian are not taking it
seriously because nobody else seems to be taking it seriously. Too many people live like other professing
Christians, but if your going call yourself a Christian then you must live a righteous life according to God’s
commandments. Not just on Sunday when your at church, but every moment of your life must be lived in
righteousness. Your actions, your attitude, everything in your life must be an example of Christ. If you’re not
living as Christ lived, than how can you say that you’re a Christian?
Today’s Christianity has almost totally lost its true meaning. People don't understand what a righteous life is
anymore. I talk to proclaiming Christians all the time that don’t know right from wrong any more than a non-
Christian. They party and get drunk. They cuss and tell perverted jokes with their friends. They watch movies
and listen to music that’s full of profanity and perversion. They indulge in lustful activities such as
pornography, going to strip clubs, and having sex before marriage. This is not the righteous lifestyle God has
called His children to live in. We cannot call ourselves a child of God and live in such immorality. To live doing
such sinful things and calling yourself a Christian is blasphemy. God’s children are to walk in righteousness
and live a holy life.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.”
Christians will prove to others that they belong to Jesus by the way they live. So why when I look at most
proclaiming Christians I just see another worldly person? Many professing Christians don’t live any different
than the world. They call themselves a Christian because they go to church and read the bible, but they don’t
live a righteous life.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 “Whoever denies me before others, I also will deny them before my Father in
heaven.”
So people are like, “Well, I don’t deny Jesus. If someone asked me if I believed in Jesus, I would say yes.” Is
that what you think Jesus is talking about, just merely confessing that you believe in Him if someone asks you?
What about the way you live your life? If you don’t live in a way that shows you belong to Jesus, isn’t that the
same as denying that you believe in Him?
Titus 1:15-16 “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure;
but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being
abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”
In their works they deny Him. It’s not just professing your belief in Jesus. It is living your life in righteousness.
When someone looks at you, what do they see? Do they see a Christian person that follows Christ and lives in
righteousness? Or do they see a worldly person that lives in sin?
1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Let’s shorten that. For all that is in the world is not of the Father. Living like the world shows you belong to the
world. In order for you to recognize yourself as a Christian you must turn away from the worlds ways and walk
in righteousness. You cannot live like the world and say you’re a Christian. Deuteronomy 25:16 says all who
behave unrighteously, are an abomination to God. “But I’m God’s friend, you know the song we always sing in
church, “I am a friend of God.” How can you be a friend of God if you’re a friend of this world? James said in
James 4:4, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Jesus said in John 15:14, “You are My friends if
you do whatever I command you.” You cannot be a friend of the world and follow Christ at the same time. You
must keep His commandments.
If you was driving home and you saw Jesus walking on the side of the road and He needed a ride, is there
anything you would have to hide under your seat before you let Him in? Any CD’s you would have to hide in
your glove box? Would you have to turn your radio to a Christian station? Make sure you set your cell phone
on silent so worldly music doesn’t start playing when your friends call? What if He needed a place to stay and
you offered him your room? Would you have to take any posters off your wall before you let Him in? Hide stuff
under your bed or in your closet? You know there’s a lot of things people would not want Jesus to see, and yet
Jesus sees everything! He watches everything you do and hears everything you say.
Think about this. How would you act during His stay? Would you backtalk your parents? Push you little brother
around and call him names? Would you have your friends over to watch R rated movies and play violent video
games? Lets say Jesus asked you why you lived like the world and yet called yourself one of His followers?
What would you have to say? Would you be ashamed of the way you’re living? Would you be ashamed of the
things you do or the things you have? Do you really think Jesus would approve of your lifestyle?
Jesus has told you how to live your life. There are requirements that we must meet in order for us to be a
Christian. Just like a quarter back has to meet the requirements to play in that position, don’t you think you
should meet the requirements to be a Christian? I tell people what it takes to be a true Christian and they
refuse to listen. They say, “Well, my parents never told me that or my preacher never told me that.” They
believe that they can live however they want and as long as they believe in Jesus they are a Christian.
You ask someone if they are a Christian and they say, “Yeah, I go to church and read the bible.” Do you study
your bible and strive to be perfect? Do you try your best to live a righteous life? You can’t win a race if you
don’t run! If you just believe you are going to win, you are fooling your self into a loss. You must abide in
Christ and follow righteousness to be a Christian. A Christian is not just a person who goes to church and
reads the bible. When do you go to church? When they’re having a pizza party? When do you read the bible?
When your at church and the preachers behind the pulpit and he tells you to open your bible to a certain
page and you say Amen when he does, even though you have no idea what he is talking about?
If I called myself a basketball player, people would expect that I spend most of my time shooting hoops, right?
So if I call myself a Christian shouldn’t people expect me to read my bible all the time? Would they not expect
me to live a Christian life? Let's say a basketball player only played basketball when he had a game. All his
free time was spent going to clubs and parties instead of practicing. He wouldn’t be that good of a player
would he? So how do you expect yourself to be a good Christian if you only practice while you’re in church
and the rest of the week you live like the world?
I pray that by reading this you will re-evaluate your thinking on what it means to follow Christ so that you won’t
end up in hell with the rest of the people who didn’t take this seriously. Christianity is not what you make it to
be, it’s what it is, and that is a life lived in obedience to the Lord. If you're not living as a Christian than you
must repent and turn from your worldly lifestyle and follow after Christ.
Jesus” Well, a football player doesn’t call himself a quarterback because he believes in football. He must meet
the requirements for playing in that position. You must also meet the requirements for being a Christian. You
first need to understand what it means to be a Christian before you can go around calling yourself one. Most
people who say they’re Christian don't see anything wrong with today’s worldly way of living. What separates a
Christian from a non-Christian now days? People don’t seem to understand the difference between a carnal
person and a person who has truly been saved.
Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him
guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
Living like the world and calling yourself a Christian is taking the Lords name in vain. You are taking the name
of Christ or saying you’re of Christ by calling yourself a Christian, and yet you’re not abiding in His
commandments. If you’re a Christian you are to live in a lifestyle of righteousness. You must either live up to
what you profess or not profess it at all. Don’t call yourself a Christian if your not going to live like one,
because you are misleading people into a vain Christianity.
If you look at the world you will see that the majority of people who say they are Christian are not taking it
seriously because nobody else seems to be taking it seriously. Too many people live like other professing
Christians, but if your going call yourself a Christian then you must live a righteous life according to God’s
commandments. Not just on Sunday when your at church, but every moment of your life must be lived in
righteousness. Your actions, your attitude, everything in your life must be an example of Christ. If you’re not
living as Christ lived, than how can you say that you’re a Christian?
Today’s Christianity has almost totally lost its true meaning. People don't understand what a righteous life is
anymore. I talk to proclaiming Christians all the time that don’t know right from wrong any more than a non-
Christian. They party and get drunk. They cuss and tell perverted jokes with their friends. They watch movies
and listen to music that’s full of profanity and perversion. They indulge in lustful activities such as
pornography, going to strip clubs, and having sex before marriage. This is not the righteous lifestyle God has
called His children to live in. We cannot call ourselves a child of God and live in such immorality. To live doing
such sinful things and calling yourself a Christian is blasphemy. God’s children are to walk in righteousness
and live a holy life.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.”
Christians will prove to others that they belong to Jesus by the way they live. So why when I look at most
proclaiming Christians I just see another worldly person? Many professing Christians don’t live any different
than the world. They call themselves a Christian because they go to church and read the bible, but they don’t
live a righteous life.
Jesus said in Matthew 10:33 “Whoever denies me before others, I also will deny them before my Father in
heaven.”
So people are like, “Well, I don’t deny Jesus. If someone asked me if I believed in Jesus, I would say yes.” Is
that what you think Jesus is talking about, just merely confessing that you believe in Him if someone asks you?
What about the way you live your life? If you don’t live in a way that shows you belong to Jesus, isn’t that the
same as denying that you believe in Him?
Titus 1:15-16 “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure;
but even their mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being
abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”
In their works they deny Him. It’s not just professing your belief in Jesus. It is living your life in righteousness.
When someone looks at you, what do they see? Do they see a Christian person that follows Christ and lives in
righteousness? Or do they see a worldly person that lives in sin?
1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is
not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Let’s shorten that. For all that is in the world is not of the Father. Living like the world shows you belong to the
world. In order for you to recognize yourself as a Christian you must turn away from the worlds ways and walk
in righteousness. You cannot live like the world and say you’re a Christian. Deuteronomy 25:16 says all who
behave unrighteously, are an abomination to God. “But I’m God’s friend, you know the song we always sing in
church, “I am a friend of God.” How can you be a friend of God if you’re a friend of this world? James said in
James 4:4, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to
be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Jesus said in John 15:14, “You are My friends if
you do whatever I command you.” You cannot be a friend of the world and follow Christ at the same time. You
must keep His commandments.
If you was driving home and you saw Jesus walking on the side of the road and He needed a ride, is there
anything you would have to hide under your seat before you let Him in? Any CD’s you would have to hide in
your glove box? Would you have to turn your radio to a Christian station? Make sure you set your cell phone
on silent so worldly music doesn’t start playing when your friends call? What if He needed a place to stay and
you offered him your room? Would you have to take any posters off your wall before you let Him in? Hide stuff
under your bed or in your closet? You know there’s a lot of things people would not want Jesus to see, and yet
Jesus sees everything! He watches everything you do and hears everything you say.
Think about this. How would you act during His stay? Would you backtalk your parents? Push you little brother
around and call him names? Would you have your friends over to watch R rated movies and play violent video
games? Lets say Jesus asked you why you lived like the world and yet called yourself one of His followers?
What would you have to say? Would you be ashamed of the way you’re living? Would you be ashamed of the
things you do or the things you have? Do you really think Jesus would approve of your lifestyle?
Jesus has told you how to live your life. There are requirements that we must meet in order for us to be a
Christian. Just like a quarter back has to meet the requirements to play in that position, don’t you think you
should meet the requirements to be a Christian? I tell people what it takes to be a true Christian and they
refuse to listen. They say, “Well, my parents never told me that or my preacher never told me that.” They
believe that they can live however they want and as long as they believe in Jesus they are a Christian.
You ask someone if they are a Christian and they say, “Yeah, I go to church and read the bible.” Do you study
your bible and strive to be perfect? Do you try your best to live a righteous life? You can’t win a race if you
don’t run! If you just believe you are going to win, you are fooling your self into a loss. You must abide in
Christ and follow righteousness to be a Christian. A Christian is not just a person who goes to church and
reads the bible. When do you go to church? When they’re having a pizza party? When do you read the bible?
When your at church and the preachers behind the pulpit and he tells you to open your bible to a certain
page and you say Amen when he does, even though you have no idea what he is talking about?
If I called myself a basketball player, people would expect that I spend most of my time shooting hoops, right?
So if I call myself a Christian shouldn’t people expect me to read my bible all the time? Would they not expect
me to live a Christian life? Let's say a basketball player only played basketball when he had a game. All his
free time was spent going to clubs and parties instead of practicing. He wouldn’t be that good of a player
would he? So how do you expect yourself to be a good Christian if you only practice while you’re in church
and the rest of the week you live like the world?
I pray that by reading this you will re-evaluate your thinking on what it means to follow Christ so that you won’t
end up in hell with the rest of the people who didn’t take this seriously. Christianity is not what you make it to
be, it’s what it is, and that is a life lived in obedience to the Lord. If you're not living as a Christian than you
must repent and turn from your worldly lifestyle and follow after Christ.
Why do you call yourself a Christian?
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