what kind of Christian did the bible say we should be.

what kind of Christian did the bible say we should be

4/14/2024 Sunday

We are living in the last days and anticipating the second coming of Jesus Christ.

We must be prepared and ready to meet Jesus in the air. Many will not be here when He comes, so we must be saved when we die. How do we know we are in the last days?

Matt 24:4-13

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.

10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

After reading the instructions of Jesus Christ from the Bible, our characteristics must be just like His.

We will discuss Christ-like characteristics. What kind of Christian are you?

In today’s worldly culture, we hear this “I Identify as. But Saints, Christians, and Believers we identify with Jesus Christ. We have become like Him through the new birth, called born again.

John 3:1-3

1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

What kind of Christian are you? Does your character align with the principles of the Bible? Let us examine ourselves and not others based on our self-righteous ways.

1 Peter 1:22-23

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

The kind of Christian you are in the last days and the understanding you have will prepare us for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Song says.

“He coming back again just like He said He would.”

In the last days, we must be like Jesus whom we saints, Christians, and believers identify with. If you do have Jesus Christ’s identification you will not enter the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 15:50 (KJV) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Interjection: flesh and blood are terrestrial (earthy) the kingdom of God is celestial (heavenly) your body is not going to heaven your soul is.

If your body is not identified with Jesus Christ and aligned with Jesus’s characteristics on this earth, then the soul cannot enter the kingdom of God.

We must live a changed life first on earth. Then we inherit the kingdom of God. God is our Father, and as His children, we inherit what the Father has for us.

The Bible provides us with guidelines on the kind of Christian we should be.

Let’s explore some key aspects:

Identity in Christ: To identify as a Christian means acknowledging that the most important thing about you has nothing to do with you. It’s not about self-actualization or asserting personal identity. According to

Galatians 2:20, a Christian is one who has been “crucified with Christ.”

This means our old self, past pursuits, and passions no longer rule us. Our identity is now rooted in Christ.

Gal 2:20-21

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Gal 2:20-21 AMP

20 I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

21 [Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through [observing the ritual of] the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain. [His death was then wholly superfluous.]

AMP

We must be true to who we are in Christ, shaped by His Word, rather than who we are on the inside 1.

Christian Character: Scripture outlines various traits that reflect Christian character:

Pursuit truth, godliness, righteousness, love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, patience, perseverance, meekness, humility, self-control, compassion, thankfulness, forgiveness, contentment, and unity Compassion and Forgiveness: Ephesians 4:32 emphasizes kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Our Identity in Christ:

Our identity is not based on guesswork; God’s Word assures us of who we are.

Ephesians 2:19 declares that we are no longer strangers but fellow citizens with God’s people 4.

Eph 2:19

19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

In summary, being a Christian involves surrendering our old self, living in Christ, and reflecting His character through love, compassion, and forgiveness.

This must take place before the second coming of Jesus Christ.