3 Kinds of Believers
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( I think this is where it goes)
I believe there are three “types” of believers.
Many believers are those who are just that. Believers. They struggle daily with assurance of their salvation. They don’t study the Word. They don’t pray. They aren’t separated from the world. They show up on Sunday. They might show up 3 times a week. They are Believers…but seriously lack discipleship and commitment to Christ.
The second camp are the disciples. I believe MANY of those faithful to church are in this category. I believe they have come to the place of commitment to Christ and have/doing their best to walk with God and live according to the Holy standards which are required as our “base” obligation to the Lord. I believe they are not perfect. They struggle everyday as do the “believer” camp. I do believe however, they have chosen to “take up his cross daily” and “follow me” I believe this is the most common form of Christianity that is displayed by MANY….including Pastors.
The last camp is a reserved group. I believe there are FEW that have walked the earth in these last days. these people are so in tune with Christ that the world hates them. I believe their testimony and lifestyle are such that it brings unholy anger upon the world and they in turn persecute/martyr them. Every time the word Christian is used, it carries with it a sense of “suffering.”
I believe Paul was trying his best to convince Agrippa to become a “Christian” as Paul was.
If I can be so blunt as to say that Acts 1:8 is often misrepresented when it says “and ye shall be WITNESSES“….the word witness comes from the same greek word (according to Strongs) as MARTYR. Everyone wants to claim themselves a witness for Christ but yet few actually take up their cross of sacrifice much less their cross of death.
While I won’t make it an official Doctrine….or something I would present as a separating issue of contention…..I do believe this is accurate according to my present understanding of scripture.
any comments?
I believe there are three “types” of believers.
Many believers are those who are just that. Believers. They struggle daily with assurance of their salvation. They don’t study the Word. They don’t pray. They aren’t separated from the world. They show up on Sunday. They might show up 3 times a week. They are Believers…but seriously lack discipleship and commitment to Christ.
The second camp are the disciples. I believe MANY of those faithful to church are in this category. I believe they have come to the place of commitment to Christ and have/doing their best to walk with God and live according to the Holy standards which are required as our “base” obligation to the Lord. I believe they are not perfect. They struggle everyday as do the “believer” camp. I do believe however, they have chosen to “take up his cross daily” and “follow me” I believe this is the most common form of Christianity that is displayed by MANY….including Pastors.
The last camp is a reserved group. I believe there are FEW that have walked the earth in these last days. these people are so in tune with Christ that the world hates them. I believe their testimony and lifestyle are such that it brings unholy anger upon the world and they in turn persecute/martyr them. Every time the word Christian is used, it carries with it a sense of “suffering.”
I believe Paul was trying his best to convince Agrippa to become a “Christian” as Paul was.
If I can be so blunt as to say that Acts 1:8 is often misrepresented when it says “and ye shall be WITNESSES“….the word witness comes from the same greek word (according to Strongs) as MARTYR. Everyone wants to claim themselves a witness for Christ but yet few actually take up their cross of sacrifice much less their cross of death.
While I won’t make it an official Doctrine….or something I would present as a separating issue of contention…..I do believe this is accurate according to my present understanding of scripture.
any comments?
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[PastorTimDelello] ( I think this is where it goes)What would a person have to do to progress from this second group, who are living lives of commitment to the Lord, to become a member of the third group, who are so in tune with Christ that the world hates them?
The second camp are the disciples. I believe MANY of those faithful to church are in this category. I believe they have come to the place of commitment to Christ and have/doing their best to walk with God and live according to the Holy standards which are required as our “base” obligation to the Lord.
[Kevin Miller]I don’t believe it is something that we do. I believe it is something of what we become. What separated Stephen from the other deacons? What separated James from the other disciples at that immediate time? Uh-oh….here it comes….I believe they were chosen vessels. I believe a Christian is more than a title.[PastorTimDelello] ( I think this is where it goes)What would a person have to do to progress from this second group, who are living lives of commitment to the Lord, to become a member of the third group, who are so in tune with Christ that the world hates them?
The second camp are the disciples. I believe MANY of those faithful to church are in this category. I believe they have come to the place of commitment to Christ and have/doing their best to walk with God and live according to the Holy standards which are required as our “base” obligation to the Lord.
Those who “become” all that the Lord is (all that is possible in our mortal sinful state) are hated by the world to the point where they cannot live with us. I don’t believe anyone of us can “achieve” Christ. But Christ-likeness is a rarity in these last days.
I think there is a relationship between the Vine and the branches that disproves those 3 categories. The Husbandman is left out of the picture there too. Just my thoughts…
Pastor Harold, I suppose it would be worthwhile to look at John 15 according to dispensation too. I dont believe there are carnal Christians. That is the whole premise of the OP. John 15 I believe deals with the figtree which Jesus cursed…which is symbolic of Israel.
All those who live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Take a public stand for righteousness and Jesus Christ and you will be persecuted.
Do you want to go from disciple to persecuted disciple. It’s easy as 1-2-3.
1. Go to your closest secular college campus.
2. In the open-air public forum preach the Gospel, explaining God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness, God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice, and man’s need to turn from sin and false religion to salvation in by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
3. Duck, pray , keep preaching.
It’s actually not that complicated, mystical or difficult. It’s not about simply being different, but preaching the Gospel. You cannot live Godly in Christ Jesus without preaching the Gospel. Mark 16:15.
If you join me in California I will show you how to do this personally. No tuition charge.
DJung
Take a public stand for righteousness and Jesus Christ and you will be persecuted.
Do you want to go from disciple to persecuted disciple. It’s easy as 1-2-3.
1. Go to your closest secular college campus.
2. In the open-air public forum preach the Gospel, explaining God’s holiness and man’s sinfulness, God’s love and Christ’s sacrifice, and man’s need to turn from sin and false religion to salvation in by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
3. Duck, pray , keep preaching.
It’s actually not that complicated, mystical or difficult. It’s not about simply being different, but preaching the Gospel. You cannot live Godly in Christ Jesus without preaching the Gospel. Mark 16:15.
If you join me in California I will show you how to do this personally. No tuition charge.
DJung
[PastorTimDelello]The only reason I asked the question the way I did, in terms of doing things, is because it seemed that part of your description of each group involved actions. The first group attended church but they didn’t read their Bibles or pray. They were not separated from the world. I have to think that separation from the world involves both attitudes and actions. The second group are committed to the Lord and live according to Holy Standards, only at a “base” level. The third group has a testimony and lifestyle that makes them hated. Having a lifestyle would definitely imply actions. So what is the practical difference between the second and third group. The answer you gave me was that the third group were chosen vessels, but how does one go from the second group to become a chosen vessel? Persecution seems to be a main theme of your third group, so does our chosenness depend upon the level of persecution that the unsaved world throws at us?[Kevin Miller] What would a person have to do to progress from this second group, who are living lives of commitment to the Lord, to become a member of the third group, who are so in tune with Christ that the world hates them?I don’t believe it is something that we do. I believe it is something of what we become. What separated Stephen from the other deacons? What separated James from the other disciples at that immediate time? Uh-oh….here it comes….I believe they were chosen vessels. I believe a Christian is more than a title.
Those who “become” all that the Lord is (all that is possible in our mortal sinful state) are hated by the world to the point where they cannot live with us. I don’t believe anyone of us can “achieve” Christ. But Christ-likeness is a rarity in these last days.
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