How to Conduct Ourselves as True Christians

 Do you want to know more about how to conduct yourself as a Christian? I do. I believe we all do.  

Do we want to just merely say we are Christians or do we really want to be Christians? Again, I really want to be a true Christian, and I believe you do too.

The book of James in the New Testament of the Bible gives us some pointers. Let’s read what it says and then dissect the key points a little. 

James 4:1-17 NLT “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 

You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. 

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. 

You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.

Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 

Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour. Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law.

But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? 

Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 

How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 

What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. 

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

So how do we conduct ourselves as Christians? How do we become true Christians?

#1 We must submit ourselves to God.

Here we have to distinguish between a Christian - one who merely goes by the name but does not live according to Christian principles, and a true Christian - someone who genuinely follows the teachings of Jesus Christ.

True Christian conduct begins with submission to God, surrendering our will to His and acknowledging His sovereignty in our lives.  The life of a true Christian reflects their beliefs through their deeds. 

Also important to note: The term Christian is generally used to describe someone who identifies with Christianity. But being a true Christian suggests a deeper, more committed relationship with Christ - authenticity, consistency and commitment. 

A true Christian embraces the teachings of Jesus in their daily life, and it is evident by the way they live.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

James 2:17 “So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.”

So how do we conduct ourselves as Christians? Are we true Christians?

#2 We will know the answer to that as we walk in obedience to Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:15, ““If you love me, obey my commandments.”

A true Christian will strive to obey Jesus’ teachings and live a life that honours Him.

The qualities of the Fruit of the Spirit will be evident in our lives. 

Galatians 5:22-23 says the Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in a believer.

2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

So a true Christian experiences a transformation, a turning away from his or her past sinful life to one that embraces a new life in Christ. Not just lip service but in action too. 

We are talking about how to conduct ourselves as true Christians.

#3 We must resist the devil, actively oppose the devil's schemes.  We must be vigilant, always on guard, and steadfast in our faith.

1 Peter 5:8-9 “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”

#4 As Christians, we must seek to draw nearer yet nearer to our God, constantly.  How? Through prayer, reading Scripture, and worship.

Psalm 145:18 “The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth.”

#5 Everything we do as Christians must come from a place of a pure heart. We must strive to be holy at all times, renouncing sin in all of its forms. And we can do this.

1 John 1:9 assures us that…if we confess our sins to him (God), he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

And #6, one of the marks of a true Christian as they conduct themselves accordingly, is humility. 

Family, as followers of Jesus Christ, we seek to emulate Him, correct? Who is more humble than Jesus? So this is a characteristic trait that true Christians will have.

Philippians 2:3-4 “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

And James 4:10 “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”

Family, as we go through each and every day, let us strive to make sure that we conduct ourselves in ways that bring glory to the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

aub - 30 July 2024

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