Characteristics of a True Christian in Christ
One of the characteristics of a true Christian in Christ is to discount that they’re good. Jesus explained why believers don’t possess that quality.
He points out to the rich young ruler in Mark 10:18 that he shouldn’t call Him good. “Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is [essentially] good [by nature] except God alone” (AMP). Ouch! That answer rattles religious cages driven by goodness rather than a relationship with the ONE who is good. However, a true Christian in Christ wants to live their Christian life the best they can.
In this who is a true Christian sermon, I focus on the dominant attitudes and characteristics of a true Christian in Christ.
Characteristics of a True Christian In Christ: They Live in a Sinful Body
As a Christian, you probably already know your body wants to sin. That’s in direct conflict with your desire to live for Jesus. The flesh gets in the way every day and you spend considerable time putting down desires contrary to what God wants.
Saint Paul expresses his frustration in Romans 7:15 exemplifying what we all face.
“For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity].”
Ever been there? I have. In my book, 12 Life Principales From Psalm 23., I admit at one time I was a fake Christian.
Together the Hebrew and Greek translations of sin mean to miss the mark or step across. When you sin, you have spiritual standards you want to uphold but you don’t reach those principles. The reason—you step over into lawlessness of the heart. Reference 1 John 3:4: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness [ignoring God’s law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing—being unrestrained by His commands and His will].”
What we do without Him never measures up. He knows, loves us anyway, and uses us for His Kingdom.
Characteristics of a True Christian in Christ: They Focus on God
When you prefer others notice you, your center of attention isn’t God, the Holy Spirit, or your Lord and Savior Jesus. That attitude gives pride an entrance into your heart to run rampant in your life. That sin precedes a fall.
If you do what Jesus did—feed the poor, heal the sick, bind up the broken-hearted, raise the dead (yes Jesus said we could do even greater works (see John 14:12)—you die to self. Imitate Jesus, align your life and heart to His beliefs, and ministry opportunities arise you never dream could happen.
Seek after God and you become more like Him when you hang out with Him in His space. Onlookers may look for something different about Christians, but if everything we do doesn’t resemble Christianity, they stop looking. In my life, I don’t do nearly enough for people and I work on my Christian glow which only comes through associating with God often.
That said, God doesn’t hammer you and me over the head when we miss it. His gentle nudges draw us back into His presence. I no longer want accolades and admiration. Moreover, Jesus doesn’t beat anyone over the head to join Him. His humility, grace, and love win His disciples so they want to follow Him. There’s no coercion involved, whatsoever.
How to Live as a True Believer: Please God
To please God, you discover what separates you from Him and take steps to rectify your behavior. You do whatever it takes to please your Savior. The Holy Spirit helps you get rid of anything that He calls sin. You want to be like King David whom God refers to as a man after His heart (see Acts 13:22).
If you and I are honest, we fall short. I’d rather be around a Christian who doesn’t pretend to have it all together. For example, a person who exudes love doesn’t judge me (if I want to have a tattoo, which I don’t). I sidestep Christians with plastered grins and those who attend church on Sunday but live like everyone else Monday through Saturday.
I’m totally thankful that Jesus overlooks my brokenness and lets me into His family because He took my sins. I understand the first line of Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags”, as compared to God’s goodness.
Characteristics of a True Believer
I’ve met people and noticed that God is all over them. They aren’t fakes—they believe everything Christ offers and live their lives accordingly. The fruit of the Spirit is on display for all to see and Christ is their abiding anchor. They live redeemed lives which Dr. Timothy Keller aptly describes.
“The gospel says you are more sinned and flawed than you ever dare believe, but more accepted and loved than you ever dare hope.”
That’s good news for you and me. Dr. Keller also points out we are, “So loved that we don’t despair when we do wrong, but so sinful that we have no right to be puffed up when we do right.”
A true believer in Christ takes up a new mantle as described in Ephesians 2:1-7 (AMP).
And you [He made alive when you] were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of your transgressions and sins, in which you once walked. You were following the ways of this world [influenced by this present age], in accordance with the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who is now at work in the disobedient [the unbelieving, who fight against the purposes of God].
Among these [unbelievers] we all once lived in the passions of our flesh [our behavior governed by the sinful self], indulging the desires of human nature [without the Holy Spirit] and [the impulses] of the [sinful] mind. We were, by nature, children [under the sentence] of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind]. But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment).
And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus, [and He did this] so that in the ages to come He might [clearly] show the immeasurable and unsurpassed riches of His grace in [His] kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [by providing for our redemption].
Live like Jesus and people will take a closer look at you as a Christian and want to know what makes you tick. Then, sigh deeply because the pressure is off to perform. You’ll feel instant freedom as a follower of Jesus because you simply love Him with all your heart. Reciprocally, He loves you more than anyone could because He’s so good.