Last Sunday I began a series of sermons on qualities or characteristics found in the christian life which identify you as a Christian. These characteristics are not to be critical of anyone’s commitment to Christ but to strengthen our faithfulness to our risen Savior through our living today is a fallen world. As we look at these qualities it is my prayer that it encourages you to continue your Christian growth while we wait for the return of Jesus to rapture the church.
Last week I identified the first three characteristics of a Christian “knowing who Jesus is”, “commitment to the Word of God”, and realizing that “we are a new creation in Christ.”
These are inward qualities that every believer in Christ have in their lives. Today I would like to look at the outward characteristics that can be observed in the life of a believer in Christ.
Pastor Lee Strobel in his book “Case for Christ” It is the story of a Chicago Tribune editor (and atheist) named Lee Strobel, who undertakes the task of debunking the “myth” of Christianity after his wife’s unexpected conversion. Ostensibly, Lee’s intent is to save his wife from getting sucked into what he fears may be a cult. What he saw in the life of his wife launched him an effort to disprove Christianity however in the search of disproving his wife’s faith he met the risen savior and today he is a Pastor, committed believer and Christian author. When people observed Christian characteristics in our lives it will motivate a lost person to have what the Christian life can bring to the lost person.
Characteristics of a Christian
1st They Walk in the Light (1 Jn 1:4-7)
2nd Their lives are marked by sensitive to sin (1 Jn 1:8-10)
3rd Their lives are lived in obedience to God and His Word (1 Jn 2:3-4)
4th They walk as Jesus walked (1 Jn 2:4-5)
5th They love other Christians (1 Jn 2:7-11)
6th They have a dislike and reject worldly living (1 Jn 2:15-17)
7th They are committed to the doctrines of the faith (1 Jn 2:18-19)
8th They are committed to living in righteousness (1 Jn 2:28-29)
9th They are pursuing righteousness (1 Jn 3:1-3)
10th They are practicing righteousness (1 Jn 2:28)
11th They live as world overcomers (1 Jn 4:4-6)
12th They believe the things that God has reviled about His Son (1 Jn 5:9-12)
(Source: 12 Characteristics of a True Christian | Anchored in Christ (kevinhalloran.net))
1st Believers Walk in the Light- 1 John 1:4-10 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Christians live each day with a distain for the sin of this world and are committed to live their lives by following the principals and commandments outlined in the Word of God. Their lives are not guided by the “thou shall not’s” but by the life of Jesus. God’s Word is our guiding light that shines in the darkness of the world, but the believer strives to walk in the light of Jesus.
John 1:3-5
3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. NKJV
ILLUS: Have you walked at night with a flashlight? There are times when you were walking you either moved into the darkness completely or walk in at the edge of the light or in the shadows. In those times it was necessary to readjust you’re the focus of the light or your walk so that you would not fall in the darkness. Our walk as a Christian is the same. As we live and work in this sin dark world there will be times when we walk on the edge or out of the light of Jesus. There will be times when we must refocus or adjust our path we are following.
David was a Godly man, a man who God called to lead His people; however, he got off track he walked in the darkness of this world. It was necessary for him to acknowledge his disobedience to God and His Word. He had to refocus his life to stay in the light of God.
John 3:19-21
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." NKJV
Ps 51:10-12
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Jer 15:16
16 Your words were found, and I ate them,
And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;
For I am called by Your name,
O Lord God of hosts.
2nd Believers are sensitive to sin-1 Jn 1:8-10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Where the world sees nothing wrong with things of the world the believer sees sin and the dangers of it. It is like a child who thinks it is ok to play with matches, but the parent sees the danger. Danger that can destroy and kill.
People who are spiritually blinded by sin sees nothing wrong with worldly living. That kind of living may be legal and morally acceptable but for the committed believer their spiritual eyes see the danger in the things of the world. There are those who see the danger but think “it can’t happen to me”. The gambler may recognize the inherent danger of gambling until it takes over their life and destroys their life and their family. Many will say that can’t happen to me, but it does happen. When you see a car involved in a wreck you might think “that can’t happen to me because I’m too careful. Until it does!
Back in the late 70’s driving home one night a truck passed into my lane, and I had a head on collision. Before that time, I thought it couldn’t happen to me, but it did. If you play with sin you’re going to get burned. Even though I was not at fault it can happen to you.
Committed Christian believer listens to God and His warnings and applies it to his/hers and avoids worldly living and doesn’t get burned. Had David stayed with his army he could have avoided the temptation of Bathsheba, the sin of having her husband killed, the lying and deceptive action and the heart ache that came with his disobedience. It can happen to you if you don’t listen to God.
3rd Believers lived in obedience to God and His Word-1 John 2:3-4 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and evil” alone, but they did not listen to God. Prophet Samuel told King Saul God instructions concerning his battle with Amalekites because of Saul’s disobedience to follow God Word Saul was rejected as King of Israel
1 Sam 15:21-23
21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal."
22 So Samuel said:
"Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He also has rejected you from being king." NKJV
Committed believers recognize that God instructions are for our good and his plan for us is better than our plans. God can see much farther down life’s road than we can. Has there ever been a time when you felt that going to work you should take a different route or something kept you from leaving at the time you wanted, and you found out that there had been a major accident that you would have been right in the middle of. That was God.
When we listen to God and keep His Word we are blessed and find our lives are better. The world see’s the believer lives his life following God, and those around him will be drawn to the Christian life.
Rom 5:19
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
Rom 6:16
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
1 Peter 1:2
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus
ILLUST: "One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having His peace and assurance in your life--it is obedience." (Eric Liddell)
Elisabeth Elliot tells the story of when she and her brother Tom were small children. Their mother would let Tom play with paper bags that she had saved if he put them away afterwards. One day she walked into the kitchen to find them strewn all over the floor.
Tom was in another room at the piano with his father singing hymns. When their mother called him to the kitchen to tidy up, he protested, "But Mum, I want to sing Jesus loves me this I know."
His father, seated next to him, backed up the boys' mother by saying: "It's no good singing God's praise if you're disobedient. To obey is better than sacrifice." (Sermon Central)
Are you singing praises to God and living a life of disobedience, God desire is for our obedience! Obedience is the key to successful Christian living. How can we expect God’s blessings on our lives if we are not following His Word in our lives?
Followers of Jesus walk in the Light, their lives are marked by being sensitive to sin, and their lives are lived in obedience to God and His Word. These 3 marks are the first of 12 marks of the Christian life. Are they present in your life? You be the judge!
