TEXT: Acts 26:20
TITLE: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
Listen to this from The Living Bible: “I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and through Judea, and also to the Gentiles that all must forsake their sins and turn to God-- and prove their repentance by doing good deeds.”
A few weeks ago I was captivated by the events of Ronald Reagan’s death. There were a lot of good things said about him & rightly deserved. (June 5, 2004)
As these commentators were talking about Ronald Regan they began to talk about Reagan being a Christian. Because not everyone who was watching probably knew what it meant to be a Christian this commentator made this comment: I don’t believe we have ever elected a president who is not a Christian.
During the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s America underwent a revival of unparalleled historic proportion.
According to Gallup surveys, confirmed by other polls taken over the past 15 years, 33% of all Americans over age 18 indicate they are evangelical or “born again” Christians. That translates into 59 million Christians, or one in every three adults, who experienced a turning point in their lives as they made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
This information should grip us with terror. It means that the greatest revival in history has so far been impotent to change society. It’s revival without reformation. It’s revival which left the country floundering in spiritual ignorance. It’s a change in belief without a corresponding change in behavior.
Other polls, as well as our own experience, show that this dramatic spiritual conversion has not been followed by a moral conversion. Instead, during those decades the moral will & character of America fractured into thousands of diverse, dwarfish, self-determined systems of values & beliefs.
The American gospel has evolved into a gospel of addition without subtraction. It is the belief that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior. It is a spiritual experience without any cultural impact. It is revival without reformation. It is revival without repentance.
We as the church have done a good job on evangelism but we have done a poor job on discipleship. Every new generation of believers must be discipled. Once shown how to add Christ to their lives, they must be taught how to subtract sin—and to obey. Paul’s gospel was adamant that adding Jesus must be accompanied by subtracting sin. “I preached that they should repent {subtract sin} and turn to God {add Christ} and prove their repentance by their deeds {obedience}.”
The proof of religious conversion is to demonstrate that we have both added a relationship with Christ and that we have subtracted sin (repentance). And we multiply proof to a weary world by what we do—our deeds, our obedience. What we do must confirm what we say. Our deeds are the proof of our repentance. Are you proving your repentance to the world by your deeds?
James 2:14, 17, 18 – “(14) What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?...(17) Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (18) But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
A changed life is one that has added Christ and subtracted sin, that attracts a world weary of worn-out words. Obedience is the proof. Paul knew that unless the believer became a “behave-er” that revival would not lead to a reformed life.
Is there a difference between your behavior and those around you who have never met the Savior? If there is none, what will attract them to the kingdom of God?
God meant for the Christian to be different, to live a different kind of life, and to be on a different moral level from those who are not Christians. And yet, there is practically no difference in lifestyle."
Ill. A Christian father was one day explaining to his little boy what a Christian is. When he had finished, the little boy asked, "Daddy, have I ever seen a Christian?"
Christians don’t walk like the world. Christians and the world act or do different things. Turn to Ephesians 4:17-32 and let’s read.
Notice verse 19: “lewdness” – unbridled lust; “uncleanness” – impurity; “greediness” – desire to have more {doing what is necessary to have more}.
Verse 20 says that you who are in Christ don’t do these things; you have learned different things now that you are a believer in Christ.
Verse 22 tells us to “put off” (put away, cast off) this kind of conduct. This is “former conduct” not present conduct for those who are believers in Christ.
Verse 23 – there is a renewing of the mind. Christians & sinners think differently. Christians put Christ first.
Verse 25 – “put away lying” – falsehood.
Verse 28 – don’t steal anymore – be honest.
Verse 29 – don’t let “corrupt words” come out of your mouth. The word “corrupt” means, rotten, worthless. “Edification” {building up} is to come out of your mouth.
Remember, these things are not to be a part of a true Christian. It goes on: verse 31 – “bitterness” (bitter hatred); “wrath” (angry); “anger” (temper, agitation); “clamor” (outcry, crying); “evil speaking” (slander, injurious speech); “malice” (ill will). All of these things are to be put away in the life of a Christian.
Verse 32 tells us the things that need to be a part of the Christian life: “be kind” (easy, good); “tenderhearted” (compassionate); “forgiving one another”.
Now turn with me to 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and let’s read. Notice verse 11. The things mentioned in verses 9 & 10 were the things they use to do. The words “such were some of you” indicates that this is the way they use to act but now that they are Christians they don’t act that way anymore.
What were the things they use to be: “fornicators” (prostitutes); “idolaters” (worshiper of false gods); “adulterers”; “homosexuals”; “thieves”; “covetous” (eager to get more); “drunkards” (intoxicated); “extortioners” (robbers).
The reason they aren’t those things anymore is because they have been washed, sanctified and justified.
The word “wash” means to wash fully; the word “sanctified” means to be separated unto God or cleansed; the word “justified” means to declare innocent or declare to be righteous. Because we are washed by the Word & separated unto God we don’t do these things. Because we have been declared righteous we don’t do these things because these things are unrighteous.
Now turn with me to 1 Peter 4:3-4 and let’s read.
Notice the words in verse 3 “when we walked”. We use to walk this way but we don’t walk this way anymore because we are Christians.
Look with me in Colossians 3:5-8. Notice the words of verse 7: “once walked”.
Look at Ephesians 5:3-8. Notice verse 8 - “For you were once darkness.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
There are a lot of people that are trying to be new creatures or trying to be new people. I’ve often heard the saying that, “I’m going to turn over a new leaf this year.” Maybe they want to be a better husband or better wife; a better father or better mother; a better church member or a better person. But I want to emphasize today that we can not be new unless we’re in Christ.
The Bible teaches us very clearly that after a person has received salvation through Jesus that a change should take place in their lives. There should be visible evidence of their salvation!
I believe, but more importantly the Bible teaches, that there should be some evidence of salvation. A murderer should lose his desire to kill. A thief should lose his desire to steal. A drunkard should lose his desire to drink, and a person who has been living in sin should desire to give up his sinful ways. Old things should pass away and all things should become new!
Let’s look at an example found in the Book of Luke, Chapter 19, verses 1-9. We read of a man named Zaccheus.
Zaccheus was a tax collector. He was a very wealthy man, but also a very despised man. He had cheated many people and demanded that they pay more taxes than they rightfully should have had to pay. No one liked Zaccheus. As a matter of fact, he was probably the most unpopular man in the crowd that day that Jesus was passing through Jericho.
I’m sure that Zaccheus had heard the stories about Jesus and the many miracles that He had performed. He was curious and he wanted to get a glimpse of this man called Jesus.
Now the Bible tells us that Zaccheus was a very short man. There was a very large crowd that day, all having come to see Jesus. Zaccheus could not see so he got an idea. He climbed up a sycamore tree and there sat on a limb where he could clearly see Jesus as He passed through.
As Jesus walked by he looked up in that sycamore tree and he saw Zaccheus sitting there. Jesus not only saw the outward appearance of Zaccheus, but he also saw the inward appearance and He knew the desires of his heart. Jesus said to him, "Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."
The Bible tells us that he did make haste. He hurried down from that tree and joyfully received Jesus into his home. More importantly, that day he also received Jesus into his heart as Savior and Lord.
Zaccheus had accepted Jesus Christ and had become a new man. His heart was changed so much that the very first thing he wanted to do was to give half of all that he owned to the poor. Secondly, knowing that he had taken away from some persons falsely, he wanted to restore to them four fold. If he had taxed them $10 too much he wanted to give them $40 back, four times as much! Simply for him to give back the same amount he had falsely taken was not enough.
Zaccheus was a changed man. He no longer wanted to cheat people or to steal from them. He no longer had a high regard for his possessions of his great wealth. They became unimportant to him. Zaccheus had joyfully accepted Jesus into his heart and he immediately repented of his unrighteous life. Old things were passed away, behold, all things became new.
How different this story is from that of the rich young ruler, found in the 19th chapter of Matthew, beginning with verse 16.
There was no way that this rich young ruler was going to give up his many earthly possessions. He was disappointed in what Jesus told him. His possessions and wealth were the most important things in life to him. He refused to give them up and in the process turned his back on Jesus and salvation.
Jesus demands that He be the number one thing, the most important thing in our lives. He is to be more important to us then any possession or any person we have in our life.
Once Zaccheus had accepted Jesus into his life he no longer had the desire or need to be wealthy in material things for he was now rich in spiritual things. The rich young ruler did not accept Jesus and all things in his life remained the same.
Listen to the Word of God from Ezekiel 36:26 - "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
Now listen to it from “The Living Bible” – “And I will give you a new heart-- I will give you new and right desires-- and put a new spirit within you. I will take out your stony hearts of sin and give you new hearts of love.”
There should be a difference in our lives when we get saved. If you are going by the name Christian and these things are a part of your life it might mean that you need to repent, to ask God for forgiveness.
