Why are you a Christian?

Sunday morning thoughts:

Why are you a "Christian?"
For what reason are we to be called "the son's and daughter's of God?
And what is the heart of "Christianity?"

Are we supposed to "experience" more than just the "knowledge" that our "sins" are forgiven and the streets of gold have now been guaranteed us? Is our "profession" of faith just a feeble "proclamation" of our agreement with "Scripture?"

Is there more than just "guidelines", almost certainly unmeetable commands, and a struggling to "walk the walk?" Have we really desired to know the "heart" of God in this living the Christian faith?
What does it mean to "live the Christian Faith" and "how do we do that, how is it expressed?" Is it beyond our ability to be "totally committed to God through Jesus Christ?"

Lets start with this statement:
"If you are a Christian (a follower of Jesus Christ) you have to believe in the (what I call) fantasical." Not a word? Sorta. What does that mean?
First of all it means that God through the Holy Spirit has to "call you unto Christ" whom He has lifted up for such a purpose we realizing that God is unapproachable when we are "in our sins."
Second you have to agree with His Word that Christ is the only Savior for our sins. By no other means can we "obtain" forgiveness and be perfect in His sight.
Third (this is the hard one), that Christ then becomes our righteousness, salvation, and sanctification. Our hope of, and answer to, being able to "approach the throne of God, spotless, undefiled." When we truly "confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord (He died for our sins and rose from the dead), then the above "Truth's" become fact and are etched in our "hearts", (not our heads), and we become son's and daughter's of God.

Ok, you know all that. You got it! Life is good. You have your "Free ticket to the streets of Gold.

Then answer this one question:
Why is it then so hard to "walk in the spirit", "keep all the commands", "receive all the promises", "have peace like a river and joy in the Holy Spirit" all the time or at least most of it?

Is it a matter of "increasing in faith?" Is it "help me though my unbelief?" Is it a matter of "studying the Scriptures daily?" Fasting enough, praying enough, going, doing, preaching, or some other thing out of a list of thousands of Christ like replications?
No. All the above desires are necessary, to an ever "increasing" degree but they are not "the beginning" of what is needed most for the foundation of our answer "Why are we Christians?"

Lets take an "out of the box" approach to this question, like a Biblical one, Scriptural one. Not the pleadings of man but a calling of the Holy Spirit. Not the common teachings of man (beyond the Gospel set forth in Scripture), but "how Scripture" shows us the how and the why's of being a Christian.

I'm going to ask you at this point, before I go on to pray about what is being written and ask that you "listen/read with your heart not your head." The vilest application of understanding Scripture come from the practice of "head knowledge" instead of heart knowledge. Period. If God gave us the ability to "understand "the Mind of Christ" with our heads then He would of eliminated the Holy Spirit. Lets go on.
Understand first: that salvation through Christ is a MIRACLE!
A miracle is a "Divine Intervention of God to Man to Manifest His Glory." God works miracles for one reason and one reason only: To prove the Truth of His Word (Jesus Christ) to those whom He touches and to those whom He uses to do so. If you didn't get that the first reading read it again!
You were born a sinner with an inheritance of "hell." If you are not convinced of that statement then you cannot and will not be saved. The very fact that "The Holy God" (in whose presence can be no sin), out of His Unconditional Love, gave us a way to be "cleansed" and made whiter than snow, so that we can "come unto His throne, into His presence," THIS IS A MIRACLE! All things God does towards man is a miracle! Not divided by small or large.......everyone is a divine intervention.
More than that He also "gave us of His Spirit" after being "redeemed" by the blood of His Son, so that we might have the "power and boldness" to do so. With this "imparting of the Holy Spirit" He made all things possible that are written in His Word the Holy Bible, nothing being out of reach, all the promises and commands "doable" by faith and faith alone.
Again this takes place in the heart not the head. If you "think" you know these Truth's but do not witness them on a regular basis, then your head has taken over for your heart, and there in, your faith will be week and your walk will also. You will be "plagued about by many questions" not seeing the fruits of faith spoken in the Scriptures. Sadly these "symptoms" are a prewarning that the teachings of man have been made more acceptable than the Word of God. As it might be called a "holy excuse" to "claim the name of Christ but "deny the power there of."

So where is this going and when will I answer the question of: "Why are we Christians?"
What does God expect?

Let me start here:
Since the day of "my Salvation" I believed! I mean everything that Scripture said. I will add here that from the beginning of this journey for me, the Holy Spirit was "given without measure" in my "growning in faith and the knowledge of Christ." This is not to set some sort of brag or "I am so righteous" presentation, but to state clearly that: myself, you or anyone else, who has not "received the Holy Spirit" (baptism of the Holy Spirit, not water baptism) after believing in Jesus Christ "he cannot know the things of God." Period. He can listen and learn what man has to say, but he cannot "listen to the Spirit" and be able to know and compare the two (often opposed to each other), to "study to show thyself approved." He who has the Holy Spirit has the "Mind of Christ," he who doesn't have the Holy Spirit "has not the mind of Christ." Because of the later we are in the present state, church, country, and heart.
That is not to say that "at the day of salvation" the Holy Spirit doesn't "come along side" to teach, guide and direct, but Scripture clearly shows that there, (like salvation), must be a specific time when we are "filled with the Holy Spirit" and endued with "power from on high." Remember here, that we are talking about Scripture here, not mumbling, thoughts, emotions, and comparisons. Not feel good preaching that gives hope but no power to serve. Man's word, man's strength to accomplish.

So how do we wrap this up and answer the question first asked?
My heart, since the day of salvation, has been to "honor God" by obeying His Word, not with strength of my own but by the "power of the Spirit." This same Holy Spirit has been active since that point in my prayer life. Yes there are tongues but that's not what I am talking about. Paul said: "though I pray in the Spirit I pray also with my conscious," so it is a wise thing when praying to also "listen" to what you are praying "as the Spirit leads."
This morning was one of those mornings. Pray, listen. Letting the Holy Spirit "lead."
Here is what came about the question of "why are we Christians?"
Lets not go over again faith, baptism, the laying on of hands but on to better things these all being understood!

The simple answer is this:
To gain by God's Spirit the revelation that we, being just flesh and blood, we're desired by God to be His people, that He might "manifest" His Truth, His Power, His Love, to us and through us so that all creation would see and believe on His Name. Having promised so we can turn our hearts to Him and freely invite His will to be done in us.

While I was praying this morning the "manifestation of the Spirit" was both in vision form and heart prayer form that simply "renewed my mind" to the "high calling we have of God in Christ Jesus." I understood the impossibility of what God asks us to do daily, and the imponderable power that He gives us for it's accomplishment. From beginning (salvation), to end (our lives) He has expected nothing from us but to be an "open vessel" for Him to use "that no man would have excuse" to deny His existence, Love, power, and plan.

Simply put: to be obedient to His will, as laid out in Scripture and performed by the Holy Spirit. To passionately "desire" to do so. Not to beat oneself up over whether or not "I compare to someone else" and what God is doing through them, but to be open both through prayer and the "we small voice" to be "led by the Spirit." The best way to be that is to "eat and drink" the right things! Gotcha but it's True. His flesh is real meat and his blood real drink." Did you ever think about that "diet"? To "feed off His Word and to have our "thirst" satiated by His blood? This the foundation of "His will." When we rely on "His Presence" more than that of carnal food, then He, through His Spirit, feeds our "inner man" with the True Manna from heaven, the only real food from God.......His Word (the Mind of Christ), and His Spirit.
Praying this morning I believe that God guided my prayer to be such: "Holy Father, glorify your name in all the earth. By the blood of Jesus help me to see and do, by faith, those things that are your will convenient for this day. Not by my strength or understanding, but by Your strength and Spirit through the name of Jesus Christ. Lift Him up to call all men unto You. Empower your people to preach the Gospel of Truth with signs and wonders following because the "Truth shall set them (and us) free." Teach us to Love as you do "Unconditionally." Work in us to "conform us unto the image and likeness of your Son Jesus Christ." Help us to decrease and Jesus to increase in us so that all that remains is the reflection of our Savior and our Father in heaven. I thank you and praise you, in Jesus name!
This is why we are Christian's.

Via con Dios

Love
J&E in Tn