Cultural Or Liberal "Christians" Are Known By Their Behavior

Whoever believes that Jesus 

is the Christ is born of God,

and everyone who loves Him 

who begot also loves him who

is begotten of Him.

By this we know that we love

the children of God, when we

love God and keep His commandments.

1John 5:1-2

     The word used by the Apostle John is a familiar Greek word used so often by Christians: "Agape" and while it is translated "love" the meaning is deeper than our English word "love."  This "Agape" love is a love that has as its base principles, a principled love, a God love who is the truth and the highest form of any principle.  If you have principled love for God, then you will have principles love for Jesus Christ, who is God, and you will have principles love for the brethren.  You might say: "I love my car."  How? How can you love a non-living anything? You might like it, have high regard for it, but to love? We use this word so easily and so often wrongly.  We love God who first love us, a living Being who created us, the world in which we live. Yet, we live not according to His principles, His commandments, rather we live according to those ideals that we can agree with because they sound so good, so theologically based, but are not! You may say that you love God, that you love Jesus Christ His only Begotten Son, and you may have real feelings, a feeling of love, but is it love that is based upon principles or feelings?  True or false Christianity is most demonstrated by behavior.  

     Another word that is bounced around today is, "faith."  A person says: "I have faith," then goes off and lives like the world.  Furthermore, faith is so often held at arm's length, people come close to the truth but not close enough.  Another words, they come close enough to say that they have faith but they are not close enough to master the intricacies of true faith.  what do I mean?  True Authentic Biblical Faith is one that so pervades our lives that everything is affected by that faith, and shown in our behavior.  It is a matter of the heart and its reality is our supreme influence.  I am not speaking of some outward demonstration that pleases the senses, rather that inward faith, that is demonstrated in every thing you do. This is a faith that is pleasing to God, a faith that drives us to root out anything that is contrary to the truth.  Unfortunately, many are so pleased with what they are being taught, so easily affected by the "nice" sounding messages that they will not take the time to examine whether or not their faith is Authentic Biblical Faith. 

     Authentic Biblical Faith is this: Jesus Christ comes to dwell in our lives by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  This is the foundation of our faith, and by this knowledge and presence we are forced to measure all we do against this reality. All of our thoughts are measured by this reality, any defective truth, is there can be such as it seems to me that if it is not the truth then it has to be a lie, are resisted.  Our motivation is due to the presence of the Holy Spirit who is grieved when we accept that which is not of Him, the truth, when we have accepted man's teaching, no matter how good sounding, as truth, and not the truth of Him as revealed in His word.  Every fiber of our being is affected, and we grow in grace, our Sanctification is enlarged as it grows and leads us to behave as Authentic Biblical Christians. 

     This is the sad news: many among us have a different thinking, that which is altogether different, and have created standards that are not Biblical, that which is not Authentic Biblical Standards.  For many among us, those who claim to be "Christian" and to love God, who believe that they are truly in the "truth," have set standards that are not of God, rather they are of man. Listen to the Apostle Paul: "We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.  We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.  And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen" (1John 5:18-21).  Being of God then we should behave as such, adopted children of God.

This is love, that we walk

     according to His commandments.

This is the commandment, that as

     you have heard from the beginning,

you should walk in it.

                                    2John 6

Be glad, rejoice, God dwells in all His children

Richard L. Crumb