Biblical Studies/Christianity/Living as a Christian
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In the Catholic Church there are titles for those who do and do not participate. A “practicing Catholic” is a catholic who has completed the holy sacraments, attends Catholic Mass (Church) every week including holy days of obligation and attends Confession at least once per year. Those who consider themselves Catholic and do not meet these standards is considered a “Lapsed Catholic.”
In Protestantism; Pastor Rex Humbard once said, the Christian life is like a bicycle, either go on or go off. Thus, after the believer turns to Jesus, there are certain things required:
- To grow in Christ. (Eph. 4: 15)
- To grow in grace and knowledge of the things of God (2 Peter 3: 18)
- To grow as the Word is read. (1 Peter 2: 2)
- To love one another. (John 13: 35) (1 Cor. 13)
- To be a witness of Jesus to others (Acts 1: 8)
- To give to God what is God’s. (Luke 20: 25)
- To pray always. (1 Thess. 5: 17)
- To pray in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 20)
- To receive help from the Holy Spirit when we do not know how to pray. (Rom. 8: 26)
- To join a body of believers. (Heb. 10: 24,25)
- With oneness in unity of purpose. (Rom. 12: 5)
- With oneness, but different ministries. (Eph. 4: 11,12)
- With oneness in symbols. (Rev. 19: 7)
- With oneness in testimony. (Rev. 12: 10,11)
- With oneness as children of God. (Matt. 5: 9)
- And if the Holy Spirit is in you, He who raised up Christ from the dead will add to your mortal existence such abundant Life as comes with the indwelling of His Spirit. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are under no obligation to live a life ruled by our baser instincts. For if you follow that path, death is near; but under the powerful sway of the Spirit, when you put those inclinations aside, you will live. For all who are led by the Holy Spirit are children of God. (Romans 8: 11-14 in Modernity)
- I may not be the man I want to be; I may not be the man I ought to be; I may not be the man I could be; I may not be the man I truly can be; but praise God, I'm not the man I once was.
− Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
God − The Son − The Holy Spirit
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