Are you a Believer?

 'And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.’ Acts 11:26

‘It was in Antioch (the ancient capital of Syria, now southern Turkey) where the followers of Christ were first called Christians.’

That name has stuck for over 2,000 years; but I do not like to call people ‘Christian’ anymore, because millions of people call themselves’ Christians, whether they be church-goers, Roman Catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, spiritualists, mediums, clairvoyants, along with many other cults and bizarre societies. We even hear of witches and those involved in Wicca calling themselves by the same religious title. 

The whole mixture is an unholy ‘religious soup’ with no definition, no clarity, and definitely ‘no salt added’!

I prefer to call true followers of Christ, ‘Believers’. They are the salt of the earth, the real light that shines into the darkness of our current age. Here is the proper salt that has not lost its savour, which still preaches the cross of Christ, and is not taken up with all the ‘wealth, prosperity, and success’ clamour of the deluded and worldly-ambition 'televangelists'. 

Such salt preserves society from greater evils, and draws a dividing line between that which is profane and that which is holy.  (Matthew 5:13)

The real church is a separated people, and a revolutionary army of God, that are taken up with the dreadful destiny of the human race. They are impassioned by the great need to bring the good news of free salvation to the world’s attention. They are fishers, seeking every which way to rescue souls from hell and destruction. They are pilgrims just passing through this world, not taken up by all of its fading pursuits for comfort and self-indulgent happiness.

They believe the Bible in their hands to be the inspired and infallible word of God. They believe that God inspired it, and God himself preserved it in purity down through the ages. They deeply reverence it, and live by its holy authority and teachings. 

They believe that following Jesus takes them on a road that is travelling the opposite way to this world.

They live as pilgrims who are passing through their short space of time on this earth, but are headed home to their eternal destiny of a glorious life forever more. 

They are not building up treasure troves and investments on earth to be left to someone else to waste, but are laying up treasure in heaven through the precious lives that they come into contact with on their journey.

They are no longer part of this world, and are indeed strangers here, not conforming to the music and practises of a sinful and violent population, but flying like eagles above the destitution of a world already under divine judgment and condemnation.

So, the question is, ‘Are you simply another ‘Christian’, or are you a true Believer and follower of Jesus Christ?’

Crowds always followed Jesus and watched for any miracles he might perform; but their hearts were not with him. When they went back home, nothing had changed, and they just got on with their lives like everyone else.

You can dress like a Christian, look like a Christian, even do all the Christian rituals in the church, but God sees the heart. He knows the truth. You cannot sit at the table of Christ and eat at the table of demons.  (1Corinthians 10:21)

God is looking for real believers; for without faith we can never please him.

If you are going to follow Christ, then it will mean that you must get up from where you are, and leave something behind that you cannot take with you. It might be sin, friends, situations, wealth, false religions, and even the place you live, but everyone who God calls will be required to activate their faith through obedience.

Once faith is activated, there is no going back. Faith is transforming and is the catalyst to greater things than you could ever imagine.

Dare to follow Christ!

Dare to become a true Believer!

 

Pilgrim Warrior