Why is courage such a critical characteristic for a Christian? It is because we live in a world with a standard of living that is diametrically opposed to the ways of Christ—a world where we are in the minority wherever we go. Whether at school, on the job, or just out in the community, we […]
Joy comes by realizing how blessed we are in Christ. The Spirit-led Christian rejoices in the Lord always because he understands the true benefits of being a child of God. In Galatians 5:18, Paul reveals one of those benefits. Galatians 5:18 (ESV) 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under […]
A characteristic that all Christians possess (remember a true Christian is a follower of Christ) is the willingness to forgive those who sin against them. This is critical to local churches that are made up of people who are far from perfect. We have all sinned against a brother or sister in Christ before, and […]
We spent last week looking at some of the critical characteristics that Christians must have. In our last blog, I emphasized the importance of having faith. Tonight I want you to think about the importance of faithfulness. These two characteristics are obviously closely related. We might even say that they are intertwined because if one […]
Faith is a characteristic that all Christians possess. I know this because it is impossible to be a Christian without faith. The Hebrews writer tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), and there is no such thing as a Christian who does not please God. While we all have […]
A large percentage of what makes us faithful children of God is mental or intellectual. How we think determines how we act, and how we act, determines whether we are real Christians or impostors. So, the question is, what kind of mind do you have? Are you spiritually-minded or carnal-minded? In Romans 8, Paul puts […]
The greatest characteristic a Christian can have is love. It must be the proper kind of love. Not a love that ignores error or refuses to stand for what is right, for that is not really love at all. It is only a cheap imitation of it. Proper love, however, is indispensable to our Christianity. […]
If we want to have fellowship with God, we must be holy. Remember, God is morally perfect and cannot tolerate any kind of sin. John wrote about this in his first epistle. 1 John 1:5-6 (ESV) 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and […]
One essential characteristic that all Christians must possess is steadfastness. Once a person becomes a child of God and enters the race of Christianity, he must add steadfastness to his faith. 2 Peter 1:5–6 (ESV) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and […]
Matthew 24:44 (ESV) 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. The appeal from Jesus to be ready is as important as any given in the Bible. It is an exhortation to prepare our souls for His coming, something that has eternal […]