On Tue, 2007-03-27 at 23:53 -0800, Rick Carlson wrote: [SNIP - no time to address everything :) ] > > What defines a Christian? A general acceptance of the Gospels as truth. > Belief in Jesus as either the son of God, or as God, or as both.
Actually what defines a Christian is the acceptance of God as the one true God and Jesus as His Son, made flesh, and to die for our sins. That's it. There is nothing else. Everything else - tithing, not murdering, etc. - only makes your reward in Heaven better. All other teachings are to tell us how God would have us handle life. John 3:16-17 sums up what a Christian is: "16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 God sent not His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." So, why would someone not just accept God and Christ and keep murdering, raping, etc.? Because true acceptance causes one to not have the desire for such things. Sure, no one is perfect and we are all flawed, but once one becomes a Christian, the desire to sin is greatly mitigated and when a sin is perpetrated, the guilt factor sets in (which may not have been the case before becoming a Christian). In essence, God's influence makes the person a better person. PGA -- [email protected] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
