Today,
reply is on what some call “the Christian personality” and the
“boring” lifestyle of those who follow Jesus Christ. The primary
shared property of the church is sacred truth; and, while only one
member may receive a given spiritual gift, in accordance with divine
law and process, that is sufficient to say, when believers are
gathered together, the gift is manifest within the full body. In the
same way each local church sanctuary is set apart to GOD and made
distinctive by the heartfelt prayers of the believers, and places of
sacred assembly are further anointed by increased consciousness and
thoughts of GOD through the presence of holy relics, the sinner who
chooses salvation through Jesus Christ must be set apart and made
distinctive by the life of Jesus made present through promise,
prophecy, and rebirth. It is written: John 17: 17-19, King James
Version (KJV): 17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is
truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also
sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself,
that they also might be sanctified through the truth. The daily
routine among Christians acknowledges divinity through displays of
such features as accountability, discharging duty, fidelity,
interdependence, maintaining integrity, unselfish ministry, oneness
without sameness, respect, reverence, and zeal. In place of
busyness, fruitless and misdirected action, or excitement there are
focus, freshness, and newness of life through the Holy Spirit. One
of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers” public forum on Religion
and Spirituality who uses the ID “shoeshopper3” (Level 1 with 7
points, a member since November 22, 2017) posted the following:
Why
is it that people who get really into Christianity tend to become
very sheltered and boring?
you
can be a Christian without losing your personality.
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried
with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the
likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should
not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be
dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death
hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto
sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6: 3-11, King James
Version, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: Committed To Unchanging Promise (04/09/2019); Make Me
A Servant (04/08/2019); One Died For All (04/05/2019); The Thought of
Foolishness (03/31/2019); Recognizing Holy and Unholy (01/31/2019);
Purity For Sacred Truth (12/17/2018); Become As Little Children
(12/13/2018); How Sinners Become Perfect (11/26/2018); Be Not
Unequally Yoked (04/16/2018)
“shoeshopper3”,
there is no “Christian personality” that all followers of Jesus
are to display. The change one sees in a Christian emerges from
their fresh endowment of spirit content imparted from the makeup of
GOD, rather than their personality and other patterns that appear
from operations of emotional and psychological makeup. For sinners
who choose to turn to GOD through Jesus Christ the goal of the
soul—ones full endowment of
spirit substance imparted from the makeup of divinity—is
to become Christ-like, and to continually display the image of GOD.
By becoming “born again,” the sinner receives inseparable spirit
substance from the makeup of GOD that includes faith, holiness, joy,
longsuffering, lovingkindness, eternal purpose, wisdom, and wrath
against sin. They then will exist as developing believers, offspring
of GOD, and joint heirs with Christ, who must “grow up again” by
facing life challenges and “growing pains” on the earth until
they are mature/ripe for harvest by Jesus Christ at his Advent (we
also say, his appearing; the Rapture; the Second Coming). In
addition to discovery, gradual growth, study to gain “sacred
knowledge,” unselfish service and suffering with Christ, developing
believers become set apart and sanctified by operations of their own
spirit content from GOD. Thus, all Christians are careful to
consider the following that uses language from the Bible:
1.
2nd Corinthians 5: 14-21, King James Version (KJV): 14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that
if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died
for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto
themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we
have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him
no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are
become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled
us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the
world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath
committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us:
we pray you in Christ’s
stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him.
2.
1st Peter 4: 1-5, KJV: 1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath
suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same
mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to
the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our
life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we
walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings,
banquetings, and abominable idolatries: 4 Wherein they think it
strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot,
speaking evil of you: 5 Who shall give account to him that is ready
to judge the quick and the dead. 6 For for this cause was the gospel
preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged
according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the
spirit.
3.
2nd Timothy 3: 1-5, KJV: 1 This know also, that in the
last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of
those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of
pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, 4. 2nd Corinthians 6:
14-18, KJV: 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what
communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ
with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the
temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and
walk in them; and I
will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch
not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be
a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty.) Even so, I trust this
fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
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