Many people who were raised in a Christian household, attended Sunday School, and have never killed anybody, think they will go to Heaven when they die. To even begin to have an encounter with God, it is necessary to become baptized, and by baptized it means immersed in water. This is what it means to become "born again."
Living in a Christian household doesn't make anyone a Christian any more than living in a garage makes them a car. So, why is it necessary to go through the ritual of being born again? The Bible says that anyone who believes in Christ will have eternal life. That's the thing. Even demons believe. Satan believes. That is why it is necessary to stand up in front of witnesses and declare one's allegiance to Christ and turn away from sin.
Living a sinless life takes more than just controlling the urge to kill people. God is aiming for a much higher standard than just not being a serial killer. Turning away from sin means turning away from smoking, cursing, drunkenness and pilfering office supplies from work.
Being sinless isn't easy. Satan is constantly littering our paths with temptation. The good news is, God sent the Holy Spirit to whip us into shape to become Heaven-ready. He fills us up, makes crucial changes right down to our DNA and makes us squeaky clean from the inside out. This, according to John 14:15-18.
As time passes and the Holy Spirit chisels away at our souls to remove sin, our attitudes change. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs lose their appeal. People become more humble. We are slow to anger and quick to forgive. Born again Christians lose interest in spending ours in front of television or whiling away nights in bars or clubs and turn to prayer and reading scripture instead.
Christians also fast in order to become closer to the Creator. There is no specific time of year for a fast and it can be done as an individual or along with others in a Bible study group or church. There are two types of Christian fast. The first, and most conventional, is the water fast. Under this regime, nothing is consumed between the hours of six am and six pm apart from water or maybe very dilute fruit juice. Prayer and Bible reading are essential during the fasting period; otherwise, it's just a calorie-controlled diet.
On a Daniel fast, rice cakes, wholemeal rice and wholemeal tortilla wraps are permitted, as is wholemeal pasta. Again, this fasting regime must be accompanied by prayer and Bible-reading in order to feel the full spiritual effects.
All of these Christian practices bring a person closer to having an encounter with God. Baptism, reading the Bible, praying and fasting. Tithing, the practice of giving 10 percent of all income back to God, from whom all blessings come, is an essential part of behaving like a Christian. This is not just an Old Testament thing; it is a covenant thing. Abraham is recorded as giving a tithe to Melchizidek when he fought the King of Sodom. A covenant is everlasting. All scripture is inspired by God, not just the New Testament.
Living in a Christian household doesn't make anyone a Christian any more than living in a garage makes them a car. So, why is it necessary to go through the ritual of being born again? The Bible says that anyone who believes in Christ will have eternal life. That's the thing. Even demons believe. Satan believes. That is why it is necessary to stand up in front of witnesses and declare one's allegiance to Christ and turn away from sin.
Living a sinless life takes more than just controlling the urge to kill people. God is aiming for a much higher standard than just not being a serial killer. Turning away from sin means turning away from smoking, cursing, drunkenness and pilfering office supplies from work.
Being sinless isn't easy. Satan is constantly littering our paths with temptation. The good news is, God sent the Holy Spirit to whip us into shape to become Heaven-ready. He fills us up, makes crucial changes right down to our DNA and makes us squeaky clean from the inside out. This, according to John 14:15-18.
As time passes and the Holy Spirit chisels away at our souls to remove sin, our attitudes change. Alcohol, tobacco and drugs lose their appeal. People become more humble. We are slow to anger and quick to forgive. Born again Christians lose interest in spending ours in front of television or whiling away nights in bars or clubs and turn to prayer and reading scripture instead.
Christians also fast in order to become closer to the Creator. There is no specific time of year for a fast and it can be done as an individual or along with others in a Bible study group or church. There are two types of Christian fast. The first, and most conventional, is the water fast. Under this regime, nothing is consumed between the hours of six am and six pm apart from water or maybe very dilute fruit juice. Prayer and Bible reading are essential during the fasting period; otherwise, it's just a calorie-controlled diet.
On a Daniel fast, rice cakes, wholemeal rice and wholemeal tortilla wraps are permitted, as is wholemeal pasta. Again, this fasting regime must be accompanied by prayer and Bible-reading in order to feel the full spiritual effects.
All of these Christian practices bring a person closer to having an encounter with God. Baptism, reading the Bible, praying and fasting. Tithing, the practice of giving 10 percent of all income back to God, from whom all blessings come, is an essential part of behaving like a Christian. This is not just an Old Testament thing; it is a covenant thing. Abraham is recorded as giving a tithe to Melchizidek when he fought the King of Sodom. A covenant is everlasting. All scripture is inspired by God, not just the New Testament.
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