What is a True Christian

The word "Christian" is overused, misused and misunderstood by millions of people.

It is this abuse of the term that causes many people to turn from the faith of Christ and the Church. 

A Christian is one who has truly been born again. Being born again, or born of the Spirit of God, is different than simply being religious. Being born again is a real experience where old things pass away and all things have become new because of the regeneration AND new life AND new identity you have by faith AND by the infilling AND indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

A true Christian is one who has a personal and intimate relationship with God by the Holy Spirit.

A Christian is NOT someone who:

• 
  believes there is a God, and/or
• believes the story of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, and/or
• goes to church , and/or
• prays, and/or
• tries to be good, and/or
• does good works, and/or
• reads the bible

...AND has never truly experienced the saving, regenerating, resurrection power of the new birth by the Spirit of the Living God.

Simply put, you can go to church, pray, believe in Jesus, believe in God, read your bible and NOT be a Christian.

In other words, going to church, and going through all the motions does NOT make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage going "vrooom, vroooom" makes you a car.

A true Christian is not biologically born. One is not a Christian because they were born in a Christian family. God judges you by the heart, and the Spirit, NOT by biological genealogy.

A true Christian is one who has met the Lord AND accepts His gift of life by the infilling of His Spirit AND walks in the fullness of the Spirit of the Lord.

A true Christian has a hunger for God that compels him or her to reach out in faith for more of God by allowing and welcoming His presence, and staying with Him.

The term "believer" should be replaced by the term "hoper" in many religious circles. This is because being a TRUE Christian or a TRUE believer is NOT a matter of mental ascension. It is not a matter of mentally agreeing to a historical fact. It IS a matter of wholly placing your LIFE into the hands of the Lord, trusting in Him, and developing an ever growing intimacy with God.