Thank you my friends for hanging out with me. As you all know, I’ve started a series of teachings about sexual purity. And the way I chose to go about it is slowly so I would be able to spend more time on the basics before I dive into the practical aspect of sexual purity for a Christian.

Last week, we ended saying,

“If Christianity is not an emergency tool box [First Aid Box] or a medicine cabinet, or those other things, what is Christianity then?”

Yes, we need to ask: What is Christianity then? This is a very critical basic truth. These days, as it seems, everybody is a Christian. We are not here to judge anybody’s Christianity. However, as Christians, we are told by the word of God that we should evaluate ourselves, like asking ourselves, “Am I a Christian?”

The word of God says,

“Keep watch on yourself” Galatians 6:1b ESV and “Let a person examine himself” 1 Corinthians 11:28a ESV.

Why?

We can easily get bewitched by gifted speakers and become delusional. Then while we lead a sinful lifestyle, we profess to be Christians.

Christian! What does it mean?

Here is Luke’s short account of how this name “Christian” came into being during the first century, right after Jesus Christ ascended to His Father:

“Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” Acts 11:19-26 ESV

Did you see that?

In Greek, the word Christian is “Christianos” means “follower of Christ.”

The people in Antioch gave to the Disciples of Jesus Christ a label that correctly defined them. They looked at them and noticed that the disciples were living, talking and leading their lives as Jesus taught them. I mean, what an appropriate name, don’t you think so?

But don’t forget this. The people of this dark world don’t love Jesus. They hated Him and crucified Him. So, in a way, I assume, they gave them this name “Christian” not to appreciate or admire them, rather to probably slander them. But either way, the disciples’ lifestyle earned them the name “Christianos.”

I mean, it is good to wear an “I belong to Jesus” shirt but, we need to ask, do we really and truly belong to Jesus by the way we live and speak?

Some people want to advertise their Christianity by their skills, talents and gifts. For example, because they have a very good voice to sing and a skill to compose songs, they want to show their gifts as evidence to their Christianity. Gifts and talents are not considered “fruits.” They are just gifts and talents bestowed to everybody by God by His pure grace and mercy.

Jesus said, “For every tree is known by its own fruit.” Luke 6:44a ESV – not known by its gifts and talents.

As a tree is known by its fruit, so do we people by the way we live on a consistent basis. Who are we when we are alone with our smartphones or laptops? Who are we in our “thought lives?” Those are “the fruits” of our lives which identify us correctly as to who we belong to and what we truly believe in.

Yet, some people say, “I am saved by grace!”

Most definitely we all are saved by God’s pure grace. But does the grace of God leave us to continue to do life as it found us?

This is what the word of God says about the grace of God:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” Titus 2:11-12 ESV

Very convicting, is it not?

The grace of God comes into our lives to do a marvelous job of separating us, setting us apart, from the flesh and this world so we can be useful vessels to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ by proclaiming Jesus Christ by the way we live.

So, you see, if a person is in a serious porn addiction, taking trips to massage parlour, not having any self-control with anything, including their sexuality, the first thing we need to find out is whether they are “Christianos” or not.

Most spiritual services are a waste of time because they are given to people “who cannot discern between their right hand and their left” (Jonah 4:11). It is pointless for a Christian to help people, who are in pornography or prostitution or any similar sinful lifestyles, to stop their sinful lifestyles. Because there will be many virgins and people who are 100% free from porn and/or any form of addiction and all sorts of sexual sins in hell.

Why?

No one can be a candidate for heaven by being “free” from sin because no one, except the God-Man, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, can be sinless in this side of heaven.

Jesus said,

“I am the door.” John 10:9 ESV

Door to what? To heaven!

So, people have to first know Jesus Christ and have an intimate relationship with Him. Then when there is a need to help them break any sinful habits, which we all, who profess to know Jesus Christ need such help once in a while, giving them biblical and spiritual counsel and guidance will be fruitful and beneficial because it is only the word and the Spirit of God that set God’s people free from the bondage of sin and this world.

So, Christianity has a beginning and an end in every individual life.

As the Bible teaches, we all come to this world spiritually being dead, separated from the life of God because of the fall of our fore-parent, Adam and Eve (Genesis 1, 2, 3). The Bible says,

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” Romans 5:12 ESV

Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. When they sinned against God, that glorious image of God got “disfigured.” Paul puts this concept in this way:

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23 ESV

No one, among human beings, is able to bring this “glory of God” back to him/herself or to anyone. No one can correct “the disfigured” image of God we all carry with ourselves.

Guess what?

Christianity is a life that God begins in a person and finishes it by not only recovering, or better recreating, the image of God that has been disfigured by sin but even more- – – Contd. ///