BECOMING A TRUE CHRISTIAN #1: 1 John 3:1-3; John 3:3-5; Matthew 5:3-13; Colossians 3:1-10; Romans 5:6-9; 8:1-4; 1 Peter 2:2-4, 20220710

The true born-again believer wants to please His LORD and seeks a closer relationship with his Savior; he/she wants to fellowship with other Christians who desire to glorify GOD; he/she realizes that Christ has delivered him/she from the power and guilt of sin through the forgiveness of his/her sins and has been endowed with a new birth, a new nature, a new life or regeneration of the Holy Spirit.  With the Holy Spirit’s regeneration of his/her new nature in Christ, the true Christian seeks new spiritual things; the true Christian has a new attitude and understanding, a new man/woman who sees sin for what it actually is--an offense and disobedience against GOD. 

The new man/woman hates sin that he/she formerly loved, but has a new genuine desire to know and please GOD.  The true Christian wants to be holy and pure in thought, in heart, and in deeds.

Beloved, now are we the sons/daughters of GOD, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And every man/woman that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself/herself, even as He is pure. Amen! (1 John 3:2,3)

Another way of describing the matter of becoming a Christian is to say that it is a “new birth” or an adoption into a wealthy family.

Our LORD’s exhortation on how Christians must sever any relationship that prevents them from attaining Heaven is a strong warning to anyone who desires to “eat their cake and also have it.”  There is only one way to Heaven, and that is through obedience to the LORD Jesus Christ’s Gospel. 

Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee or causes you to sin, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, or lame or maimed rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. 9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Amen! (Matthew 18:8,9)

Our LORD says that if you are trying to serve GOD, and you find a hindrance in your path, cast it out whether or not it is part of you. 

As an example, 19 years ago in April 2003, according to news reports, an Aspen mountaineer,[i] who got trapped in the mountains with no water and little hope of survival, used a pocketknife to amputate his own arm and free himself from a boulder weighing between 800-1,000 pounds that fell and trapped him for five days in a remote desert canyon in eastern Utah, United States. 

I am not advocating that you physically cut off your hands, foot, or pluck out your eyes.   However, because of the many entanglements in life, Christians too are to realize the spiritual dangers in their lives, and stop anything that prevents them from serving GOD in spirit and truth.
Let’s summarize Matthew 18:8-9 above:

If your eyes have a lust for watching immoral things online, on TV, at the beach, beauty contests, DVD, music videos, or movies, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the power to stop watching them.  Why go to the movie theatre to watch unGODly scenes or demonic or illuminati persons? 

If your hands and ears have a lust for listening to immoral talk show hosts on your mobile phone, radio, on the Internet, or music, ask the LORD Jesus to give you the strength to stop tuning in, or delete the link or app from your phone or computer, or burn the CD or DVDs;

If your legs have a habit of taking you to places that will cause you to sin, such as rock concerts, bars, dance and night clubs, pray to GOD to restrain you from going there;

If you have a friend who has a habit of making you commit fornication, adultery, smoking, drinking and lying, ask for the LORD’s Holy Spirit to rebuke Satan, and grant you the power to break that relationship off immediately; and

If your heart causes you to rebel against GOD’s WORD, by preventing you from worshiping GOD, tell the LORD that you believe in Him as your Savior, and that you would like Him to send His Holy Spirit to come and dwell in your life right now.  

However, some Christians toy around with some sins thinking that they can overcome them.  How far are you willing to untangle yourself from any sinful relationship, entertainment, or activity that would cost you Heaven and your soul?   

A true Christian is one who, through GOD’s Grace, has realized how sinful his old nature was when he/she lusted after sin but now enjoys his/her new life in Christ and lives a holy life.  He hungers and thirsts after righteousness.