Christians are Christ’s people. They are Christians because they personally belong to Christ, not because they have been brought up in families or countries that follow Christian traditions.
Besides exercising faith, believers exhibit repentance – a turning away from sin. Faith without repentance is not a faith that will save. There can be no forgiveness for those who will not turn from their sin. There must be a change, a conversion.
Believers are now disciples or followers of Jesus, their new master, teacher and Lord. They live to please him, not themselves. In summary, ‘when anyone is joined to Christ, he is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Christian is a new person.
Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
It showed that the intent of the doctrine they preached, was to heal sick souls, and to raise those that were dead in sin. In proclaiming the gospel of free grace for the healing and saving of men’s souls, we must above all avoid the appearance of the spirit of an hireling. They are directed what to do in strange towns and cities. The servant of Christ is the ambassador of peace to whatever place he is sent. His message is even to the vilest sinners, yet it behooves him to find out the best persons in every place. It becomes us to pray heartily for all, and to conduct ourselves courteously to all. They are directed how to act as to those that refused them. The whole counsel of God must be declared, and those who will not attend to the gracious message, must be shown that their state is dangerous. This should be seriously laid to heart by all that hear the gospel, lest their privileges only serve to increase their condemnation. …. Mathew Henry’s Commentary hat the intent of the doctrine they preached, was to heal sick souls, and to raise those that were dead in sin. In proclaiming the gospel of free grace for the healing and saving of men’s souls, we must above all avoid the appearance of the spirit of an hireling. They are directed what to do in strange towns and cities. The servant of Christ is the ambassador of peace to whatever place he is sent. His message is even to the vilest sinners, yet it behooves him to find out the best persons in every place. It becomes us to pray heartily for all, and to conduct ourselves courteously to all. They are directed how to act as to those that refused them. The whole counsel of God must be declared, and those who will not attend to the gracious message, must be shown that their state is dangerous. This should be seriously laid to heart by all that hear the gospel, lest their privileges only serve to increase their condemnation. …. Mathew Henry’s Bible Commentary
Dear Brother and Sister,
Jesus was not opposed to a full-blooded enjoyment of life, and neither were the Old Testament or New Testament writers. On the contrary, God is the one who ‘generously gives us everything for our enjoyment’ (1 Timothy 6:17). What Jesus and the Bible writers opposed was a wrong use of the things God has given. When people ignore his commandments, think only of themselves or exploit others, they displease God and in the end ruin themselves.
A temptation that growing Christians face is to think that with increased knowledge there is less need for self-discipline. A
common feeling in society at large is that it is a sign of adulthood not to be easily shocked by behaviour that breaks God’s moral law. The mature Christians, the ‘adults’, are those ‘who through practice are able to distinguish between good and evil’
(Hebrews 5:14).
