These are the three categories of Christians that I see in the Bible and have seen in Christian religion.
Christians in name only are those that name His name but have no thought of stop sinning, and don't seek forgiveness for sinning by confession from the heart. They have religious practices only.
Christian sinners I think are the great majority who know we ought not to sin and don't like sinning, but still do on an intermittent basis, which is when they do they stop and ask Jesus to forgive them from the heart. These find themselves at times in the double mindedness or absent mindedness of Romans 7.
Christian saints have moved on to Romans 8 and have no more condemnation of the works of the flesh to continue to confess and repent of, and are continually walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, because they have learned to go go beyond such works by becoming fast and ready best friends with Jesus as their best Friend on earth. He is not only Lord, Savior, and Forgiver of sins, but is now 'man's Best Friend'. That is where the law against the works of the flesh has no more place between best friends and married couples who love one another from the heart, and don't need the law against thieving and adultery to warn them against betraying their friendship and marriage.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5.29-32)
When we leave off going to law and matters of the flesh, in order to just seek and find Jesus as our best friend, then such things that the world argues over to do or not pass away without a second thought nor looking back to Egypt.
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." (John 15.13-14)
The Christians in name only are the ones not even saved in the first place. The matter between Christian sinners and saints is just one of of blessedness in Christian living, whether believing Jesus for forgiveness of sins while hating it when we do sin, or walking with Jesus in the Spirit as best friends daily.
As the song goes, that's when the saints know it's one day at a time sweet friend Jesus.
Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. (Psalm 149.5)
I was never in category one, and most of the time in category two, and now very recently entering into category three by a great point made by Michiah-Imla to remember how Christ suffered for your salvation and suddenly all the problems you face will become trivial.
Christ suffered and died for us to fellowship with us and be best friends with us, not just to be forgiving us of sinning when we do whether 7 times or 70 times 7 times. Christian sinners know well that Christian life as I did, but only the saints can know Jesus as a best friend that needs no law nor works to be repented of.
Christians in name only are those that name His name but have no thought of stop sinning, and don't seek forgiveness for sinning by confession from the heart. They have religious practices only.
Christian sinners I think are the great majority who know we ought not to sin and don't like sinning, but still do on an intermittent basis, which is when they do they stop and ask Jesus to forgive them from the heart. These find themselves at times in the double mindedness or absent mindedness of Romans 7.
Christian saints have moved on to Romans 8 and have no more condemnation of the works of the flesh to continue to confess and repent of, and are continually walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, because they have learned to go go beyond such works by becoming fast and ready best friends with Jesus as their best Friend on earth. He is not only Lord, Savior, and Forgiver of sins, but is now 'man's Best Friend'. That is where the law against the works of the flesh has no more place between best friends and married couples who love one another from the heart, and don't need the law against thieving and adultery to warn them against betraying their friendship and marriage.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5.29-32)
When we leave off going to law and matters of the flesh, in order to just seek and find Jesus as our best friend, then such things that the world argues over to do or not pass away without a second thought nor looking back to Egypt.
"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." (John 15.13-14)
The Christians in name only are the ones not even saved in the first place. The matter between Christian sinners and saints is just one of of blessedness in Christian living, whether believing Jesus for forgiveness of sins while hating it when we do sin, or walking with Jesus in the Spirit as best friends daily.
As the song goes, that's when the saints know it's one day at a time sweet friend Jesus.
Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds. (Psalm 149.5)
I was never in category one, and most of the time in category two, and now very recently entering into category three by a great point made by Michiah-Imla to remember how Christ suffered for your salvation and suddenly all the problems you face will become trivial.
Christ suffered and died for us to fellowship with us and be best friends with us, not just to be forgiving us of sinning when we do whether 7 times or 70 times 7 times. Christian sinners know well that Christian life as I did, but only the saints can know Jesus as a best friend that needs no law nor works to be repented of.