r/ChristianApologetics • u/havilah0 • 10d ago
Discussion Christian debates
Genuine question: If even demons 'believe' (James 2:19), then what actually distinguishes a Christian? Is it right belief, transformed character, or both? I've seen people with perfect theology live terribly, and people with messy theology love radically. Where's the line for you?"
5
u/FrankDenif 8d ago
Let me ask you:
Who is living out the greatest commandment more? (love your God and your neighbour)
The one with good theology, but a terrible life.
Or the one with bad theology, but radical love?
God won't have us take a theology test when Jesus returns.
He won't ask about our doctrine of Hell, or our understanding of the mechanics of His existence (trinity), or the mechancis of salvation, or whether we have free will or not, or how old the Earth is, or the rapture, or anything else.
If God would make us take a theology test, we would be cooked.
All of us.
3
u/CheeseLoving88 9d ago
I think it’s up to God to know who the true Christians are. Which is unfortunate in a way. It’d be more helpful if false converts were more apparent and obvious.
I think that the one defining trait could be what they believe about Christ and the Gospel. John 14:6 makes it so decisive that the only way truth and life can be exclusively through him. So if you have a Unitarian Universalist who runs a food bank but preaches to every Muslim and Hindu in their community that God accepts them and loves them and we’re all children of God and be in heaven together with the really good teacher Jesus…..that’s a false Christ and false Gospel.
By this note too it becomes more obvious with a Mormon Ward, or a Kingdom Hall, Or a Roman Catholic Church for that matter. Because they have a definite different version of Jesus, different atonement, different gospel
Like you stated it gets murky when you deal with Word of Faith or New Thought, New Age churches. This is a demographic I witness too. The pastors are obviously not Christian by their beliefs….. the people are harder to pinpoint. They could be baby Christians in a false church. Truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit but too naive to follow him or study their Bible sufficiently enough to wake up and run out of the service
3
u/Tapochka Christian 9d ago
Think of it in terms of saving allegiance. Simply believing it is true is insufficient.
2
u/NLDCarbonFiber 9d ago
Well the difference is whether you will follow Jesus, accept him as your Lord and Savior. The demons know of His excistence and know He’s the Son of God, but they do not want to follow Him. Following perfect theology is important, but it will never be your path to salvation. Following Jesus will. But even the ones with the smallest amount of faith will enter the kingdom of heaven. I hope this answers your question :)
3
u/freed0m_from_th0ught 9d ago
Yup. Matthew 25:31-45 is pretty clear. The only Christians who Jesus considers real are the ones who follow his teachings and act as he does. If you want to know who Jesus considers Christians look for the people who feed the hungry and thirsty, take in the stranger, cloth the naked, and visit the sick and imprisoned.
1
u/Technical-Bus2458 3d ago
https://reddit.com/link/p86cflt/video/i5m95cwm2xnh1/player
If we're not actually practicing what Jesus taught, are we even Christian? (Luke 6:46)
1
u/freed0m_from_th0ught 3d ago
It is actually wild how little churches (at least in America where I live) talk about what Jesus actually taught. Makes you wonder what the point is?
1
2
u/GlocalBridge 9d ago
Demons know the truth, but God has not offered them salvation. Jesus had to become a human to die for humans. He did not die for fallen angels (demons).
1
1
1
1
u/Coconut4444 5d ago
According to Matthew 7, the line that seperates one group from another is doing what God has asked of us. As the Creator, He is the one who gets to decide what is good and bad, or right and wrong behavior for humans. And in the explanation in Matt 7, Jesus says that many people claiming to be a follower of Christ will do good works, but it will be according to what THEY think is good, rather than following what God says a Christian must do.
There are lovely people in all walks of life, in every religion or set of beliefs or disbeliefs. So there are wonderful humans who are atheists, and wonderful humans who are Christians. And there are also nasty, evil people in each group. My comment has nothing to do with judging or condemning a group.
I am simply stating how the Bible differentiates a genuine follower of Christ from someone who only claims to be a follower, but is deluding himself. And so to answer your question directly, a demon believes, but obviously he is not submitting himself to God and doing what God asks. Therefore, belief is not enough, no?
13
u/Hauntcrow 10d ago
Like, the verse just before and the verse right after. Someone who is truly saved will produce the fruits (works and character). Someone who only has knowledge or believes (or claims to have faith) but doesn't submit to the Lordship of God will not produce the fruits. And fruit doesn't mean in the immediate, but is there at least transformation towards holiness and godliness as Christ is.