2 Corinthians 5:17 – “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Today we’re concluding answering the question – “Am I truly a Christian or just deceived?” as we look at the third mark of an authentic Christian, pursuing the growth of the Kingdom of God with other Christians.  This is coming after we have discussed the first mark, maintaining a constant vigilance to put to death sin and increase affections for God and the second mark, being captivated by the Grace of God in Jesus.  I’ve intentionally saved this for last, because in my own experience it is the most challenging and difficult, and therefore essential mark of an authentic Christian.

What are you living for?  Who are you living for?  Are you primarily living for your own comfort, or are you living for God?  What is the driving force behind your decisions?  How many decisions about your job, your relationships, how you spend your money are you taking to God in prayer?  Can you look back and point out decisions that you initially did not want to make, but you did because you were pursuing God’s will above your own desires?  This isn’t a time of judgment, but I would encourage each of you to take a few minutes and really try to answer those questions for yourself.  It may be helpful at revealing where your heart is at currently and where God wants to grow you.  Now, before you give an answer, consider Jesus’s answer in Matthew 9:11-13 – “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  But when he heard it, he said,“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”  My greatest concern isn’t for the people who are sinners, know they are not perfect, and are sincerely pursuing growth in Jesus.  My concern is for the people generally think they’re “fine” and God is “ok” with the sin in their life because they try to justify it somehow.  Those are the people who are spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”  

So with all that said, I want to put forth what I believe Biblically is a third mark of an authentic Christian – someone who pursues 100% transparent, authentic fellowship with believers of the same sex, and seeks to work with those fellow believers to grow the Kingdom of God.  Hebrews 10:23-27 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.  For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”   So meeting together with one another is Biblically a mark of a Christian.  The implication of the scripture that follows is that part of what keeps us from doing so is that we desire to sin, and do so deliberately – this is what Christian fellowship should break if we are transparent with one another.  This is a means of grace from God.  James 5:16 – “confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  

What keeps us from these types of relationships?  Fear of judgment?  Laziness?  An unwillingness to die to yourself and your sin?  1 John 4:18-21 – “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.  We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.”  If someone judges you for confessing your sin, out of a desire to turn from that sin and towards God – that is their sin, not yours.  You are right with God, they are not.  You know the love of God towards us in Christ Jesus, and that yes, sin is horrible and brings brokenness, but God’s grace has covered your sin.

1 Corinthians 12:14-26 – “For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?  But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were a single member, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”  If you are not known, and if you are not pursuing knowing others in the body of Christ, the whole body suffers.  You need the people of Christ to know you, and they need you.

I spent a lot of time, trying to lay out scripture for you to consider why it is important to have transparent, Biblical fellowship with someone of the same sex.  Now, I’m basically going to wrap up everything else in a paragraph for brevity’s sake, and maybe circle back at some point.  God ordained men and women differently, and apart from marriage, the Biblical fellowship we’re talking about should remain between someone who will be able to speak directly to your situation (a man to a man, a woman to a woman).  Jesus had the 12 disciples that were men, and even with that had a closer circle of Peter, James, and John.  Paul had Timothy.  Barnabas had Paul, and later Barnabas had John (Called Mark).  Beyond that, these relationships should strive to extend into ministry, as all of the examples above did, and as the natural outworking of the Holy Spirit from 1 Corinthians 12 above.  Just as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have perfect fellowship and have a common purpose for the glory of God, so should our fellowship have a similar purpose.

My exhortation is to ask yourself some of the questions I’ve laid out above, especially in light of the Word of God that has been shared.  If you don’t have these types of relationships currently – ask God for that, and pursue that.  It is the only way you will truly grow as a Christian.  I hope this finds all of you well, know you’re prayed for.

Grace and Peace,

Adam