The True Christian’s Faith and Experience #007 Chapter 02 pp. 30-34

Ohio Yearly Meeting's Podcast

Podcast #007 covers the whole of Shewen’s Chapter Two which is devoted to belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter Two may be found on pages 30-34 of The True Christian’s Faith and Experience Briefly Declared. This, and other documents can be found in our library on the ohioyearlymeeting.org website.

The true Christian demonstrates his faith by his obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. In faithfulness, a True Christian is healed of sinning as he learns from the true nature of Christ Jesus.
The true Christian experiences the benefits that the first Christians experienced. He is a child of God and a coheir with Christ, as he humbly lives into the mind of Christ, he experiences Christ working within himself.

The Lord Jesus Christ is as near as Satan is in the true Christian, but the Lord Jesus Christ will preserve the true Christian from falling into evil. The true Christian renounces his “self” (his ego) and takes up the inward cross of Christ against all worldly temptations. He has overcome wicked spirits and follows the Lord’s orders. He has received power to become a son of God.

On the other hand, the titular Christian (the Christian in name only) says that he believes in the same Lord Jesus Christ, but he has no experience of Christ in the above manner and does not think it possible to cease from sinning on this side of the grave. He is content with a corrupted traditional faith which has been handed down to him. He does not expect to have the same transformation in himself that he reads of in people mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, he expects to sin all his life, he does not know Christ to be greater than Satan, and he is a captive of the devil’s will.

The nominal Christian is a stranger to that power which is able to resist evil spirits. So, he never comes to sit down in the Kingdom of God, triumphing over sin, death, hell and the grave. For him, professing a belief in Christ Jesus and having the name of “Christian” without possessing Christ and the nature of Christ is of no worth.

References:

• The True Christian’s Faith and Experience Briefly Declared.
• The quote in our introduction was from William Penn’s book Primitive Christianity Revived, page 72. Penn was, in turn, quoting both Hebrews 10:14 and Romans 8: 1 and 4.

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