Scripture Texts: 2 Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 1:10

Last week, we talked about certain things we need to check out in our lives before we can confidently call or answer as Christians. Yes! We have been saved by God's grace and become heirs to His Throne that day we gave our lives and all to Christ but we constantly need to examine ourselves and right standing and the kind of confidence we have in Him, lest we fall (Galatians 6:14).

Today, we will continue we the checks to boost our confidence that we are Christians as discussed below:

4. You must peaceably live with others in order to win them to Christ: Proverbs 16:7 says; "When people's lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them. As a confident Christian, you ought to have first built up your peace with God by pleasing Him before you can embark on the journey of soul winning, only then can you make peace with the lost souls and win them back to Christ. It'll be a total failure if you try and win people over using violence, threats, abusive words or trying to proof that you are better than them spiritually or in the Word of God. These are not the qualities of Christians. We should live by example and try to relate with their thinking in order to win them. Lost souls should be approached with God's wisdom and through the Holy Spirit directives while we ourselves must lead a quiet and peaceable life with all men. Also, we can identify with the lost souls by giving them your background and credentials in Christ, sharing your personal testimony of Salvation with them. - Acts 21:39; Acts 22:3; Colossians 4:5)

5. You dare not compromise with the world (Mathew 5:16; Romans 14:16; Romans 12:17): To confidently call yourself a Christian, even if you are at the verge of getting beheaded, nothing can make you compromise. We must caution against pleasing others to the point of compromising. We should stand up for, and not be ashamed of our faith. How do we do this? We must be honest and sincere in all our dealings. We must not bring reproach upon the cause of Christ. We must be blameless and innocent. We should not let our liberties or grace in Christ become a "stumbling block" to others who are yet to be saved. Don't confuse people with your bipolar spiritual behaviour and keep your priorities straight. Consider the fate of those who covet riches and exhibit wrong attitudes in the Scripture before you compromise with the world.

6. You must be spiritually and financially responsible (1 Timothy 5:17-18; Acts 20:34-35): Confident Christians don't shy away from their responsibilities. Although full-time pastors, Christian workers and missionaries are preachers of gospels and reapers in God's harvest that deserve wages albeit all Christians must be spiritually and financially responsible. Christians with secular jobs should help support God's workers and not find lame excuse why they shouldn't pay their tithes or give offerings because pastors will eat their money. What happens to the act of showing kindness which is one of the fruit of the Spirit? On the other hand, God's workers should stop being lazy bones. God's workers can hold secular jobs too so that they can help the needy in the society, even Apostle Paul worked as a tentmaker under Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:1-3). We should all be responsible and help each other spiritually and financially and not become freeloaders hiding under Christianity. Jesus Christ is our example. He fed the hungry (5000) with food and the Word of God and even instructed His disciples (Peter) to feed His flocks.

7. You must be responsible to the government (Romans 13:1): Christians do not misbehave in the society and strive to obey government rules. We must try to be good citizens and obey the government (e.g. obeying traffic rules, getting the correct license required as and when due, pay taxes, adhering to policies and procedures, obeying curfew period and other instructions from government to its citizens). Most government laws are for our good and protection. We must also set a good example by praying for the government and officials rather than cursing them. This is what distinguishes us as Christians. We must perform required national and community duties. However, we must obey God above all for He rules the governments of men.- Titus 3:1; John 19:10-11; Proverbs 8:15-16; Acts 4:19-20.

If you would like to give your life to Christ, say this short prayer: "Lord Jesus, I come to You now, come into my life, take control of my life and change my world. I say bye-bye to the devil and enter into the Kingdom of God Light. Thank You Jesus, in Your name I pray, amen"!

Congratulations!!!

God bless you.

Peace!