Foundations

What I Mean When I Write…

Clarifying key terms and ideas used throughout these articles.

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On this website, you'll read or hear me use seven phrases. Here they are:

Here's what I mean when I use these phrases:

The Non-Believers

These are people who have not yet chosen to believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord, and God. Some Non-Believers will say, "There is no god." Others will say, "There may or may not be a god, but for right now, I'm not interested." Others will say, "There is a god", but they will call him by a different name. Some will say, "Christ was nothing more than a good moral teacher." Either way, these people don't trust in Christ to remove sin from their lives and make them ready to stand before God to give an account of their lives.

The Determined Seekers

These are people with a sincere and compelling desire to (A) know if God exists, (B) if He cares for them, (C) if Christianity is true, and (D) have probably read a lot of books, magazines, and articles, talked with many people, and attended a few church services. They have felt the call of His Spirit and are seeking meaningful answers to life's most important questions! NOTE: These people - and their actions - go FAR FAR BEYOND those who are “Just Curious.”

The New Believers

These are people who have given their hearts and lives to Christ by (A) choosing to believe in God, (B) confessing their sin and asking for forgiveness, and (C) trusting in Christ's work on the Cross of Calvary because they understand God requires "perfection" - not good deeds - for entrance into Heaven. What makes them a New Believer is that they don't yet know their Bible very well, have much of a prayer life, don't yet know or practice the basics of the faith, and aren't involved in any ministry that shares the Gospel or ministers to the needs of others for the sake of His Kingdom. But this is OK. They've just submitted their life to Christ and are infants in Him. Where it becomes problematic is when they rarely pray, they don't read and study the Scriptures, when they try to live a good life by some standard other than the Scriptures, and when they do these things for a decade or two or three.

The Church-Centered Believers

These are people who've given their hearts, minds, and lives to Christ - not just said the sinner's prayer - and are primarily focused on church activities. While this can be a good start for some, many miss being taught the two most important fundamentals of a Christian's life: Daily prayer and the reading and study of God's Word. Unfortunately, some Church-Centered Believers believe that if they attend church, are involved in its activities, and try to be a good person, they are in fact, "a good Christian." Many believe this way because their church's culture teaches them to live this way. This is how you can have people who say they've “been a Christian” for ten or more years but yet don't know their Bible (or at least the New Testament) very well; don't have a consistent prayer life and can't point a person to the last prayer their Lord answered for someone they prayed for. So, while church activity can be an initial good source for fellowship and/or mentoring, it can sometimes lack the depth needed for growth and maturity.

"Understanding has value both for our own development and for communicating knowledge to others.”
— John Locke

The Christ-Centered Believers

These are people who have given their hearts and lives to Christ, AND have matured enough to know that Christ is supposed to be at the center of their life (i.e., every thought, every word, every action or intention). This person has developed the habits of daily prayer, the reading and study of God's Word every day, fellowshipping with other like-minded Believers every week, as well as submitting to Christ and His Word on a daily/weekly basis — making sure their decisions about money, relationships, jobs, homes, as well as which words and actions will honor their Lord. They do so because they have matured enough to know AND because they've read in The Scriptures how their life does not belong to them but to the Lord. To the Christ-Centered Believer, living a life that is pleasing unto the Lord is of the highest priority! (NOTE: I live the way I do because it is the deepest desire of my soul to hear the Lord say to me on THAT DAY [Judgement Day for all Believers throughout history] - "Well done thou good and faithful servant!" In order for me to hear those words, I have to do so much more than JUST be a good person. I must read and study His Word so that I can know what He wants for the life He has given to me - and so that I can be obedient! I mean, if a person doesn't know what the Lord requires of them and their life, how else can they be obedient and live a life that pleases Him? I know some reading this might ask, “Why is obedience so important?” The answers are found within His title. Jesus is Lord! As Lord, He is to be obeyed! Jesus Himself said, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and don't do what I say?" And in the Gospel of Matthew, our Lord said, “Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?' And then I will declare to them publicly, 'I never knew you; depart from Me [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’” ) So it's obvious that good deeds only mean so much. What matters more are (1) obedience and (2) the daily relationship!

The Wayward Believers

These are people who once followed the Lord but have strayed away from Him and have gone their own way. They no longer pray, read, or study The Scriptures. And, Christ is no longer at the center of their lives. Instead, comfort, convenience, personal happiness, pleasure, money, vacations, life experiences, and/or power are at the forefront of their heart and mind. Sometimes a wayward believer renounces their faith. Others may still believe but, because of the hurt in their heart by someone from within the church, they no longer practice what they were taught. Some even live life as a hypocrite, attending church sporadically, but their heart is far from their Lord. Others have absolutely nothing to do with their former walk with the Lord. And some want to come back, but they're afraid of trusting or getting hurt again!

The Mature Believers

These are people who have a firm grasp on the basics of their faith through consistent actions: daily prayer; reading, studying, and obeying God's Word; giving generously of time, money and other resources; being led by His Spirit through humility and submission and doing what is presented to them; reaching for and adhering to matters of godliness and holiness; knowing their calling and gifting; being involved in ministry; and acknowledging they are a work in progress—not perfect.

How do I know all of these things? Simple! I've thought long and hard about each definition, because I've observed many Believers, from various groups (e.g., Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox) over the past four decades, AND...because I've lived each one of them.

Now, consider this:

If a person says, "I've been a lawyer for ten years," you'd expect them to know a lot about, and have a ton of experience with, the law. Yes? Well, the same is true of someone who says they've been a Christian for ten years or more.

So now that you understand what I mean when I use these phrases, I want to encourage you to read or listen to my articles with these points in mind. Also, I'd like you to find yourself on this scale. Where do you fit in? Or, if you have a friend who says they are a Christian, ask them about their daily prayer life, their weekly Bible reading and study habits, as well as their commitments to godliness and holiness. The answers to these questions will tell you and others a lot about their maturity in Christ.

If you have questions or comments, please email me here!

In His Name,

Roy

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