DEFINITION and QUALITIES
A Church-Centered Believer is an individual who came to faith and trust in Christ, knows a little bit about the Scriptures - because of a consistent devotion to reading and study - and has been consistent in daily prayer, church attendance, and Christian-based fellowship for one to two years (i.e., 50 to 100 weeks). They've met and experienced Christ, experienced personal change from within, read through all or most of The Scriptures, grown in their devotion towards Him, and have fallen in love with the church experience.
FOCUSES
Now that a foundation has been laid, the Church-Centered Believer must now begin to focus on drawing nearer to their Lord, bearing fruit in their lives, and becoming more like Him in word and deed. Here are two important topics that Church-Centered Believers should focus on:
1. Godliness.
2. Holiness.
Godliness
Godliness can be defined as, "the quality of having great reverence toward God, living in devotion to Him, and making the effort to reflect His character in daily life. It is both an inner attitude from the heart as well as outward conduct that aligns with His will - as stated in The Scriptures."
Where can we find out how to live a life that pleases God? We can do this from our reading and study of The Scriptures. Here are a handful of verses to get you thinking:
• "Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness]. The thief [who has become a believer] must no longer steal, but instead he must work hard [making an honest living], producing that which is good with his own hands, so that he will have something to share with those in need. Do not let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good for building up others, according to the need and the occasion, so that it will be a blessing to those who hear [you speak]." Ephesians 4:26-29 (AMP)
• "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor those who participate in homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers [whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God. And such were some of you [before you believed]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior]." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (AMP)
• "People are destined to die once and then face judgment." Hebrews 9:27 (CEB)
• "Never repay anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is right and gracious and proper in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness]; for it is written [in Scripture], “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord." Romans 12:17-19 (AMP)
• "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)
These eleven (11) verses should give you some insight on how God thinks we should live our lives!
Holiness
Holiness can be defined as, "being set apart, consecrated, or dedicated unto God. It speaks of moral purity, separation from sin, and an alignment with God’s perfect nature."
Holiness is important in the life of every Believer because it is a requirement of God. Consider this verse:
• "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
As a Church-Centered Believer, I want to encourage you to focus on developing yourself as an instrument God can use for His Kingdom and His Glory. To accomplish this, you must continue to draw nearer to Him each day through godly living and holiness. As a guide, here is one of my favorite books on holiness:
I pray this article has been helpful. If you have questions or comments, you can email me here.
In His Name,
Roy