Jonah's recovery period after his brush with death two months ago with appendicitis involved many, many viewings of Pixar Animation Studio's Toy Story. This became especially obvious when one evening he sat down to dinner, pulled his shirt up onto his head and announced, "Hey! I'm Mr. Potato Head!" It was so unexpected, and the imitation so cute, that we all burst out laughing.
So who exactly is Mr. Potato Head? Here is the product description given in Wikipedia!
Mr. Potato Head is an American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of plastic parts that can attach to the main body. These parts usually include ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth.
Jonah is not made of plastic nor can he be decorated with a variety of plastic parts such as eyes, ears, hands, etc. Let's face it, because he doesn't fit the description, no matter what he claims, Jonah is not Mr. Potato Head.
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| Image public domain |
Many, perhaps even a majority of Liberians say, "I'm a Christian!" One would think, given its rich heritage of Christian missionary work by multiple organizations for many decades, that there would be no reason to doubt these claims. However, many have combined the spiritism of the indigenous culture with Christianity, creating a syncretistic "religion" that calls itself Christianity but lacks any power to change lives.
Thankfully, the book of 1 John gives us an exact description of what a real Christian looks like.
A real Christian walks in the light (1 John 1:6-7).
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.A real Christian confesses his sin (1 John 1:8-10).
A real Christian obeys God (1 John 2:3-5).If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.A real Christian loves his brother (I John 2:9-11).
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
A real Christian prioritizes the assembling of believers (1 John 2:18-19).Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.A real Christian does not deny that Jesus is the Christ (1 John 2:22-23).
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.A real Christian does not practice sin, but instead practices righteousness (1 John 3:4-7).
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.A real Christian loves his brothers to the point of self-sacrifice (1 John 3:14-18).
A real Christian listens to the Word of God (1 John 4:5-6).We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
So the bottom line is clear. Unless someone fits the "product description" given in 1 John, he is no more a Christian than Jonah is Mr. Potato Head.
At least not yet!
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| Curio seller holding statue associated with witchcraft |
Sadly, that definition applies to many, many Americans as well as the Liberians.
ReplyDeleteLove that picture of Jonah! He is too cute.
ReplyDelete