Christians' Role in the Community Research Paper

Christians' Role in the Community - Research Paper Example The sharing of a personal testimony builds a spiritual bond between the sharer and the recipient of the testimony of Christ. This witness creates a special relationship that is built on the foundation of spiritual witnessing by the Spirit of God. The true testimony of a believer and the recipient of the testimony feel the promptings and workings of the Spirit because the message is true. In this way, personal testimonies build a web, or community of believers based on the personal testimonies of believers. This community of believers is largely held together by the workings of the Spirit in their hearts. Personal testimonies are the best way to show that you have gained knowledge, through the Spirit, of Jesus Christ. The sharing of testimony has the unique ability to shape and influence the testimony of others. Personal testimony can be more powerful that critical study of scripture and more formal preaching because of the intimate nature of personal knowledge gained through the Spir it of God. Personal testimonies are shared in intimate and informal settings; they have the ability to mold the character of a community one person at a time. Personal testimonies meld together into a sort of communal testimony that enlightens, inspires and guides the entire community. The hallmark of a Christian is the living of a Christian life. This is a statement that has been disputed by many over the years. The real test of Christians is whether the light of Christ is seen in their countenances and in the deed of their everyday life. A misunderstanding of doctrine leads some Christians to believe that once they are saved, then all is done. This runs counter to many of the teachings of Christ and the apostles. We are told to be more than hearer’s of the word. We must always be doers. Many Christians for fear that one will think they can work their way into heaven downplay this thought. It is clear that this is not possible. Christ is the only source of salvation, and his salvation is enough for all to partake. But this salvation does not remove the responsibility for Christians to live a godly life, emulating the Savior himself. The necessity for a Christ centered life full of His goodness is manifest several ways. One reason we must live a godly life is to set a good example for those around us that are not believers. If Christians are to have influence in the community at large, then they must live the teachings of Him we call Savior. If a person that has not known the goodness of Christ sees a person that claims Salvation acting in a manner that is untoward or reprehensible, then the investigator of the Gospel will see nothing more than hypocrisy on the part of the believer. We all know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but there are certain standards of conduct that are expected of all in a community. When a supposed believer acts against the good will of the community and excuses their conduct by claiming salvation, th en a very poor example of Christianity has been set and the Christian will be held accountable for this at the last day. Surely their salvation is intact, but their folly will not be overlooked at the judgment bar. Another reason the Christian needs to live a Christ centered life is because Jesus instructed us to do this. He understood more than anyone the soul-destroying influences the world would have