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Your Question:
What's the difference between a good Christian and a bad Christian?
Answer:
As a pastor and a Christian, I've given this question a lot of thought. In my experience, a good Christian is someone who has a relationship with Christ and allows the Holy Spirit to guide their actions and decisions. This means that their outward conduct is a reflection of their inward goodness, which is rooted in humility and a desire to please God. They don't pursue good works for their own sake, but rather because they are empowered by the Christ-life within them. On the other hand, a bad Christian is someone who claims to be a follower of Christ but doesn't live according to His teachings. They may go through the motions of attending church and performing good deeds, but their heart is not in it. They may be motivated by a desire for approval from others, or perhaps a sense of obligation rather than a genuine love for God. In my experience, bad Christians often struggle with selfishness and a lack of self-control, which can lead to moral failure. It's worth noting that Jesus Himself said that no one is good except God alone. This means that even the most well-behaved and outwardly good non-Christian is not truly good in the way that God is good. As Christians, we must be careful not to confuse outward goodness with inward goodness, and to recognize that true goodness can only come from a relationship with Christ.
Sources:
mere christianity
c s lewis
christian theology
millard erickson
why does god allow evil
clay jones
elemental theology
emery bancroft
concise history christian thought
tony lane
confronting christianity
rebecca mclaughlin
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