But really I had to do a blog post tonight because my mind has been filled to the brim with all things religious and spiritual for a while now and I've finally got it organized. I have a few thoughts and they are categorized as follows:
1. First, the question has been on my mind lately, "What does it mean to be a good Christian?" I've been praying and studying the scriptures to find the answer and I've finally come to the beginning of an answer. I'm not going to insert quotes, but instead summarize what I've been reading and thinking.
At the very root, Christians are followers of Jesus Christ. They seek Him, they try to understand His gospel, they listen to His voice and they try every day to do the things that He did and that He commanded His children/followers to do. I believe that not only do Christians follow the example of Jesus Christ in being baptized by immersion by one who holds authority from God to baptize, but they continually renew the covenant they made to Him when they were baptized. This is that they would follow Him, keep His commandments and take upon them the name of Christ. He has promised in return that they may always have His spirit to be with them. This is why I go to church every Sunday. I think it's important to hear the words of fellow Christians so that we may be uplifted and edified, inspired and healed. But the main reason for going to church is for the ordinance of the Sacrament. We symbolically take in the blood and body of Jesus Christ by partaking of bread and water as Jesus Christ himself indicated so that there would be no disputations among men. The bread and water is blessed by those having authority from God and passed to any who would like to participate in the sacred ordinance. When I take into me the blood and body of Christ, I personally recommit myself to him and ask for repentance of my sins and for help doing what is right. When I take the sacrament, I feel closer to Him because I know Jesus Christ instituted the sacred ordinance as a part of His church. It's just one blessing He has given us to show us that we are not alone and He is there to help us just as He always has been for His children.
That was a long one...
Thought #2
This is a big part of the answer that came to me as I pondered the question, "Who is Jesus Christ? Do I really know Him?" So to answer the second part of my question, I came to the realization that yes, I do know Jesus Christ, but I'm still learning. I read about Him, worship Him, and pray to the Father in His name that He will guide me and walk beside me as I walk through my trials and events of everyday life. Then I thought about those who testify of Christ. Who can really testify of Christ? I feel like this is the true test. People can come up with their own doctrines by mixing scripture with clever sayings and sometimes those things can be very helpful and uplifting. But nobody can fake knowing Jesus Christ. They can't powerfully testify of His divinity and grace and love without really knowing Him. Nobody can fool you into thinking they really believe in Christ. The reason for that is because when someone testifies of Him, you know without a doubt that it's true because the Holy Spirit burns in you. It gives you this feeling of comfort and assurance that what you're hearing is true. And now comes the best part...
You may now proceed to click the play button below.
Trust me... It's worth it.
I know Jesus Christ lives! I know Jesus Christ! I love Him with all of my heart. I know He loves us. His gospel is so beautiful and my heart is filled with humility and gratitude for the gift He gave me which no one else could.
