Who is your brother/Sister in Christ?

[johan777]

What are your minimum Biblical requirements to acknowledge someone as a brother or sister in Christ? What makes us part of the body of Christ.

What are the non negotiables for you?

I will start with one.

1Co 15:3,4 For I passed on to you the most important points of what I received: Christ died for our sins in keeping with the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day in keeping with the Scriptures-and is still alive!- (or is that 2)

 

[Follower of Christ]

This sums it up

I wrote to you in my epistle not to associate with fornicators. Yet I certainly did not mean with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world!

But now I write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous person, or an idolater, or abusive person, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a person.

For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
But those who are outside God will judge.
Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."
(1Co 5:9-13 EMTV)

altho then some folk on CF like to pretend we're being unduly judgmental and self-righteous.
Ive had to distance myself from more than one old brother over this kind of stuff.

 

[johan777]

I wrote to you in my epistle not to associate with fornicators. Yet I certainly did not mean with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world!

But now I write to you not to associate with anyone named a brother, who is a fornicator, or covetous person, or an idolater, or abusive person, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a person.

For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
But those who are outside God will judge.
Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."
(1Co 5:9-13 EMTV)

Does that mean that it does not matter what someone believes, as long as he/she does not sin outwardly?

 

[countrymousenc]

Does that mean that it does not matter what someone believes, as long as he/she does not sin outwardly?

I don't think so. The apostles wrote some very terse things about false teachers and those who stirred up controversies by rebelling against the apostles' teachings.

 

[Follower of Christ]

Does that mean that it does not matter what someone believes, as long as he/she does not sin outwardly?

that means if someone says theyre christian and are playing by the rules, then WE are not the ones to judge them as to whether they are saved.

However, If they are behaving in a manner as shown in that passage and calling themselves brother, then we are to distance ourselves from them until they decide to follow Christ.

Its hard to determine a mans heart, we only have his actions to discern him with.

If the person believes something other than the gospel, that would make them ''of the world'' no?.....Paul words dealt with that instance in the beginning of the presented passage

 

[Archangel]

What are your minimum Biblical requirements to acknowledge someone as a brother or sister in Christ? What makes us part of the body of Christ.

What are the non negotiables for you?

I will start with one.

1Co 15:3,4 For I passed on to you the most important points of what I received: Christ died for our sins in keeping with the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day in keeping with the Scriptures-and is still alive!- (or is that 2)

In short...personal obedience to Jesus and his words.

 

[Ainesis]

that means if someone says theyre christian and are playing by the rules, then WE are not the ones to judge them as to whether they are saved.

However, If they are behaving in a manner as shown in that passage and calling themselves brother, then we are to distance ourselves from them until they decide to follow Christ.

Its hard to determine a mans heart, we only have his actions to discern him with.

If the person believes something other than the gospel, that would make them ''of the world'' no?.....Paul words dealt with that instance in the beginning of the presented passage

Great post!

A person's actions, or fruit as God calls it, surely tell more about a person than any verbal confession. It shows whom they really serve versus who they claim to serve.

 

[johan777]

What about somebody not having the same basic beliefs that you do?
That person is Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox .....

 

[JMRE5150]

Belief in the Nicene Creed.


That is what constitutes a brother/sister in Christ to me.

 

[Oblio]

Belief in the Nicene Creed.


That is what constitutes a brother/sister in Christ to me.

Amin

Available here

 

[vanshan]

Which people are not God's children? Aren't we all his creation? Some are in denial, rebellion, or dellusion, but which ones would God reject? They are all my brothers.

Basil

 

[plmarquette]

What are your minimum Biblical requirements to acknowledge someone as a brother or sister in Christ? What makes us part of the body of Christ.

What are the non negotiables for you?

I will start with one.

1Co 15:3,4 For I passed on to you the most important points of what I received: Christ died for our sins in keeping with the Scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day in keeping with the Scriptures-and is still alive!- (or is that 2)

My mother , and brethren are those who hear and do My father's will ...
Catholic , Protestant , messianic Jew or Moslem ...

 

[KagomeShuko]

What about somebody not having the same basic beliefs that you do?
That person is Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox .....

Still a brother or sister in Christ. . .no matter. . .we believe, we are brothers and sister in Christ - that should unite us despite those small differences.

Stein Auf!
Bridget

 

[StevenL]

Which people are not God's children? Aren't we all his creation? Some are in denial, rebellion, or dellusion, but which ones would God reject? They are all my brothers.

Basil

Matthew 13
36Then He left the throngs and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field. 37He answered, He Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel is the children of the evil one, 39And the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest is the close and consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the darnel (weeds resembling wheat) is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age. 41The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense [ persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly, 42And will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth. 43Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing.

1 John 3
9No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God's nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.
10By this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness [who does not conform to God's will in purpose, thought, and action] is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).

 

[Crazy Liz]

[bible]luke 10:29[/bible]

Like the question above, the OP is pregnant with the REAL question: "Who is NOT my brother or sister?"

Did Jesus ever expressly answer a question framed in this way?

What makes us think we ought to try to answer such questions?

 

[Oblio]

If we decide we want to answer the OP, I think we need to come to agreement ( ) on the meaning of in Christ

 

[JMRE5150]

If we decide we want to answer the OP, I think we need to come to agreement ( ) on the meaning of in Christ

I agree, mate. It appears that there are two types of folks here. Those that take it to mean "within the church that is the body of Christ" and those that are interpeting it as "all children of God".

This is where some of us are answering it differently than others.

Lets get to an agreement (or have the OP answer what he means by in Christ) so we can all answer this without misunderstanding why some folks are answering this differently.

Robb

 

[johan777]

Lets get to an agreement (or have the OP answer what he means by in Christ) so we can all answer this without misunderstanding why some folks are answering this differently.

Good question
Eph 2:8 For by such grace you have been saved through faith. This does not come from you; it is the gift of God

Rom 8:9 You, however, are not of the flesh but under the control of the Spirit, since God's Spirit lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.

Titus 3:4 However, In grace our Savior God appeared, His love for mankind to make clear.

Titus 3:5 'Twas not for deeds that we had done, But by his steadfast love alone, He saved us through a second birth, Renewed us by the Spirit's work,

Titus 3:6 And poured him out upon us, too, Through Jesus Christ our Savior true.

Titus 3:7 And so, made right by his own grace, Eternal life we now embrace.

Gal 3:26 For all of you are God's children through faith in Christ Jesus.

Gal 3:27 Indeed, all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

I am in Christ Jesus because by grace He saved me, I had a second birth, Holy Spirit lives in me, and all this through faith.

 

[johan777]

Bump!!! Any takers? Oblio & JMRE5150??