The Significance Of Being A Christian

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                "THE SIGNIFICANCE OF BEING A CHRISTIAN"

                         Belonging To The Lord

INTRODUCTION

1. In our previous lesson, we began this series...
   a. Asking what is the significance of being a Christian
   b. Starting with the idea that a Christian is "A Person Reborn"

2. We noted that a Christian is a person reborn because in Christ...
   a. They are a new creation - 2Co 5:17
   b. They have been born again - 1Pe 1:22-23
   c. They now have a new loyalty:  to serve Jesus Christ - Ga 2:20

3. We begin this lesson by noting Paul's comments to the Corinthians...
   a. As recorded in 1Co 6:19-20
   b. In which he challenged their thinking by asking "Do you not 
      know...you are not your own?"
   c. The Christian needs to understand that he or she has been "bought 
      at a price" and consequently is a person "Belonging To The Lord"

["Belonging to the Lord" has many connotations attached to it.  One is
that a Christian is...]

I. GOD'S SPECIAL PERSON

   A. CHRISTIANS ARE NOW GOD'S OWN SPECIAL PEOPLE...
      1. Note how Peter describes them in 1Pe 2:9-10
         a. "a chosen generation"
         b. "a royal priesthood"
         c. "a holy nation"
         d. "His own special people"
      2. These are terms that were once reserved for the physical 
         nation of Israel
         a. The Lord had chosen them - Deut 10:15
         b. He made them a kingdom of priests and a holy nation - Exo 
            19:5
         c. Thus they  had become a special people above all other 
            nations - Deut 7:6
      -- What had once been limited to physical Israel, is now possible
         to all people who are in Christ, as promised to Abraham - cf.
         Ga 3:8-9,28-29

   B. A SPECIAL PEOPLE, WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITIES...
      1. To proclaim the praises of God - 1Pe 2:9-10
         a. Because He called us out of darkness into His marvelous 
            light
         b. Because He showed mercy, and made us the people of God
      2. To grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ - 2Pe 1:8-11
         a. To make our calling and election (as God's people) sure
         b. To have an abundance entrance into the everlasting kingdom
      -- From the example of physical Israel, let us beware of becoming
         hardened and not lose faith, or we may not enter the heavenly 
         rest that awaits us! - He 3:12-4:2,11

[A Christian is truly "a special person" because he belongs to the 
Lord.  He can rejoice in knowing that he is one of God's "beloved" (Ro 
1:7).  God's love for the Christian is made even more evident when we 
note that he is also...]

II. GOD'S BELOVED CHILD

   A. CHRISTIANS ARE BLESSED TO BE CHILDREN OF GOD...
      1. In one sense, all people are God's children - Ac 17:26-29
      2. In another sense, many do not have God as their Father 
         - Jn 8:42-44
      3. Yet Christians are the children of God in a very special way
         a. Because of their faith, and having put on Christ in baptism
            - Ga 3:26-27
         b. Redeemed and adopted by God, they have received His Spirit 
            into their hearts 
            - Ga 4:4-6
         c. Because we do the Father's will, Jesus considers us His 
            family - Mt 12:48-50
      -- Christians should be touched by this expression of God's love 
         - 1Jn 3:1-2

   B. AS GOD'S CHILDREN, WE HAVE BLESSINGS AND RESPONSIBILITIES...
      1. We are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ - Ga 4:7; Ro
         8:16-17
         a. For we are heirs according to the promise of God - Ga 3:29
         b. It is an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, that
            does not fade, and is reserved for us in heaven - 1Pe 1:4
      2. As heirs, we have many responsibilities, including:
         a. Being thankful for the inheritance we have - Col 1:12
         b. Abstaining from the works of the flesh - Ga 5:19-21
         c. Perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord - 2Co 6:17-7:1
      -- If we wish to receive the promised blessings, we need to
         patiently carry out our responsibilities with an enduring 
         faith - He 10:35-39

[Besides being God's special person and God's child, a Christian who 
"belongs to the Lord" also has a special relationship to the world in 
which he or she lives...]

III. GOD'S HEAVENLY PILGRIM

   A. CHRISTIANS ARE IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD...
      1. As Jesus mentioned in His prayer for His disciples - Jn 17:
         15-16
      2. Like Abraham, a Christian is a sojourner, a pilgrim - He 
         11:13; 13:14; 1Pe 1:1
      3. We are fellow citizens with members of God's family - Ep 2:19
      -- As such, our true citizenship lies in heaven, not here on 
         earth - Php 3:20

   B. AS GOD'S PILGRIMS, WE HAVE SEVERAL OBLIGATIONS...
      1. To conduct our sojourn on earth with fear - 1Pe 1:17
      2. To abstain from worldly lusts - 1Pe 2:11; 1Jn 2:15-17
      3. To keep our conduct honorable, filled with good works - 1Pe 
         2:12
      4. To obey the laws, and respect the leaders, of the countries in
         which we sojourn - 1Pe 2:13-17

CONCLUSION

1. We have seen that a Christian is a person who "belongs to the Lord",
   one who is...
   a. God's special person
   b. God's child
   c. God's pilgrim

2. The more we understand the significance of such privileges...
   a. We ought to be filled with gratitude and humility
   b. We ought to be moved to be the kind of people God intended

3. Are we living and conducting ourselves as those who "belong to the
   Lord"?
   a. Are we acting like a special people?
   b. Do we live like a child of God should?
   c. Is our life truly a sojourn, or are we living like we want to
      make this earth our permanent home?

As we saw in our beginning text:

   "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
   Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
   your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify
   God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
                                                  (1Co 6:19-20)

May the significance of belonging to God prompt us to always glorify
God in our bodies and our spirits!
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