[rueful]

There are a couple of questions that have haunted me constantly through my christian life. The two main ones being "Why dont we seek after God the way Moses or Paul or even Brother Lawrence, Charles Spurgeon, etc. did, but are content where we are so often." The other one, the point of this thread, is "What truly differentiates a Christian and a non-Christian?" And I mean in more then the sense of "A Christian goes to church, doesnt smoke, doesnt drink, is straight and a non christian does the opposite" because I know there are plenty of people who consider themselves Christians who dont go to an organized church, do smoke, do drink, and are homo-sexual, as well as many non-christians who go to church on occasion, dont smoke, dont drink, and are straight.

So what are some of you alls thoughts on the real, true difference, something that a non-christian would understand.

[Liberty4Life]

To answer your questions, albeit glibly. And I am not trying to justify what I'm about to say, I'm just trying to give an answer.

1) The last part of your question answers your first. As long as we are content with our lives, why do anything to shake it up? Moses followed God and had to deal with two million people whining for forty years about how much better their lives were when they lived in Egypt. Paul followed God and was nearly killed a bunch of times (and finally was beheaded), Peter was crucified upside-down. In contemporary times, guys like Falwell were crucified in the media. It's much easier to go to church, pray at dinner time, and leave my Christian walk at that.

Also though, and I speak from experience on this... it can get frustrating sometimes when you read your Bible on a regular basis, you pray to God throughout the day because you need His divine guidance to get you through some difficult times... and you get nothing. And while your faith has never waned, you ask the question, "where was God when I needed Him the most?" That silence can be deafening. And disheartening.

2) Christians, genuine Christians who love God... there's something about them. They have a different aura, not to sound too metaphysical. And I don't want to say, 'they're happier', because I've met some pretty miserable Christians, but in general, they have a contentment that non-Christians lack.

[dcbailey]

I don't have a great answer for you, but I do know that when an apple tree is full of apples you don't have to place a sign in front of it so people can tell what type of tree it is.

[TDDance234]

I don't have a great answer for you, but I do know that when an apple tree is full of apples you don't have to place a sign in front of it so people can tell what type of tree it is.

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."

Matthew 7: 15-20

[SuperJon]

"What truly differentiates a Christian and a non-Christian?"

Love.

That's it.

A true Christian will show the love of Jesus in everything they do. People will say, "There's just something about that dude" about them, and that something will be love.

[dcbailey]

yeah, it comes down to some simple theology...loving the Lord, and loving others the way He has loved us.

[rueful]

Love cant be it though. If that was it, the Oprah is the greatest Christian.

I just finished reading Charles Colsons book "Gideons Torch" and one line near the end reminded me of this discussion, and its just "You either believe that Jesus is the Truth, or you dont" and to tie it into Love, I heard Matt Chandler say something once along the lines about how It is Love, but its where the Love leads.

Basically , the Love has to lead to truth. Its one thing to serve your neighbor, but if you are just serving him, your not doing him any good.

But that leads to the whole warning to not simply serve to be able to preach.

Its a complicated messiness of balance everywhere you turn in the Bible, and thats why I think discussions like this are good.

[phoenix]

The heart of Christianity is doing what God wants you to do simply because God wants you to do it, and being able to do that because God gives you the ability.

Why are all our good deeds as filthy rags without Christ? Because we do all those good deeds on our own power, and for our own glory. They do nothing to show people Christ, and they do nothing to give God the glory He deserves. And we don't do that because of our fallen nature. Christianity is God giving us the power to do all those good things for the right reason -- to give Him the glory. Our faith in Christ removes the shackles of sin, so that we are free to do what God intended for mankind to do in the beginning -- love Him, worship Him, and glorify Him.