What Does A Christian Look Like?

I Corinthians 12:9-21

Christianity over the years has been watered down to a slogan WWJD. We try to remember what Jesus did when we are in a moral dilemma. The slogan lost steam because the people wearing the bracelets didn’t consistently exhibit the answer. There are behavioral traits that we should exhibit once we know the answers. In the movie Slum Dog Millionaire, the poor teen-ager from the slums wins the contest but is cross examined by the police officers because he is accused of cheating. The young man tells the police officer, “I just knew the answers. I’m not a genius, I didn’t cheat, I just knew the answers.” We win at life when we know the answers. The answers to the question what does a Christian look like are found in I Corinthians 12:9-21.

1. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. As a Christian, we need to avoid situations that we know God is not pleased with and stay close to the things that edify our lives. We are products of our environments.

2. Be kindly affectionate to one another in brotherly love. We should be nice to people.

3. Fervent in Sprit, serving the Lord. It should excite us to be able to serve the Lord by ministering to others.

4. Rejoicing in Hope and Patient in Tribulation. NO matter what we are going through we have an anticipation that things are going to get better because God knows our end from our beginning. That gives us the capacity to bear up under difficult times.

5. Steadfast in Prayer. We are constantly in a mindset of praying, asking God for what we need in faith.

6. Distributing needs through hospitality. We need to help people when it is in our power to do so.

7. Bless and do not curse those who persecute you. This can only be done when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Pray for people who do you wrong.

8. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be emotionally sensitive to what other people are going through. It’s not always how you feel that matters.

9. Don’t be stuck up. Associate with the humble. No matter how important you think you are there should never be anybody lower than you that you can’t speak to.

10. Don’t be wise in your own opinion. It is more important to listen than to be heard. Seek first to understand before you are understood.

11. Repay no one for evil. If you did you would be broke. We spend too much time trying to get back at evil people. It costs too much.

12. Live peaceably with all men as much as it depends on you. Be the bigger person. Do your part even when they are not doing theirs.

13. Do not avenge yourself, leave room for God. You hurt your enemies more when you are nice to them. It’s like heaping hot coals on them when you are nice after being offended. God sees what they did and he will deal with them.

14. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. When we allow the evilness of others to overcome us we become toxic and we no longer exhibit the answers.

Dear God, give me a heart to know these answers and to live them out so that when people want to know what you would do, they will see the answer in me. So it is written so let it be done.

In Jesus Name.

Amen.