A Christian is defined not by external actions or religious affiliation, but by having Christ living within. This internal reality is the core of Christian identity, distinguishing it from mere outward observance or cultural association. True Christianity involves a personal reception of Jesus Christ, leading to a spiritual rebirth and the capacity to know God. This transformation results in a life that reflects the indwelling Christ, enabling believers to live according to God's will and inherit eternal life.
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It's a real joy being with you this morning and together we're looking forward to a time of definite blessing and encouragement. A little bit of real joy to be here two years ago. I'm going to lay a foundation this morning we hope to build on during the next two weeks. We want to try and talk on what is a Christian or who is a Christian? How do you become a child of God? and then the privileges of being a child of God and also our responsibilities in the days in which we are now living. How is the Christian life relevant to the present day and generation? I speak at a woman's rally some time ago.
I had never seen so many women all my life at the same time. But a lady came up after and said, introducing herself, was a personal strain of Lady Churchill. So Mr. Boswell, I have always prided myself by being able to tell people from their accent where they came from. But with you, I am completely baffled. Say, sometimes I thought I heard the Scottish burr. Sometimes I thought I heard the Irish brogue. Sometimes I thought I heard the sweet music of the English dales. Sometimes I thought I heard the roar of the Welsh valleys.
But see, when you refer to the Dutch version, I'm quite sure you come from Holland. I was born in Stafford, England. The age of eighteen months my mother took me back to Scotland, and from then I was brought up in Scotland. My parents were both Scottish. I believe that both of the laws today in John's glory. But from the age of twenty-two, I have been very seldom back in Scotland. I've been moving around different parts of the world. I taught as I taught school years ago. I can't quite always understand God's master's grace. With a twang I have, how many people hear the gospel and trust Jesus Christ for salvation.
I can't quite understand how so many believers in the Lord Jesus enter into the life of victory and recognize that Jesus Christ is Lord with such a twang. I'm so glad he's not depending upon my twang or my damage, he's depending upon the Word of God. And that's what I want you to do during these particular days. Forget all about it. And just ask the Lord to reveal to you exactly what he's got for you during these days we're together. Now with all that, Acts chapter eleven. Acts chapter eleven, and we're going to read together, please, from verse number twenty-two. Acts eleven, verse number twenty-two.
that real sweet music we do like here in the rustling among the leaves and as we get going during these days I want to hear a great group singing to you who believe he is pressured in the only way park of the palms congregation can sing it I've taught it all over the place I never heard anyone sing it like the people down here and we're not going to sing it this morning we'll sing it probably later on in the day but number twenty two Acts chapter eleven The entailings of these saints came unto the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem, and the sinful Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, encouraged them all, that with purpose apart they would cleave unto the Lord.
For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith, and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed bound of us to Tarsus for the Seek Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people, and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Now go across the chapter twenty-six. The same book, twenty-six chapter, reading verses twenty-seven and twenty-eight. Acts twenty-six, verse twenty-seven.
Paul standing before King Agrippa and he says, King Agrippa, believers are the prophets. I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, All thou have persuaded me as to be a Christian. One Peter chapter four. First Peter and the fourth chapter three, reading at verse number twelve. Verse twelve of the fourth chapter of first Peter. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the Friday trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's suffering, that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye, for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth you, drop ye upon, by the way, resteth you. On their part is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Lord, at his blessing to the reading from his word, to her heart this morning, A Bible class teacher back in Bristol, England, at the class one day, quoting, A Christian. One bright girl put her hand up and said, Please, sir, a Christian is one who goes to church every Sunday and takes the parson home for tea. Now, that was her definition of a Christian. One little fellow thought and had been told that he realized all Christians were people with long faces. like a coffee pot. He'd never been the part of a pot. But you know, he thought the old Christian long faced.
And you know something? Going down the lane one day he noticed a donkey over in the field. And you know what he did? He went through his arms and the donkey said, Poor old Nelly, are you a Christian too? Never you've got a long face. But another girl in that very same class answered the question like this. Please, sir, a Christian is one who has Christ in. Now, don't you think that's the right answer? A Christian is one who has Christ in. There was a great theologian one day named John Nelson Darby. He said, Christianity is not something put on from the doubt.
Christianity is the outliving of the in-living Christ. Now isn't that clear? May I repeat it? Christianity is the outliving of the in-living Christ. So a Christian is one who has Christ in. For if these scriptures were read together this morning we find a Christian is one who belongs to Christ. He belongs to Christ. Then the next chapter, a Christian is one who witnesses for Christ. He witnesses for Christ. And then in one Peter chapter four, a Christian is one who suffers with Christ.
He belongs to Christ. He witnesses for Christ and he suffers with Christ. Now with all that before you. You sometimes say to someone, are you a Christian? Oh yes, I'm a Christian, all right, because I've been christened. I've been confirmed. Probably vaccinated too. Or I've been baptized by immersion. I'm a communicant. I'm a church member. Well, these are answers we get when we ask, are you a Christian? There's somebody else, are you a Christian? Oh yes, I'm a Christian. I read my Bible. I pray. I'm benevolent. I give to every good charitable cause, then surely I am a Christian.
Or I've been born in a Christian country. I've been born of Christian parents. I've got a good character. I've got a good name. Surely. I am a Christian. These and many others are the answer you get when you ask, are you a Christian? I want to bring this beautiful name Christian up into the classic form. We want to take the first letter, the letter C. We're going to work on it all during the two weeks we are together. The first word this morning then, a Christian is a child of God. A Christian is a child of God, and who is a child of God? One was Christ living on the inside.
One who received the Lord Jesus by faith into his or her heart. I'm thinking this wonderful expression now, a child of God. Isn't that wonderful? Aren't you glad you're a child of God? Amen. the joy of being a child of God. Remember it says in Galatians chapter three, verse number twenty-six, now are ye the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Oh, it says someone, are we all God's children? Isn't God the father of all mankind? No, beloved, he is not.
God is the creator of all mankind. He's the father of all your good who believe on his son." Another verse to clear it up, John one twelve. What was it saying? But to have many had received him, for them gave he the power, the right, the legal authority, to become a time when we were not. to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Now, beloved, all by nature, the children of Adam, we are the creation of God.
But all of those who have come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ have received Him as the Lord and Savior, can truth and look up and say, Abba, my own dear Father. How do I know? Galatians chapter four, verse number six, said, Because ye are sons, God has sent for the Spirit of his Son into your heart crying, Abba, Notice now, is the Spirit of Christ in you and in me that looks up and says, Abba, my own dear Father.
Romans eight verse number nine says, If we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are none of His. Now is that crystal clear? If I have never received the Spirit of Christ, then I am not a child of God. I look around this very fine, intelligent congregation this morning, and I want to ask your heart tenderly and with all sincerity, are you a Christian? Are you a child of God? If not, there's no better opportunity than right now of you opening your heart to the Son of God's love and receiving him as your Lord and as your Savior.
A young fellow came up to me some years ago in Alberta, younger than a virgin boy, and he says, Mr. Barthol, what's the difference between believe with my mind and believe with my heart? Looking at him, I said, do you believe in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus? He said, I've never doubted it. Do you believe in the virtuous life of Christ? He did not sin, and he could not sin. He said, had he been able to sin, he couldn't have been my Savior. Then I went, Father, said, Do you believe in the vicarious dead for the Lord Jesus Christ? Now when he died upon that cross, he died for you personally. He said, Yes, I do.
He said, Good Friday tells me Christ died. Looking at him, I said, do you believe in the victorious resurrection, the Lord Jesus? And he smiled, of course I do. So I cut the date on the paper, a calendar, or put the date on top of my note paper, without believing these historical facts. That Christ was born of the Virgin. He died upon the cross. He rose from the dead. I believe that. So I said, now, do you believe Christ as a living man has ascended back into heaven? And being a good antichrist, he said, of course I do. Ascension suddenly tells me Christ went back to heaven.
Looking straight at that young man, I said, Gordon, you believe all that with your mind. you give your mental assent for these historical facts concerning Jesus Christ and you leave Christ standing at your heart's door now you may give our mental assent a mere equi-essence to these historical facts and yet not be a Christian what does the Bible say to as many ever saved him not merely facts concerning Jesus Christ, not theories or philosophies concerning Jesus Christ, but as many ever see Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.
I said, Gordon, you must with your mind believe these facts. For believing these facts the Lord will never bring about the miracle of a new birth. The Bible says, He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Now life begins when I receive Christ into my heart. Because remember this life, this spiritual life is in the Son. the Son of God. And that young man looked at me. As I quoted Revelation, verse twenty, Behold, and I stand at the door and knock.
If any man hear my voice, And open the door, I will come in. He is saying, I will do it now. And clasping my hand, and he is a hand about twice the size of mine. He said, I receive thee, Lord Jesus, as my Lord and Savior, believing you die for me, shed your blood for me, and rose from the dead for me. Lord, I believe with my mind all these years I am now asked upon and receive thee coming to my heart. That moment, that young man became a Christian. Julian Hamming remarked that a big man came in a red car in Yorkshire in England some years ago.
One night two young university grads from Cambridge came in and said, Mr. Boswell, do you believe in the creation story of Genesis chapter one? I said, now being a Scotsman, I'm going to answer your question by asking another. Scotland always does that. It gives them time to think about the question, you see. Well, they say, well, what is the question? It is this. Has you received the Lord Jesus for eternal life? He said, oh, no. He said, well, we'll deal with this one first. And after about two hours, there was two young people got up from the knees, having received the Lord Jesus as the Lord and Savior.
I turned to a young man who again, his name was Gordon. Now I said, Gordon, what about Genesis chapter one? Always say that's all clear to us now, we know the author. Did you get that? It's all clear to us now, we know the author. And today that young man is in northern Rhodesia as a medical officer and doing a terrific work for God. Beloved, did you get the picture? One Corinthians chapter two says, The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned. I repeat, the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned.
My friend tonight I find these words. Thank you, my brother. Our dear brother thinks it's going to be rather a dry sermon. May I go back again over that verse? The natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually a discernment. When we were born into this world, so many years ago, not quite so many for some of you, I thought, you know, we had a life given to us corresponding with a sphere into which we were coming.
We were coming into a natural sphere, so God gave us a natural logic corresponding with this sphere. How are we to live in a watery element? Then today we've been swimming about, the little fins going, the tail behind us. We were not to live in such a watery element, but in a nervous sphere. And God gave us a light to correspond with the sphere. That's why I don't believe for one moment a man will ever live on the moon. I think that's a lot of moonshine. But, beloved, he's got there, no doubt, but he said, we'll never live there. Why? Because God never gave man a life to correspond with that sphere.
A nasty life or a nasty sphere. Now listen, heaven is a heavenly sphere. is a spiritual sphere and the Bible says, flesh and blood, my earthly life, will never inherit the kingdom of God. So, beloved, if I am going to be in that heavenly, that spiritual sphere, I must have a life that corresponds with this sphere. The Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus, That which is born of flesh is flesh, the earthly, that which is born of the spirit is the spiritual. And he turned to Nicodemus and said, Nicodemus, you must and be born again.
You've got a master in life, Nicodemus, and an exemplary life, Nicodemus. You're religious, you're respectable, you're refined, you're cultured, you're very wealthy, and you'll be mastered in Israel. But Nicodemus, that life will never inherit the kingdom of God. You must have a new life given you all together. And he could have added, I am calm that you might have this life in Nicodemus. In fact, he did that in verse four, Jesus said in third chapter, As Moses lived up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Now this eternal life is the capacity to know God. This eternal life, beloved, is receiving this heavenly, this spiritual life. When do I receive this spiritual life? the moment I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and by faith receive him into my heart that moment I become a Christian that moment I'm a Christ one that moment I receive heavenly the spiritual life now let me ask you very tenderly have you have you see the word of God says in John chapter one He came unto his own, verse eleven, his own received him not.
Do you have the most tragic verse in the Bible? That's the most tragic verse in the Bible. He came unto his own, his own received him not. Now you may have position, you may have property, you may have possessions, you may have intellectual ability, You may have scholastic achievement, but if you've never received Christ, your life is a tragedy. You've never started to live. Life as Dr. Theodore X said last night, life begins when you receive Christ into your heart.
And there's more spiritual life of power from receiving Christ. So what was verse number thirteen, say it, twelve, say rather? But, I like this, I know it's very poor English to use to many conjunctions, but here's one I never tired of using. But as many ever saved him, not it, not a code, not a creed, not a catechism, not a church membership, but as many ever saved him. To them gave me power to become the sons of God, even to them, to believe on his name. So the tragedy of verse number eleven becomes a glorious triumph in verse number twelve by what?
That is saving the Lord Jesus by faith into my heart. Verse thirteen says, which were born, you don't evolve into becoming a Christian, You don't grow up into becoming a Christian. Remember, Topsy and Uncle Tom's cabin. Somebody said to one day, Topsy, where did you come from? Oh, she said, I expect I growed. Well, you don't grow into becoming a Christian. You're born into a family of God. And just as there is a union in the faithful kingdom, A canting of seed, a germination, a springing fall into light, just as there is a union in the animal kingdom, and among the human beings, A union, a catching of seed, a germination, a sitting fall into life, so it is in the spiritual beloved.
There is a union between his spirit and my spirit. There is a catching of seed, the incorruptible seed, which is the word of God. And the moment I receive God at his word and accept his son by faith into my heart, life begins. Life begins. What kind of life? This heavenly life. This spiritual life. In a world I become a Christian. Christ by His Spirit has now come to live in my heart. May I pause here? I quoted a verse just now, which was born not of blood. It is not hereditary. Because our parents are Christians, that does not mean I am automatically going to become a Christian.
Oh no. I remember the night when I trusted Christ for salvation, the boys thirteen years of age, we had bad children in Scotland, the other members in the family were all saved, I was the only one out. I was really concerned about the Lord's coming, the others going, I was led behind. This Friday night, I called the other boys to school and to Christ at school. I knew the way of salvation. I then taught it from my mother's knee. And I could tell others the way of salvation. And some of my friends at school, I didn't enter into that way, but I had no joy. No joy.
I was rather condemned. But that Friday night, my brother was going upstairs to his bed, and I called him and said, I want to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. Make him unto John C. XVI, For God so loved the world, Begiveth only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. I place my name into that whosoever I repeated this over and over again during my boyhood, that now for the first time I placed my name in that whosoever, and I believe with all my heart that Jesus is the Son of God, that is seated by faith into my heart, and that moment I became the possessor of eternal life.
My brother went through to the kitchen, and there down by the old kitchen table was my little mother. What was she doing? At eleven-thirty at night? She was praying for my salvation. It's good to have a praying mother. I thank God for the memory of that little lady. I believe I'm here today just because she prayed. Are you a praying mother? Probably some mother prayed for you. And you thank God for that praying mother today. My brother touched him and said, Jimmy's been saved, getting up from a knee she came through to my bedroom, put her arms on my neck, and I could almost feel that hug now.
Oh, not only my laddie, but now a son of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Did you get the expression? Not only my laddie, but now a son of God through faith in Christ Jesus. That's how you become a son of God. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing about the Word of God. There are two factors in faith. There is a divine factor. There is a human factor. The divine factor is the Word of God. The human factor is the hearing of the ear. You hear the Annunciation of the Gospel, that Christ died for your sins according to the Scripture, that he was buried on the third day he rose again from the dead.
You believe the record God gave concerning his Son, such as John five twenty-four, very, very I see unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that set me, hath, present possession, Hence, everlasting life shall not commit a condemnation but is passed from death unto life. How do you receive this life? One John five gives you the answer. And this is the record that God has given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.
He hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Then says the Scripture, These things have I have written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know. Not you may feel, or you may think you have, or you maybe have, but you know. You don't hope so, you know so. and you know you have each other. How do I know? Because God says it in his word. We two Jewish children living with us for seven years back in Britain. They came just from Berlin just one week before the last war started.
They could only speak five words of English. Yes, no, thank you, please. They could speak German fluently and the Hebrew fluently, but they could only speak five words of English. They were doctors, children. Father was a doctor of medicine, the mother, a doctor of philosophy. But they came only with us there, and then came Britain. A sign went on, they just came along with us to the services. One day, after some year, William Van just come to our assembly. He spoke to the Sunday school, and he did something I never do with boys and girls. I often do it with grown-ups, but never with boys and girls.
He asked all those who want to trust Jesus Christ for salvation to raise the right hand, and some folks in the altar indicated they want to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. On the way home, Robert said to my wife, Auntie... Isn't it wonderful to know all these girls and boys that have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation? So it is, Robert, but what about you? Oh, he says, Andy, I am saved. He says, when were you saved, Robert? He said, three weeks ago. We rejoiced with the boy. At least she did. And then when the evangelist and I got home, he was staying with us. And the scripture to me that Robert had trusted Jesus Christ for salvation.
I had never said a word that day. But next morning, after her family worship, and just before the rush off to school, I said, Robert, but tell me you're a Christian. Now, is this true? Say, yes, uncle, it's true. Tell me how did it happen? So the other night I was upstairs in my bed. Now I read in my German New Testament. And as soon as I came to Revelation, I read, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice, open the door, I will come in. Well, did you, Robert, say, I got out of my bed. Now I got done by my bedside. Now you think of a little Jewish boy praying like this, who stopped to spit at the name of Jesus.
But he prayed, Lord Jesus, I thank thee for dying for me, for bearing the penalty against my sin. I thank thee for rising from the dead for me. And Lord, you said, if I open my heart, you'll come in. Lord, I do it now. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. It's a wonderful, Robert, thought half his name. So I just fancied what's coming into my heart. I got back into bed and went to sleep. So it's a wonderful. But tell me, how do you know Jesus came into your heart? Well, I feel different. Something happened inside me. I feel different. So that may be, so, Robert, but you've never yet told me how you know Jesus came into your heart.
Looking straight at me, I think I see him now. Says, Uncle, do you think Jesus would tell a lie? Got it? I said, Certainly not, my boy. He said, I just said, Lord Jesus, come into my heart. I just take him at his word. Now, Katie, the girl, she's married to one of the elders in Granville Chapel in Vancouver. Now, this all happened back in Britain years ago. Robert is also in Vancouver. Marriage is a very fine girl from Chile, South America. I saw them long ago, Mrs. Boswell, and Mrs. Moist on, and I saw them both there quite reasonably across there in Vancouver. I said to Robert, do you remember when I asked you the question, Robert, about when did you receive the Lord Jesus?
How do you want me to give you a heart? He said, Uncle, I'll never forget that. No, the expression on your face when I said, Uncle, you think Jesus would tell a lie. Friends, he never tells a lie. When I rub the clothes, you know something? He's waiting at your heart's door now. And he wants to come into your heart. He wants for you to receive him as your very old Lord and Savior. It's not enough to believe about him, nor even to believe in him, you believe on him. Is there a difference? Can I illustrate it? A young couple going round together.
She believes he loves her. She believes he cares. She believes he's strong, won't even look after him to support her. She believes all that about him, but still they don't belong to one another. That wonderful evening takes place in that lonely, balmy kind of a night. A nice breeze is blowing through the trees, little birds are all twittering up there, and a little river is just rippling away there, and moonshine all its strength and beauty. I don't know much about these kind of nights, but they do tell me a lot about them. And what happened? And that very night, not everything, just leaning and leaning itself toward a man, and he just pressed a diamond across his finger and said, Darling, I love you.
She got enough confidence in him now to say, I will marry you. She believed about him. She now believed in him, but still they don't belong to one another. And till that day they stand before the fishing pastor, he says, to a man, will thou have this woman thy lawful wedded wife? He says, I will. She turns to a woman, says, What shall I have with man till I love a wedded husband? She says, I will. And the pastor puts his hand upon the class hand. I did just the other day and we pray whom God has joined together.
Let no man put asunder. And then their bowels did pray. Until death. Do us part. Now get the picture. They believed about each other. They had confidence in each other. But now they believe on. What does the word on mean? It means a committal. Can I give you an illustration, John one twelve? To as many as receive him. To them give you the power to become the Son of God. Even to them that believe on his name. to believe all him is to receive him.
She committed themselves to him and into her. And these twins became one till dead do them part. Prince, the same thing happened regarding salvation. Do you believe all this sort of a fact concerning Jesus Christ? Do you have confidence in Jesus Christ? But until you commit your life to him and you by faith receive him into your heart, there is no salvation. Mind begins when Jesus comes in, you commit yourself to him. And what do you say? Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise pass up, and he receives you. And there is an indissoluble union.
You have either death or life can separate. Isn't that wonderful? I found a friend who was such a friend. He loved me ere I knew him. He drew me with a cause of love. and thus he bound me to him. And round my heart shall closely twine those ties which not can sever. For I am his, and he is mine. And he knows something, it's forever. And aren't you glad you're a Christian? Amen? The joy of being a child of God will go on from there this evening, God willing. A Christian is one who is a child of God, one who's got Christ living on the inside.
Now let me ask you tenderly, have you? If not, why not this morning? Shall we pray? We'll one day be in silence and in that moment we'll have a quiet word with the Lord for ourselves. I ask you again, are you a child of God? Now this is something you can know with crystal clarity, that you've been born of the Spirit into the family of God. We thank you, blessed Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
For the privilege of being gathered together just like this, we thank thee for this very fine assembly. We ask thy blessing upon each one, from the youngest to the eldest, and grant that not one may leave this morning without really knowing that they are in the family, they belong to thee, by having received the Lord Jesus, by his spirit into their spirit life. They may know the joy of this new life in Christ Jesus. And those of us who do really know him, may we go forth day by day, and throughout the hour of this day in particular, that our lives may be an outshining of the indwelling Christ.
That men and women may lose sight of us all together, and see only him in all this glory and beauty. We ask this in his name, and for thy glory loath.