"Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25)
A Christian is not known by what is done or not done. A person can be labeled Christian and do outwardly good things without the inner washing of Christ. A person can be labeled Christian and do outwardly bad things with the inner washing of Christ.
A Christian is not known by what is possessed or not possessed. A person can be labeled Christian and have all earthly goods, and all respect, and not have Christ. A person can be labeled Christian and have no earthly goods and no respect and have Christ.
A Christian is known by what is repeatedly yielded or not yielded. A Christian yields him or herself to Christ's disposal. Having yielded to Christ, a Christian continues in the practice of repentance and re-formation secure in the work of Christ, while he or she repeatedly fails to yield or not yield where he or she should or shouldn't.
