The UGLY Christian!

[Coconut]

The UGLY Christian!

by William F. Dankenbring

The world has over a billion people who claim to be “Christians.” But how many of them really belong to Christ, follow Christ, and should properly be labeled as “Christian”? What is a REAL Christian? Why do so many “Christians” turn off unconverted peoples and cause them to exclaim, ‘If that’s a Christian, then I don’t want anything to do with it!”? How does the Word of God help us to identify a TRUE Christian?




Back in the 1950s a book was written entitled The Ugly American. The author captured the fact that when many Americans go overseas, and visit foreign countries, they act in a manner which literally “turns off” foreigners to Americans and causes them to become offended. Visitors to foreign countries often act smug, superior, haughty, even arrogant, and complain just about everything. Such conduct is obviously very unbecoming and causes many to despise, disparage, and deprecate everything “American”!



The problem has become much worse in the modern world. Most of the world today views America as a big bully, and despise American predominance in the world. As America seems to strut and swagger and American businessmen practice and government pressure other nations into agreements against their will, the animosity increases. Many foreigners in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia become offended, and some turn to sheer hatred of everything “American.” Some Muslims in particular view the United States as the “Great Satan” and idolize Osama bin Laden who has told his terrorist agents that every American is a potential “target” of terrorism.



Of course, the Muslim terrorists view the United States and other European nations as “Christian.” Why do they hate Christians? Is America really a Christian nation?



A quick look at modern America reveals that our nation does not permit “Christianity” to be taught in public schools. Prayer is not allowed in public schools. Any semblance or resemblance of modern America to “Christianity” is surely very superficial. Judge Roy Moore, former supreme court justice of Alabama, was censored by the United States federal court for having a monument to the Ten Commandments in public display in the Alabama judicial building, and he was removed from office for his refusal to comply with federal demands that the monument be removed.



How “Christian” is that?



WorldNetDaily in a shocking expose revealed how the American courts and judiciary have hijacked the First Amendment to the U.S. Constiitution which says that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, and has gone to the extreme of excluding the free exercise of religion in American schools, civic functions, and government offices. Says WorldNetDaily:



“In Texas, a U.S. District judge decreed that any student uttering the word

‘Jesus’ at his school’s graduation would be arrested and locked up. ‘And make no mistake,’ announced Judge Samuel B. Kent, ‘the court is going to have a United

States marshal in attendance at the graduation. If any student offends this court,

that student will be summarily arrested and will face up to six months incarceration

in the Galveston County Jail for contempt of court.’

.

“In Missouri, when fourth-grader Raymond Raines bowed his head in prayer before his lunch in the cafeteria of Waring Elementary School in St. Louis, his teacher allegedly ordered him out of his seat, in full view of other students present, and sent him to the principal’s office. After his third such prayer ‘offense,’ little Raymond was segregated from his classmates, ridiculed for his religious beliefs, and given one week’s detention. .In New York, kindergartner Kayla Broadus recited the familiar and beloved , prayer -- ‘God is great, God is good. Thank you, God, for my food’ -- while holding hands with two students seated next to her at her snack table at her Saratoga Springs school early last year. But she was silenced and scolded by her teacher, who reported the infraction to the school’s lawyer, Gregg T. Johnson, who concluded that Kayla’s behavior was indeed a violation of the ‘separation of church and state.’”



Such actions of school officials and courts show that the United States is NOT truly a “Christian” nation at all! Although the Puritans and Pilgrims and original settlers of our country were mostly Christian, and many of the founding Fathers of our nation were Christian, the evidence of true Christianity has become scarce in modern times.



Says WorldNetDaily:

“ ‘The constitutional separation of church and state’ -- a reference to the First Amendment in the Bill Of Rights -- is a phrase Americans hear literally every day from the news media, from legal organizations, from politicians and pundits, and especially from zealous attorneys and judges.

“ ‘Separation of church and state’ was used by the ACLU to demand that a banner proclaiming ‘God bless America,’ erected outside a school shortly after Sept.11, 2001, to honor the 3,000 murdered Americans, must be taken down.

“ ‘Separation of church and state’ was used to deny a little, handicapped girl the right to read her Bible on the bus on the long trip to school.

“ ‘Separation of church and state’ was used to take Justice Roy Moore’s 10 Commandments monument out of the Alabama Judicial Building, and it is being used right now to challenge the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance.”

So the question arises, just how “Christian” is America, today? Have we forgotten the God of our ancestors, rejected the God of our Fathers, and become a truly secular and irreligious nation?

It would seem to be clear that increasingly, America is forfeiting its Christian heritage, and becoming a distinctly UN-Christian nation.

Why is much of the world so “turned off” to Christianity, today, and ignorant of Jesus Christ? Why are so-called “Christians” so ignorant of the Bible, and can’t even name the four Gospels?



Since time immemorial, the greatest hindrance to the Christian faith has not come from without, but from within. Christians have, in all too many cases, been their own worst enemies. By living a double standard they themselves have been enemies of the gospel!


Where did traditional Christianity go wrong? The answer lies in human nature itself.

cont`d...

 

[Coconut]

Secular Christians



The major problems with Christianity are due in part to the fact that we live in a world, a society, where hypocrisy is often rewarded; where it pays to “look respectable,” but where to indulge in chicanery, deceit, sharp business practices, or even illegal activities provides personal profit. Thus there is constant temptation to compromise. Such compromises even enter the realm of theology itself.



A few decades ago it would have been unthinkable for a Christian theologian to endorse homosexuality as an acceptable life-style for a Christian. But today many theologians not only consider homosexuality as a permissible life-style for those who desire it, but ordain homosexuals into their ministry. To them, homosexuality is merely an alternate sexual pattern as good as heterosexuality.



Back in the 1970s, I wrote an article for a major Christian magazine, with the title, “What Is a Genuine Christian?” The article was approved for publication by the managing editor, and even put into galleys for the magazine, but was pulled at the last moment. It was rescheduled for the following month, but was mysteriously pulled that month as well. After it was pulled three months in a row, Wayne Cole, who was then over the publishing department, came to my office. As we talked, he explained why my article had been kept out of the magazine.



“Ted is uncomfortable with it,” he said. I knew what he meant. Whether Wayne used these exact words, I can’t remember – but he used words to that effect.



What was the problem with the article? It was very simple. In the introduction, I asked the question, what would you think if your neighbor – whom you thought was an outstanding pillar of society and a highly respected member of the community, and well known in his church – was suddenly hauled away in a police car, handcuffed, and taken to jail, and you came to discover that he had a “secret life” – he was a drug dealer, criminal, pornographer, and even had committed murder! What would you think?



Ted, of course, referred to Garner Ted Armstrong, the second-in-command of the Worldwide Church of God, under his father Herbert W. Armstrong. Why did the article make him nervous? Simply because he himself had been guilty of leading a “double life,” committing ongoing adultery as a minister of the church, gambling, and behaving in a distinctly un-Christian manner while living a public life as a world-famous evangelist and preacher of the gospel on radio and television!



Even as America has had its problem with “ugly Americans,” who give a bad name and reputation to our country, even so Christianity down through history has been plagued with false Christians, pseudo-Christians, and men who pretended to be Christian but behaved in a wicked, evil, corrupt manner, thus bringing reproach upon the name of Jesus Christ!



The apostle Paul spoke of this problem in his letter to the Romans. He wrote: “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.



“Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?



“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God will give to each person according to what he has done” (Rom.2:1-6, NIV).



Paul went on describing this problem, saying, “If you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth – you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? . . . You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written, ‘God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Rom.2:19-24, NIV).



Hypocrisy and failure to live by the words of Jesus Christ is the hallmark of the “ugly Christian”! It is the reason so many are “turned off” to having anything whatever to do with any church, or Christian group, whatsoever!

cont`d...

 

[Coconut]

What Is a Genuine Christian?



Jesus stated the truth in oft-quoted words which millions have seldom stopped to consider. When he was praying and fasting in the wilderness of Judea, and was tempted to violate the spirit of God’s law, he rebuked the tempter with a quote from the Old Testament: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).



A true Christian is one who predicates his whole life on the word of God. His every move, his every action, his every belief is based on the infallible and divine word of God Almighty! And since Scripture is the revealed word of God, that means his whole life is lived on the premise that the Bible contains divine authority over his life.



The apostle Paul expressed the Christian view of the Bible when he wrote: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (II Tim. 3:16, RSV).



The Bible is the Magna Carta, the “Constitution,” the supreme “Bill of Rights,” of the devout, God-fearing, genuine Christian. It is his personal charter, his map, his blueprint for entrance into the Kingdom of God. It is the Covenant between him and God, with Christ being the Mediator and facilitator of the Covenant. Without it, he is totally lost and devoid of direction, just as a hunter without a compass who has strayed into unfamiliar terrain.



But what does the Bible state is the supreme hallmark of a genuine Christian?



How To Identify A Christian



The Bible gives us a definitive answer. Jesus put it this way: “Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). He added: “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock” (verse 24).



Paul also pointed out a real hallmark of a true Christian, when he stated, “For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the DOERS of the law who will be justified” (Romans 2:13).



The best way to define a true Christian is simply this: A genuine Christian is one who obeys God. He lives by every word of God. He does what God says to do. He lives by the spiritual law of God which is embodied in the Ten Commandments and is expressed in love toward God and toward neighbor.



Obedience to God is the supreme hallmark of a Biblical Christian!



The prophet Samuel told king Saul about 3,000 years ago: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (I Samuel 15:22-23).



Men may appear outwardly to be genuine Christians. Huge Church organizations may claim vehemently that they are “Christian.” But are they really? How do we know? How can we tell?



Many men or women may appear very sanctimonious, “Christian” on the outside, but be complete hypocrites and snakes when you seen their inside -- their inner heart! Some may be involved in church-related activities; others may even be preaching the gospel, doing great works; be on television, and even claim to heal the sick and cast out demons. And yet they may be covering up inner adulteries, hatreds, greed, lust, selfishness – and total disregard to the laws of God and His commandments -- by a cloak of outwardly “Christian” activities!



Jesus Christ said of such, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you will know them” (Matt.7:15-20, NIV).

cont`d...

 

[Coconut]

Paul’s Plain Warning


Modern ministers and Christians may be just as hypocritical as the very religious and hypocritical Pharisees of the time of Christ!



The apostle Paul warned almost 2,000 years ago that many false “Christians” would arise -- men would appropriate the “name” of Christ, and brand themselves as “Christians” -- but they would be liars and charlatans!



Paul warned the church at Ephesus in plain words, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:27-30).



Jesus Christ, the Messiah Himself, also warned: “And many false prophets shall arise, and shall DECEIVE MANY” (Matt.24:11). Many of these false prophets would claim to be Christian! They would claim the name of “Christ”! But Jesus warned, “For many shall come in my name [that is, claiming His approval and sanction], saying [admitting], I am Christ; and shall DECEIVE MANY” (Matt.24:5).



How could they claim Jesus’ name, wrap themselves up in “Christian clothes,” and yet DECEIVE people? Simple! They would teach contrary to the message Jesus brought!



Paul makes this plain. He warned the Corinthian church: “But I am afraid, that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and preaches ANOTHER JESUS [i.e., a false, counterfeit Christ -- an imitation, pseudo-Christ, whom they pass off as the true Messiah] than the one we preached, or if you receive a different spirit [a counterfeit of the Holy Spirit -- that is, a demonic spirit, leading one into doctrinal error, wrong attitudes and practices contrary to God’s Word] from the one you received, or if you accept a different GOSPEL [a counterfeit message -- such as a gospel which emphasizes “grace” and claims God’s laws are abolished and we need not obey God!] from the one you accepted, you submit to it readily enough” (II Cor.11:3-4, RSV).



Paul’s fears have come to pass. The vast majority of so-called Christians today are totally deceived -- blinded by the “god of this world” (II Cor.4:4). The vast majority of ministers -- and churches -- and their followers -- do not even begin to “live by every word of God” -- they do not even TEACH it! In fact, they DENY its message, and cover up their errors by twisting and misinterpreting Scripture, and as a result, millions of people have been completely deceived and misled!



Paul warns: “For such men are false apostles [messengers], deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles [messengers] of Christ. And no wonder,, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his servants also DISGUISE themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end shall will correspond to their deeds” (II Corinthians 11:13-15, NRSV).





PERSONAL NOTE : I do not agree with the author on teaching obedience to the old covenant , for we know its commands were completely fullfilled in Christ, and a new covenant was given, as is clearly written in NT testament scripture, and as such this message was partially edited.

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[Coconut]

A True Christian and “Sin”


A true Christian is one who fears God. What does it mean to “fear God”? Solomon was inspired to write, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Proverbs 8:13).



“Evil” is another word meaning “sin.” What is the Bible definition of “sin”? The apostle John put it this way: “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, SIN IS LAWLESSNESS” (I John 3:4, NIV). Yes, “sin,” according to the Bible definition, “IS” the very act of transgressing the LAW of God! – that is, behaving in a LAWLESS manner!



A true Christian, then, is one who HATES sin, and ABHORS evil. He will strive to avoid it, steer clear of it, keep himself pure from temptations, and OBEY the commandments of Almighty God!

Likewise, any minister who wallows in sin, and lives in sin, and constantly practices sin – disobedience to God – is NOT a true minister of God! We WILL be judged “according to our WORKS” – not our protestations and claims!





Identifying the REAL Christian



How, then, can we tell a true Christian?



The answer to that question is twofold:



First, a genuine Christian must truly “follow Christ” -- follow in His footsteps, follow His example, live as He lived, walk as He walked (I John 2:4; I Pet.2:21). This means he must live a life of OBEDIENCE to God!



Secondly, a true, genuine Christian must BELIEVE what Jesus Christ taught! He must “believe the gospel” -- the true gospel -- the very MESSAGE Jesus Christ brought! He must believe the doctrinal teachings of Christ! A genuine Christian has FAITH in the teachings and words of Jesus Christ -- he BELIEVES the message of the Messenger!



In order to become a true Christian, therefore, one must REPENT of sin -- all disobedience to God. One must believe in Christ, that He IS the Messiah, the Saviour, the Anointed One of God, and in all His teachings; and one must as an outward display of that repentance and belief, be baptized in water, symbolizing the burial of the “old man,” the old disobedient hulk of human nature that we are, according to the flesh; and come up out of that watery “grave” of baptism in newness of life.



At the Festival of Pentecost, in 30 A.D., the apostle Peter preached the first sermon of the newly begun Church of God, after Jesus’ resurrection. As he explained how the Messiah had been crucified for the sins of the people, the crowd became cut to the heart. They cried out, “Brethren, what shall we do?”


Peter answered: “REPENT, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit” (see Acts 2:38, RSV).



The next day, in another message, Peter told the assembled crowd, “REPENT ye therefore, and be CONVERTED, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). When we do these things, faithfully, with our whole heart, then God promises to give us His Holy Spirit. As Peter declared, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, which God hath given to them that OBEY him” (Acts 5:32).



A true Christian, then, is one who has deeply and whole-heartedly accepted Christ as their personal Saviour, Redeemer and Messiah, and who has repented of all their sins, and given their life to Christ, to serve and follow and obey Him. They are on the road of holiness and righteousness. They have been baptized, and are living a NEW LIFE in Christ, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God!



Paul explained to the Ephesians, “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were SEALED with the Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory” (Eph.1:13-14, RSV).



Paul also wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ [this was Paul’s literal attitude toward this life!]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal.2:20, RSV).



What is a TRUE Christian? Not just anybody who “professes” Christ. Rather, it is the indwelling power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit which separates true, genuine Christians from all the false, fraudulent, phony impostors and imitation, counterfeit so-called “Christians”!



Paul makes this truth very plain. He declared, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirements of the law might be FULFILLED in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-5, RSV).



Paul goes on: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot; for those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.” (verses 7-9).



Paul continues, drawing the line very plainly: “Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does NOT BELONG TO HIM” (Rom.8:9, last part) -- that is to say, unless a person has the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in him, such a person is NOT A REALLY TRUE CHRISTIAN AT ALL!



The indwelling Spirit of God is what separates the true Christians from all the make-believe, phony PRETENDERS! And that Spirit is recognized and revealed by its OBEDIENCE to the Laws of GOD (Acts 5:32)!!!



Therefore, if we REPENT of our sins, and determine to obey God and live by His commandments, and accept Jesus Christ as our Saviour, and are then baptized as an outward expression of that inner belief and obedience, then God promises to GIVE us freely of His Holy Spirit, as a divine begettal, thus empowering us to OBEY GOD and to follow Christ and to live a life of OBEDIENCE to God!



How, then, can we spot a true Christian from all the phonies and pretenders, the counterfeits and the masses of deceived, who may indeed think they are Christians, and believe they are Christians, but don’t really even understand what a true Christian IS?

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[Coconut]

How To Spot a True Christian



The way to tell if a person is a Christian or not is not by “outward appearance” -- appearances can easily deceive. Jesus Christ said, “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment” (John 7:24).


On the other hand, if a person's life and deeds (as well as his protestations and words) do NOT match up with the “original” -- the Word of God -- then no matter what they say, or claim, you have found a FALSE, PHONY “Christian”!



“Wherefore BY THEIR FRUIT ye shall KNOW [recognize, discern] them” (Matt.7:20).



The way to spot or recognize a genuine true Christian then is to discern whether or not he or she is striving to be LIVING by every word of God.



Jesus Christ declared, quoting the Old Testament Scripture, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4). Luke records the same admonition, thus giving it double emphasis! (Luke 4:4).



These words are actually quoted from the Old Testament Torah, where God told Moses and all Israel: “And He humbled you, and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know; that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but that man lives by EVERYTHING THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE LORD” (Deut.8:3, RSV).



How, then, can we discern, with true confidence, whether or not a person is a true and genuine article -- a true Christian? How can you know, for certain, whether or not YOU may be a genuine Christian?



The answer is -- Look at the FRUITS! As Jesus Christ declared, “By their FRUITS you shall KNOW them.” Avoid judging by mere appearances, for the devil is a master of disguises and camouflage and deception! He’s had a long, long time to practice the art of deception, cover-up, and cunning impersonation!



And as you and I are concerned -- Paul tells us, “EXAMINE YOURSELVES, to see whether you are holding to the faith. TEST your selves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is IN you? -- unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (II Corinthians 13:5, RSV).



One day soon many false, counterfeit Christians will have to appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ. It is of such that Jesus said: “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers’” (Matthew 7:22-23).



Paul writes to Titus about false Christians. He declared, “They claim to know God. But BY THEIR ACTIONS THEY DENY HIM. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good” (Titus 1:16).



How You Live Your Life



The clearest “litmus test” of a Christian is whether or not his life is lived in accordance with the Word of God. The apostle John said, “And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says ‘I know him’ but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked” (I John 2:3-6).



The characteristic of obedience to God and His Word, His commandments, is the only method to discern the genuine Christian from the fraud. Remember, Jesus said the same thing in different words when he declared, “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruits” (Matthew 7:16-17).



Look at the fruits that are produced in one’s personal character and life. Compare those “fruits” with the Word of God. Do they stack up? Do they make a perfect “match”?



Because how a person lives his life will prove whether or not he is a bona fide follower of the Messiah, the living Jesus Christ!



What about you? Are you a REAL Christian?

 

[Set Free!]

Jesus and Paul said,

John 13:35: By this shall all men know that ye
are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

1John 3:14: We know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love the brethren. He
that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Rom. 8:16: The Spirit itself beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are the children of God.

God Bless you Coconut,

Joe