First ask yourself, "What is a Christian?"
If your answer is "a follower of the Anointed (christos in Greek, mashiach in Ibriy)," then you may be on the right track. The English word "Christian" is poorly transliterated from the Greek word "christianos" {khris-tee-an-os'} which literally means "a follower of the Anointed."
Now you need to evaluate what you believe and practice and check that against what our Savior (His name is Yahushua) actually said and did while He was here on the earth the first time. You will need to read and study scripture diligently if you expect to be one of those He is coming to get the second time and to determine if you are in fact in obedience to Him. Remember that He said if you love Him, you will OBEY His commandments (Yahuchanan [John] 14:15). If you really do love Him, you will apply yourself to the learning of His commandments and how to attain to the gracious gift He freely offers to all who trust AND obey Him.
If you are a member of any of the catholic denominations, whether it is Roman, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, American, or any of the myriad other catholic versions, or even if you are in one of the offshoots of Roman Catholicism who still obey (albeit unknowingly) her dictates and who are called Protestant, you are in serious trouble and not a Christian at all.
Compare the doctrines of your particular faith against scripture and see if there is anything in them that violates or ignores scriptural commands.
If you take an honest look, you are going to find plenty.
Some of what you may see will be things like "baptism" as an infant and by the method of pouring water on the person's head, wiping their forehead with a wet rag, or pouring water out of a jug onto their head. This in itself can be shown to be fallacious by understanding what the word baptize means in its language of origin, Greek. It literally means to immerse (cover completely with a fluid) and its root, bapto, means to dip. So therefore baptism by any means other than total immersion is unscriptural and those who practice it or receive it any other way are NOT Christians.
Another similar doctrine is thinking that "to repent" means to "feel sorry for your sins." The Greek word that is translated as repent is metanoeo and it literally means to think differently or change your mind. You can be sorry for something without ever changing your ways about doing that thing. Most people are sorry for doing something when they get caught, but that doesn't mean that they won't go do it again first chance they get. That is NOT repentance.
If you change your mind about doing something, which is what true repentance is all about, you turn your back on those actions for which you are repenting and they are no longer a part of your life. In spiritual terms, that means that you quit living as part of the world and start living as part of Yahuwah's kingdom.
A particularly odious Roman Catholic doctrine is the one of transubstantiation. They believe that when the "priest" blesses the "host" that it literally becomes the body of Yahushua. The same with the cup. Did you know that "host" in this usage is from Latin and means victim? Most don't. Did you know that if this doctrine is correct, then every time this is done that Yahushua is sacrificed anew?
Now that is impossible! Once for all as the FINAL sacrifice (Ibriym [Hebrews] 9:26).
Another obvious problem is the doctrine of "saved by faith alone." Faith in Yahushua is the cornerstone of salvation, but we are saved by grace THROUGH faith. That grace is given only to those who are in obedience to the commandments of our Creator, Yahuwah. You see, even the demons have faith, and tremble because they know their end, but they are NOT partakers in salvation.
Another good example doctrine that is not scriptural is the teaching and belief that the "Christian Sabbath" is the first day of the week, or the day that is called by the pagan title of Sunday. That day is named "Sun-day" because it is dedicated to the pagan sun "god" and is still actually called "the day of the venerable and unconquerable sun" by the pagans.
Anti-seventh day shabbath (note the spelling) people will tell you that Saturday is named for the pagan deity Saturn (day of Saturn or Saturday) and therefore is not suitable as day of worship of our Creator Yahuwah. They are right on both counts, but they use this reality in an attempt to refute what Yahuwah did in B'ereshiyth (Genesis) 2:2-3, said in Shemot (Exodus) 20:8-11 and 31:16 (if you are a true Christian, you are a son of Yisra'el), and to say that the pope of the Roman Catholic Church had the authority to change the shabbath to the first day and to rename it as the "Christian Sabbath." They conveniently overlook the fact that the name "Sun-day" is pagan also and therefore "not suitable as day of worship of our Creator" either. By the way, the seventh day shabbath is NOT a day of worship but a day of rest. We must worship Yahuwah 7 days a week and rest on the seventh day from our labors.
There are two different ways of "naming" or identifying the days of the week. One way is the common one in use today with the secular calendar that was set up by man. In this method each day starts and ends at midnight by the man-made clock (regardless of whether it is Standard Time or Daylight Time, by the way). The other way is from the beginning and was set up by our Creator. It is the scriptural method of reckoning days from sundown to sundown (B'ereshiyth 1). Separate the two methods of reckoning days, stick with the scriptural method, and you will do well.
Some will tell you that "Saturday" is the real shabbath, but it is really NOT. From the above you can see that "Saturday" starts at midnight "Friday" night and at that time the shabbath of Yahuwah is already a few hours old. When the shabbath ends, "Saturday" still has a way to go.
The real shabbath is the seventh day of the week and it starts at sundown on the sixth day and ends at sundown on the seventh day.
Some so-called Christians even preach against the "Jews" because they killed "Jesus." First off, there is no one named "Jesus" in scripture. That name is a perversion of His correct name, Yahushua. To call Him "Jesus" is to call Him by a name He does NOT know. If you are not confessing Him by His real name, will he confess your name before the Father?
Yahushua was NOT killed by the Yahudiym (Jews). Actually, they are responsible because His death came at their instigation and insistence, but in fact it was the Rhomaios (Romans) who actually did the deed. Are the Yahudiym as a people responsible for His death? Yes! Emphatically! And they accepted that responsibility (MattiythYahuw [Matthew] 27:25).
Think on this though. If He had not been killed, and killed in the manner He was, would He be the Son of Yahuwah and your Savior? Would scripture have been fulfilled? Would you believe today that you want to go to be with Him when you die?
Also keep in mind that Yahushua IS a Yahudiy by birth! If you are a true Christian, YOU are also a Yahudiy, but by adoption. You have been grafted in by grace and are a fellowcitizen with those of Yisra'el. They are your brothers now and will forever be. Everything that happened then was of Yahuwah and they were not in control of it. They did as they had to do and I bless them for it. The day is coming soon when they will realize their error and know how wrong they were. They will truly repent and be grafted back in to their own rootstock, Yisra'el. So get off their case and start supporting them in their fight against Satan and the offspring of Esaw as they begin the prophesied return to the land of their fathers.
There are several articles on my page that delineate the path you MUST follow in order to be accepted by Yahuwah as another son. I invite you to read them closely and check what I have to say against the scripture. I certainly would not want you to either accept or reject out of hand what I have to say. If after you read it AND checked it out thoroughly in scripture you want to reject it, that's your prerogative.
All of us will stand before the throne to answer for what we believe and do while we are in these bodies, and so you will too. I am certain that I will be able to answer without fear when that day comes. Will you?
Here are some links to a few articles that will tell you how to REALLY be born again.
Born Again?
Path to...
Saved by what?
Saved by Grace
C.F. Castleberry
http://www.considerthis.net
buck@considerthis.net