Rowland:

Read the whole five chapters of 1 John. There are *three* answers there to the question 'What is a Christian?'

Mark:

Chapter 2

3: And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4: He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5: but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: 6: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. .... 22: Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23: No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also. .... 29: If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.

Chapter 3

2: Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3: And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. .... 24: All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

Chapter 4

1: Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and every one who loves the parent loves the child.

Rowland:

Ahh... a liberal Christian is the first to hit the jackpot with a correct insight into this Scripture. Owabaoutthat!

A thorough study of 1 John reveals that mind (belief), heart (love) and will (obedience) are *all* involved in being a Christian. Find the three in the key texts above. And a thorough study of 1 John will see these three themes repeated as refrains through the whole magnificent epistle...

Liberals like to emphasize the love bit (but don't always practise it - as don't others as well)

Conservatives/fundamentalists emphasize the belief/orthodoxy bit (haven't you noticed? Go back to the beginning of this thread).

Radicals emphasize the obedience/activism bit...

Repeat: it's *all three* in synergy together. So don't get your theology exclusively from the radicals or the fundamentalists or the liberals: read 'em each for a third of the truth, and all for the whole of it (at least on this question).

And if you want a classic and exciting study of 1 John which opens all this up get hold of (Mr Evangelical) John Stott's Tyndaqle commentary.

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Shalom! Rowland Croucher