Have you opened all of your gifts?

Romans 8:10  "But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness."

Many people debate the issue of what does or does not make someone a Christian.  Many point to whether or not someone has received salvation and, if so, they are deemed to be a Christian.  Others say it depends on whether the Holy Spirit is alive within them and is Lord of their lives.  I believe it is both.

I don't believe that being a Christian is solely a question of whether or not someone is saved.  There is a lot more to being a Christian than just salvation.  At the time of salvation and acceptance, God sent His Holy Spirit to live within the believer.  Therefore, the Spirit is within each of us who believes through faith.

But the Spirit is like a package we have received in the mail.  When the package arrives, if we immediately take it up to the attic and store it, we are not using it.  We aren't gaining the benefits of having it and letting it be a part of our lives.  It is in our possession, but we've set it aside and forgotten about it.

Being a Christian means turning over your life to the Lordship of Christ.  This doesn't just happen one time.  It happens (or doesn't happen) every minute of every day.  We continually need to allow Him and the Spirit to lead us. 

If the package is unopened and stored in the attic, you may have salvation, but I would argue that you are not experiencing what it means to be a Christian.