05 Sep What does it mean to be a Christian?

Throughout the world, there are many notions and ideas on what it means to be a Christ-follower. Some grip this title—that of being a “Christian”—tightly while others eschew the term altogether. Those bearing the banner of Christ throughout the millennia have trekked into hostile lands and died gruesome deaths to further the Kingdom of God and protect the sanctity of the Christian faith. But beyond a simple word and the controversy surrounding it, there exists much confusion on what it actually means to be a Christian.

Since the emergence of Protestantism, thousands of denominations and belief systems have cropped up, evolved, and branched out as various religious leaders preached their interpretation of scripture and Christian theology. As modern Christianity spread throughout the world, children growing up in Christian families began to bear the title without ever having done a thing to actually know who Christ is or to open a Bible to explore the mysteries and revelations surrounding His life, death, sacrifice, and ultimate resurrection. Cultural Christianity began to unfortunately spawn from centuries of empty religious practices, routines, and manmade doctrines. People began to identify with the term but bore no representation of Christ beyond checking the block—which leads us to the current state of our world.

So what does it really mean to be a Christian? God’s Word has several supporting scriptures to give us a few hints at the answers we seek. In the Bible, the Greek term Χριστιανός is used three times and is translated each time to simply mean “a follower of Christ.” In Acts 11:26, the disciples in Antioch were first called Christians. Later after Paul’s defense before Agrippa, the Judaean king mockingly accused the apostle of almost converting him and the same term is used (Acts 26:28). Finally, the last reference and, in my opinion, the most powerful use of the word is by the Apostle Peter as he admonishes the readers of his first letter to not be ashamed if suffering by that name. Peter writes to those in Christ saying, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf.” The next verse is just as powerful: “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:16-17 KJV).

Can we get a complete understanding and picture of what it means to be a Christian from a few verses? Surely not, but as we can clearly see, the term is quite biblical, accurate, and applicable for those who follow Christ.

In John chapter three, Jesus tells the Pharisee Nicodemus that unless a man is born again, he cannot inherit the kingdom of God. While there are several interpretations doctrinally on what this means, simply put it suggests that God’s Spirit dwells within us. Figuratively, we say that “Jesus lives in our heart,” but more accurately, scripture indicates that upon spiritual rebirth, the Holy Spirit of God brings our dead spirits (Ephesians 2:1) to life and makes His home there (Romans 8:10).

When reflecting on the Old Testament temple and its design, we can make several parallels. The human spirit has now become the Most Holy Place or Holy of Holies of old. Our body is now a temple unto God (1 Corinthians 6:19), and our spirit has been sealed until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13, 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22). When exactly this takes place has been hotly debated, but we refer to Paul’s letter to the Romans as he writes that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13), and “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9 KJV).

Most importantly, one needs a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The gospel message and its relevancy in the Christian walk should be a daily reminder that God’s grace alone saves us. The Apostle John writes in 1 John 2:1 saying that if we sin, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” This verse carries weight as we see that Christ is the bridge that allows us access into the Kingdom of God. He bore our sins upon the cross, broke the power of sin and death, and gives us access into the throne room of God (Hebrews 4:16) through our prayers of faith. Just as sin entered the world “and death through sin” (Romans 5:12) by one man, Adam, so has the “free gift” of grace become available through Christ to all those who believe. “For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17 NASB).

The gospel message is simple. We are born in sinful flesh within a rebellious, sinful world. Our natural state is at enmity with God—meaning that we are born as His enemies. Our flesh is cursed and dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1) because of Adam. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, He fulfilled the role of High Priest, sacrifice, and Savior. He exists as Prophet, Priest, and King. Upon the cross, He took our sin, broke the curse, and fulfilled the requirements of our redemption (for all those who believe!) whereby we find new life and the promise of salvation from death, hell, and eternal torment.

Our salvation is by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. He paid the price, shed His blood, and our sins can be forgiven and blotted out through repentance and believing that His grace is sufficient. Relationship with God is a deep religious experience. Prayer moves the heart and hands of God. Our affections are laid before Him, our hearts bared, and the weakened state of our souls revealed. We cry out with pleading spirits and unfiltered emotion, and He fills us, delivers us, revives us, and gives us peace which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). Peter writes saying, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9 KJV). The relationship between God and the believer is something of heavenly substance. It does not fall within the confines of human explanation or carnal understanding. For those who have truly known the love of God poured out as oil upon the head—there’s no words. The heart of God is found through prayer, and those who know Him spend much time alone with Him in this very thing. The Christian encounter is found within simple relationship with the Creator–giving and receiving, praying and listening.

Truly our relationship with God gives us an eagerness for obedience, holiness, and good stewardship. The heart of a Christian longs to be faithful to God, and the righteousness of God living through us gives the ability to do so. Without Christ and His power, we are shipwrecked without a navigator—unable to do good or live holy. But with God, all things are possible (Mark 10:27). 1 John 2:14 says we have “overcome the wicked one” (KJV). As believers in Christ, we have a responsibility to honor and glorify Him in all that we do. Our lives are identified by hearts of servanthood, a commitment to faithfulness, and a desire for selflessness. Our identities are found in Christ alone. As members of His body, we know that we are in Him, and He is in us (He lives in us!). As sons and daughters in the Kingdom of God, we find our home.

Many today do not fully understand the implications of being a Christian. Within this identity, we find ourselves tasked with a mission to go into all the world and extend the Kingdom of God. Take for example the parable of the prodigal son. Upon the return of the wayward son, the elder son returned from working the field and drew near to the house. Upset, the elder bore his heart to his father saying, “Lo, these many years do I serve thee” (Luke 15: 29 KJV) and goes on to ask why he was never rewarded with a fatted calf and the merriment of music with his friends. But his father replied saying, “Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine (Luke 15:31 KJV). In Christ, we have received the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9-10). We must understand the importance and value of our respective roles within the body of Christ while we labor in the fields. We cannot neglect our talents, gifts, or callings. We are each pieces to a bigger puzzle, and together we are one. Specifically, this means working together to further the love of God in this broken world. We work for our Father not because He’s a taskmaster, but because it’s part of who we are.

Being a Christian means to be an ambassador for Christ. We shine His light amid much spiritual darkness. We bring hope where there is none to be found. Those who are lost and wandering through the black of night can find their way home if we only stand together and shine as beacons of truth. A city on a hill, we cannot be shaken. Our kingdom is not of this world and our lives are not our own. We uphold the holiness of God and truth of His Word with due diligence, patience, and love. With longsuffering, we call all men to repentance (Acts 17:30) as we await the blessed hope and return of Christ to gather His Church. We plead with the lost while contending for the faith against all who oppose the furtherance of the gospel and the spread of His Kingdom throughout all the earth.

Being a Christian doesn’t just mean being His follower. It means that through us, the world can see His face, feel His touch, hear His voice, and experience His love. The salvation of God is found in simple, childlike faith. The Kingdom of God has come near to you. Today is the day of your salvation. Will you call upon His name? Put your faith in God. Believe in what Jesus Christ has done for you. He paid the ransom for your sins, and He can rescue you today from the bottom of the pit if you only reach for His hand. Do you know Jesus? The time is late. Seek the Lord while He may be found (Isaiah 55:6 KJV).