What is a Christian?
This is a very simple question, but if you asked 100 people, I am not sure you would get one correct answer. I am not being pessimistic. I am just sharing what I have observed.
A lot of people would say that a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus. That is somewhat true, but not exactly. The one who believes in Jesus is a believer. Now, that is important. We do have to believe in Jesus to be a Christian. However, there is something more unique about being a Christian.
I feel sure that some people would respond that a Christian is a person whose sins have been forgiven. Again, that is part of being a Christian, but it is not exactly the definition of being a Christian.
So, what is a Christian? A Christian is a person who is "like Christ." That is right. The believers were first called "Christians" in Antioch. It was a derogatory term given to the ones who had trusted Jesus, because they were living and talking like Jesus. Isn't that amazing? How many Christians do we have in the world today? We ought to have as many Christians as we have people who claim to be believers. However, this is not the case, because we have a faulty view of what it means to be a Christian. Also, some people are not Christians, because they have a false view of what Jesus is like. We have to take the Bible very literally, so we can have a clear picture of Christ.
A person does not come to be a Christian by human effort alone. He or she must be a new creation in Christ. (II Corinthians 5:17) They must be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and they must yield to the Spirit to conform them to the image of Christ. That is God's will for every believer. I pray that we all will not only be believers, but we will be Christians, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 16-19.
A lot of people would say that a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus. That is somewhat true, but not exactly. The one who believes in Jesus is a believer. Now, that is important. We do have to believe in Jesus to be a Christian. However, there is something more unique about being a Christian.
I feel sure that some people would respond that a Christian is a person whose sins have been forgiven. Again, that is part of being a Christian, but it is not exactly the definition of being a Christian.
So, what is a Christian? A Christian is a person who is "like Christ." That is right. The believers were first called "Christians" in Antioch. It was a derogatory term given to the ones who had trusted Jesus, because they were living and talking like Jesus. Isn't that amazing? How many Christians do we have in the world today? We ought to have as many Christians as we have people who claim to be believers. However, this is not the case, because we have a faulty view of what it means to be a Christian. Also, some people are not Christians, because they have a false view of what Jesus is like. We have to take the Bible very literally, so we can have a clear picture of Christ.
A person does not come to be a Christian by human effort alone. He or she must be a new creation in Christ. (II Corinthians 5:17) They must be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and they must yield to the Spirit to conform them to the image of Christ. That is God's will for every believer. I pray that we all will not only be believers, but we will be Christians, too.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Matthew 16-19.