“Well, I’ve at all times been a Christian.”
I’ve heard something like that response quite a number of times in my life. It’s normally followed up by a story of somebody going to church quite a bit after they were younger, then falling away, but now wanting to get serious about church and stuff again. I affirm that desire, but I find that I normally need to circle back to the gospel. What does it mean to say “I’m a Christian”?
In our culture, it means any variety of things. We say things like “it is a Christian nation.” Or we call ourselves a Christian community. And we hearken to a Christian radio station while wearing our Christian t-shirts and skim our Christian books in our Christian coffeehouse. That all leaves me wondering, “what does that even mean?”
What does it actually mean to be a Christian?
Where Did the Term “Christian” Come From?
The word Christian was first utilized in Antioch as a moniker for the disciples of Jesus. You can examine that in Acts 11:26. Its literal meaning is “belonging to Messiah” or “follower of Messiah.” It was likely thrown around by outsiders to distinguish the Jesus followers from Jews. It may need been a neutral and even derogatory term in the beginning.
Surprisingly, the name is used only thrice within the New Testament. It’s utilized in Acts 11:26, as already mentioned. Then in Acts 26:28 Agrippa tells Paul that he’s almost persuaded to develop into a follower of Jesus. Then finally, 1 Peter 4:16 uses the term to encourage believers to suffer “as a Christian.” His meaning is that we should always not be ashamed of our suffering but somewhat should follow the trail which Christ marked for us.
As early as AD 110, within the letter of Ignatius of Antioch, the term is utilized by Christians to explain themselves. At least up until Constantine it was meant almost exclusively to mean someone who followed the best way of Jesus — often the best way of suffering. By the time of Augustine (400 AD) other descriptors (like “the Way” or “Nazarenes”) had all but disappeared.
What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?
Words change their meaning over time. Eventually to be a Christian was less about any kind of non-public connection to Jesus Christ, but it surely was more the default identity of many Europeans. It became a political, social, or cultural identity. Much like how being Roman once meant allegiance to the empire, for a lot of, being Christian meant allegiance to a system somewhat than an individual.
For many today, it carries an identical meaning. Its why people can claim to be Christian and yet hold beliefs and live in a way entirely contrary to the best way of Christ. But if we wish to retain its biblical meaning — one who’s a follower of Christ — we would say that being a Christian follows a certain pattern.
Being a Christian Means Knowing Jesus Personally
While the dominion of God definitely has social, political, and cultural implications, Jesus’ call is more a few personal relationship. Being a Christian isn’t a few family tradition or being born right into a Christian home. That’s why I cringe just a little when someone says, “I used to be born a Christian.” I do know what they mean, but it surely’s not exactly how the Bible defines the word.
It’s also not about having bible knowledge and even agreeing that a certain set of facts are true. I say that since the devils in hell could beat any of us in a game of Bible trivia. They know that Jesus is the Messiah — they usually shudder. Being a Christian is absolutely about having a modified heart. And through this modified heart we follow the best way of Jesus.
Being a Christian Means Repenting of Sin
While the term “Christian” only appears thrice within the New Testament, the method where any person goes from death to life is throughout. And in each instance, we see a radical transformation from the old life to the brand new. To be a follower of Jesus means turning your back on following something or another person.
“If anyone is in Christ, he’s a recent creation. The old has passed away; behold, the brand new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Many people today claim to be Christians while living no in another way than the remainder of the world. But possibly I should say that in another way. Even followers of Jesus can do boneheaded things and get caught up on the earth. But the actual difference is that followers of Jesus experience conviction of sin. For the Christian, there’s a battle with sin and a battle for holiness and having fun with the Lord.
Being a Christian Means Loving and Obeying Jesus
You know those pace cars in NASCAR? All the opposite cars are alleged to follow their lead — driving the identical speed, going the identical direction. If a automobile suddenly veered off beam, or went full throttle across the pace automobile — no one of their right mind would say that it was a pacecar-tian. (That’s a word I made up to explain someone who follows the pace automobile.) And yet we have now this crazy notion you can be a Christian (a follower of Jesus) without actually loving and obeying Jesus.
That means should you aren’t loving God and others, or not less than attempting to, you most likely shouldn’t use that name. If forgiving enemies, resisting sin, and being an apprentice of Jesus is something that doesn’t sound attractive to you, then you definately aren’t a Christian in any meaningful sense of the term. Being a Christian isn’t about going to church or checking religious boxes. It’s about following Jesus and aligning yourself with Him.
Being a Christian Means Believing the Gospel
Again, this doesn’t mean that you simply coldly consider a set of facts. But it also doesn’t mean lower than that. A follower of Jesus is someone like those first disciples who left their fishing boats to follow Jesus. And they did this because they believed Jesus was who He said He was. They believed the excellent news of His kingdom.
Their trusting in Jesus was just a little different than ours because revelation was unfolding as they followed Jesus along the dirt roads of Palestine. For us, we all know the fullness of the gospel. That core message is printed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”
Being a Christian means that you simply trust in Jesus to avoid wasting you. You trust fully in His accomplished work on the cross, placing your whole hope in His life, death, burial, and resurrection. That signifies that being a Christian isn’t about attempting to be person. And it’s not about attempting to earn your technique to heaven through your good works. A follower of Jesus is one who trusts in Jesus.
Do You Truly Know Christ?
In Luke 6:46 Jesus gave a sobering warning: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and never do what I inform you?” (Luke 6:46). Or again in Matthew 7:21-23:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the dominion of heaven, but only the one who does the need of my Father who’s in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I’ll tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
That signifies that some might say, “I’m a Christian” without even grasping what that really means. Being a Christians means being a follower of Jesus. It means knowing Jesus and having a relationship with Him. If you don’t, then it doesn’t matter what country you reside in, what your parents believed, how much you went to church, what books you read, or any of that. It only matters whether or not you understand Christ and are known by Him.
When you say you’re a Christian, do you truly know Jesus?
If not, you need to cry out to Him today. Simply tell Christ that you must know Him and have a relationship with Him.
Photo credit: Pexels/Bruno Felix
Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He can be the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the writer of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His writing house is http://mikeleake.net and you may connect with him on Twitter @mikeleake. Mike has a recent writing project at Proverbs4Today.
