Episode 150 - What is a Christian

The question of what is a Christian is one asked by many.  And unfortunately many misunderstand what it means to be a Christian.

In this episode I offer from God's word what it actually means to be a Christian by looking at the word itself and the characteristics of a Christian.  I conclude with answering the question how do I become a Christian,

This would be a great episode to share with someone you know who is challenged in their life and seeking to know God's will.

Transcript

Hello Friends, I’m your host Dr. Dave Laton and thank you for joining me in Our Journey to Hope. 

It is my desire through this podcast to bring you information about how to discover, sustain, or perhaps regain hope.  

Today I want to explore a question many have.  I want to look at What is a Christian.   

This podcast focuses on the position that true and lasting hope is found in our Lord Jesus Christ.  Not everyone is ready in a given situation to hear the message of how we find that level of hope.  Those dealing with direct challenges to their hope seek immediate relief from the situation.  Once the direct challenge is removed or resolved, then perhaps they will be open to the message of hope found in Jesus. 

A simple illustration is that if someone is hungry, cold, sick, or lonely, that is what they want relief from.  We can provide relief while also guiding them to our Lord.  By the way, that’s found in scripture. 

Starting in Matthew 25:31 Jesus gives us an insight into the judgment scene.  He tells us of someone who does various acts of kindness to others, feeding the hungry, quenching another’s thirst, making strangers feel welcomed, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and visiting those imprisoned.  All of these show someone who’s hope is challenged in various ways.  Our Lord announces a welcome into heaven for those who practiced such in His name.   

Interestingly, each of these are things we can all do, and should do.  So my point is, opportunities to help others in very visible and concrete ways are all around us.  Once we help with the challenge to hope, we can let them know it is done in the name of Jesus.   

There are many other scriptures referring to helping others through challenges.  But this one is a very powerful teaching in that it goes directly to our own needs when our hope is challenged, and we reach out to others. 

To get back on track about answering what a Christian is, let’s define the word.

The short answer to the question, what is a Christian is one who follows Jesus Christ.  Someone might also state that a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus Christ.  But that is not an accurate description.  Many believe in Jesus, but are not followers.  I’ll explore that a bit more later. 

The first time we find someone being referred to as a Christian were the disciples of Jesus in Acts 11:26.  To give some context to this, the early Christians had been scattered from Jerusalem as part of the beginning of early persecution.  Some had traveled to a city called Antioch and were teaching about Jesus.  There were many who were converted to Jesus.  As word about this spread, a disciple named Barnabas and the apostle Paul traveled to the area to further teach and encourage the new converts.  It was then that they became known as Christians.   

The word Christ actually is Hebrew for Messiah, which means messiah deliver or savior.  The suffix, ian means belonging to.  So when we put them together, it means one who belongs to Christ. 

I bring that out because simply believing in Jesus Christ does not make one a Christian.  It certainly starts there but we must go way beyond believing to acting in some way showing we belong, or are followers of Christ.   

I don’t mean to be unkind about that if you are convinced you are a Christian based solely on your belief.  I hope you will continue to listen to see how we can grow in our belief to indeed become a follower of Jesus. 

Therefore, a Christian is one who belongs to Christ.  He or she is someone who is a follower of Christ.   

I want to shift now to talk about the characteristics of a Christian.  

The word characteristics means the features or qualities belonging to a person that serves to identify him or her.   

Perhaps the most important, and what should be the most visible characteristic of a Christian is the attitude and actions of love.  The love we express is known as agape love.  It is a Greek word that describes putting others before self.   

Jesus stated in John 13:35 that everyone will know we are His disciples if we love one another.  This love is not limited to just fellow disciples, but to everyone, even those who are our enemies.  That’s found in Matthew 5:43.   

By the way, have you begun to notice that being a Christian is not easy.  It is a daily challenge.  The good news is we grow in our relationship with our Master and we grow in our likeness to Christ.  It doesn’t necessarily get easier, but we learn more about how we can become like Christ and we know we are not alone in our journey. 

Closely following the characteristic of love is that of unity.  We seek to be united.  We want unity with Jesus.  We seek unity among ourselves.  And we seek the unifying goal of teaching others about Jesus so they too become disciples and Christians. 

Other characteristics of Christians is found in what is known as Fruit of the Spirit.  This listing is found in Galatians 5:22-23.  The Apostle Paul gives us a list as evidence of a life undergoing transformation.  He lists love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  These 9 attributes represent characteristics of Jesus that are produced by the Holy Spirit active and growing in the life of a Christian.  Note that love is the first listed.  These may not be in order of importance, but we are certainly used to seeing something important listed early.  Think about the ingredients listed on the label of food packages. 

There are yet other characteristics that should be common to Christians.  For example, we must be humble.  Certainly our Lord Jesus was humble.  So too should those that follow Him. 

There is obedience.  Jesus stated that if we love him we will obey his commands.  That’s in John 14:15.   Obedience to the Master is expected of followers of Jesus.  It is not a burden, it is something we are compelled to do as our act of love to Him.

We are also expected to demonstrate a life of purity.  Purity means practicing holiness, uprightness and righteousness.  Those are great churchy words that simply mean we live lives that put into practice the teachings of our Master.  We seek to do the right thing in all aspects of our life whether physically, intellectually, emotionally, relationally, and certainly spiritually. 

Christians should also be characterized as generous.  We practice our generosity as we are able.  It is not restricted to our wealth.  I bring the disciple Barnabas from the early church.  Barnabas is first introduced to us be giving generously of his wealth.  But as we continue to find him in scripture, we see him giving of himself, his reputation, his time, his intellect, his companionship, and as his name means, his encouragement.  He is a great example of what it means to be generous.  It is not only an action, it is also, and perhaps first a mindset of what can I do? 

One more characteristic.  A Christian seeks to bring the light of our Lord into the lives of others.  Jesus spoke to this in his Sermon on the Mount.  Although he was speaking directly to the Israelites of his day, the principle of this and the example of the first century Christians shows it is for us today as well. 

One other example of this is also from the words of Jesus.  As he was preparing to leave the earth to return to heaven, he told his disciples to go into all the world, make disciples, baptize them, and to teach them all that he had commanded.  As the disciples fulfilled this mission, they brought the saving light of Jesus to a lost and starving world.  We continue that mission today by first becoming a disciple and then growing in the characteristics of Christ in our own life, and showing him to others.  Then as they learn and become disciples, they repeat that cycle of life and light. 

To this point I’ve shown what a Christian is and the characteristics of a Christian.  I want to now answer the question I hope you are seeking, or reinforce the answer if you have followed through.  The question is, how do I become a Christian. 

This is the question of our age.  It is the most important question we can ask.  The answer truly determines our eternity. 

It is not a difficult answer.  We do so based on the following. 

First, as we’ve expressed already, we have to have a belief in our Lord.  That is our starting point; not just the statement that we believe in him, but to seek to put that belief into action.    

We must also acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, our way back into a relationship with God, and that we need him to be able to remove the consequences of sin in our life.  This form of confession shows our understanding of our need and where the resolution is found.  It is found only in Jesus.  That’s in John 14:6, spoken by Jesus during the last super.  He states, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me”.   

Another element of becoming a follower of Jesus involves our repentance.  Another churchy word, but a critical word.  Repentance simply means to turn away from something.  In the context of our becoming a Christian, it means turning away from the world and self and turning toward Jesus.  We are dedicating our life to following and growing in the teachings of Jesus.  This is an ongoing activity that continues throughout our life.  We are challenged every moment of every day to turn back to the world so we continue to refocus towards our Master. 

Next is an action we take that some find controversial yet is clearly taught in scripture throughout the beginning, growth, and sustaining of the early church.  It also continues today.  As we are dedicating ourselves to becoming a Christian, we must be baptized in water by immersion.   

This seemingly illogical action is full of symbolism that serves to put us into that special relationship with Jesus as a disciple, and actually part of Christ. 

There are many scriptures in the New Testament that teach this by word and example.  I want to focus on Paul’s teachings on this in Romans 6.   

Paul is teaching us that if we are baptized into Christ then we are baptized into his death.  Being immersed in water symbolizes dying and being buried and then being resurrected.  This symbolizes what Jesus did.  He died, was buried, and then arose from the grave.   

When we are baptized, we now are reborn, just as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3.  In answer to the questions Nicodemus asked, Jesus responds by saying we must be born again of the water and Spirit.  

Back to Romans 6.  Paul continues by stating that we have been united with Jesus in death and there for will be united with him in the resurrection.   

So we hear, believe, confess, repent, and are baptized into Christ.  These are not steps.  These are elements of God’s plan for our salvation.  But they represent only the beginning.  From there we follow through with our commitment to Him as our Lord, Savior, and master.  We dedicate our life to him in all things.

 Only then can we truly be counted as a Christian. 

I put a lot of things out there for us to think about.  The life of a Christian is not an easy life free from any kind of strife and challenges.  In truth, it is a life of challenges in itself.  But the great thing is, we are never alone in our journey to Christlikeness.  We have each other, our Lord, and the Spirit of God working with and in us to help keep us faithful. 

One last thing.  Because the life of a Christian is challenging, we sometimes fail.  We make poor judgements.  We allow the world to entice us.  We give in to our human nature.  In short, we too sin.  But the difference is found in one of the most hope filled and wonderful promises in scripture.  It is found in 1 John 1:7:9.   Note, this is written to Christians.   

Please bear with me as I read this wonderful promise. 

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Friends, this passage tells me of the faithfulness of God towards those who are in Christ.  God does not demand perfection, but he does demand faithfulness.  When we recognize sin, we confess it to Him and he demonstrates his faithfulness to us by forgiving us.   

Well, there you have it.  An explanation of what a Christian is, some of the characteristics of a Christian, and how we become Christians, or disciples of our Lord.  

Friends, thank you for joining me as together we journey to hope.  I trust in some small way we have encouraged you to discover, sustain, or regain hope through this effort.    

I invite you to contact me if you have questions or comments, or if you wish to share with me something you’ve experienced in your journey to hope.  My email is info@ourjourneytohope.com.   

 And please, share this podcast with someone whose hope is being challenged.

 I look forward to sharing more with you soon.  Again, I'm Dr. Dave Laton, and thank you for listening.  And until our next episode, remember, we give all glory to God our Father.