What Is A Christian?
By John Hendrix
There are many people today who claim to be Christians. In this country—although times, they are a changin'—most people would probably call themselves Christians. Yet, for the most part, people do not seem to let the name describe who they really are or change anything in their life.
There are some that would even blush to publicly claim Jesus. "Religion is a private thing," they say, meaning that religion should never be shared or taught. Jesus disagreed:
Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32-33)
A Christian wears the name of Christ.
He finds no shame in this, no reason for blushing. Like a candle (Matthew 5:16) a Christian wants everyone to see Jesus in him and glorify God.
Are you a Christian? Are you willing to take a public stand for Christ? Are you happy for everyone to know that you claim Christ as your Lord?
Do not answer the question too suddenly. There is more to being a Christian than that. A Christian must claim the name of Christ, but that is not all.
A Christian is a disciple or student of Jesus.
And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)
"Disciple," "student," "learner," these were the first names given to Jesus' followers. The Christian is a student being taught by Christ. He listens to the Teacher's words; he studies the deep sayings of his Instructor.
What did Jesus teach? Many, many things. A Christian—a disciple of Jesus—spends his entire life studying the words of God. Only death grants graduation from Jesus' school.
Jesus taught devotion to God. Man is not here to do what he wants, but what God wants:
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. (John 6:38)
Jesus taught trust in God. By His very life, Jesus taught us to trust God to control our world, our society and our life. Even in the face of persecution and death, Jesus trusted God:
. . . when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously . . . . (1 Peter 2:23)
Jesus taught obedience to God. He did not preach a doctrine of "there is nothing for you to do." Jesus taught that we must obey:
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)
Are you a Christian? Do you know what Jesus taught? Do you study the scriptures and read the message that He brought to the world?
Do not answer the question just yet. There is even more to being a Christian than that. Knowing what Jesus taught is not enough, a Christian is someone who believes in Jesus.
There are many people who have taught me in the past. There are fine men who have taught me much about obeying God. There are those, however, who have tried to teach me error. I know what they taught, but I do not believe them. A Christian believes the words of Jesus.
Jesus taught many things during His ministry on earth. Some may be satisfied to hear and accept "in general" the basic morality that He expounded. What do you think about the other things? What about the things He said of himself?
Jesus taught that He spoke the very words of God (John 14:10). He claimed that He was the Son of God (John 10:36). He insisted that He came into the world to offer Himself for our sins (Matthew 20:28). He declared plainly that each of us would be eternally judged by the words that He spoke:
He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)
Are you a Christian? Do you believe what Jesus taught? Are you convinced that He can save you? Do you expect to be judged by Jesus' words?
Pause a little longer before you give your answer. There is even more to being a Christian than that. Knowing and believing what Jesus taught are not enough, a Christian is someone who obeys Jesus.
For some reason the religious world has more problems with this fact than with any other. Obedience is a necessary product of real belief. Who can say he believes a dire warning when—for no good reason—he disregards it? Who can say he believes Jesus when he will not obey Him?
But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:46-49)
In Matthew 7 Jesus calls that last man "foolish." Why would you want to be foolish? Why would you want to make a great ruin of your life?
You say you love Jesus? Very good! Jesus replies,
If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)
Do you love God? Indeed you must! John replies,
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not
burdensome.
Christian: The name carries a great responsibility. A Christian claims Christ. He
listens to Jesus and studies what Jesus taught. And a Christian believes and obeys all of
Christ's doctrine.
Are you a Christian?
(1 John 5:3)