My wife and I question these days whether we should consider ourselves Christians or not. We think it all boils down to what we mean by Christian.
If being a Christian is being part of a religion that meets in a building on a particular day and follows set doctrines based on what denomination we belong to, then no, we are not Christians. If being a Christian is considered being part of a group that is basically just a different interpretation and belief from Jews, or Muslim, or Baptist, Methodist, Charismatic etc., then no, we are not Christians. If being a Christian is being part of a group that is opposed to all other religions and only accept those who believe like we do, then no, we are not Christians. If being a Christian has anything to do with religion, then no, we are not Christians.
In Acts 11:26, the disciples were first called Christians by people in Antioch. I always heard that they were called Christians because they were acting like Christ. The people there were calling them little Christ’s because of the way they showed the love and power of Christ. Now, if that is what is meant by being a Christian, then we are all in.
There are many ways we can described ourselves…believers, Christ followers, disciples of Christ, Christians. Yet, the name itself doesn’t really matter. What matters is how we live our lives. Is Christ preeminent? Are we living as one with him? Are we allowing the love of Christ to live through us, accepting others, loving others and being little Christ’s to all we meet? If not, the name really doesn’t make any difference.
When people see us, they should see Christ. He lives within us and we should be known for the love we have for him and for the love we have for our fellow man. Don’t worry so much about the label we use. Let Christ live through us each and every day with everyone we meet.
oops, forgot to check “notify me”. Doing it now… 🙂
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So if being a true Christian means acting like Christ, how did all this mumbo-jumbo about “beliefs” get jumbled into it? Paul *soundly* rejected defining ourselves behaviorally in Romans 7:15 – 8:7. Defining ourselves in terms of *beliefs about behavior* is pushing it to extremes of abstraction and far from the issues of heart and life.
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Hi Millard, thanks for reading the article. You are right, beliefs, religious doctrines etc. are more man’s way of trying to make ourselves right with God. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion or require us to follow a set doctrine. He said to love God and love others. Thanks for your comment.
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Christian is a sinner who asked Jesus, who died for his/her sins and resurrected in three days, to forgive his/her sins by giving his/her life to Jesus, and let Him be the Lord of life from now on.
Being Christian is not being a part of a religion, but in a intimate, loving, personal relationship with the Father via Christ by His Spirit.
But of course there are many Christ-less Christians around:
http://truthsetsfree.me/2014/01/11/am-i-a-christ-less-christian/
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Reblogged this on High Voltage Disciples: A Journeyman's Journal.
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Great Blog! As a traveling Power Lineman, I have been to many different churches and unfortunately find this to be true. I should not have to tell anyone that I am a Christian, they should see Christ love in me!
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Hi Richard, yes, if being Christian is only a name it doesn’t mean much. People seeing Christ in us is what makes a difference. Letting Him live and love through us is a daily life style of a Christian, and no particular word to describe that is necessary. Thanks for commenting.
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Amen!
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Sadly true. I completely agree, and am often reluctant to use that word in describing who/what I am.
I keep coming back in my mind, to the thought that it seems like for that word to have any significant meaning, there must be a cost to using it to describe who we are. As tough as it is to say, it seems like the Body of Christ is so much more committed to HIm, and stronger individually as well as corporately when they are being persecuted. I wish it was not so, but unless otherwise shown, I don’t think we will see a lot of change until we truly begin to be persecuted. And I don’t mean for our “faith” necessarily, I mean for radically knowing, pursuing and following after Christ.
I don’t think this will come (initially anyway) from governments,it will come from the organized “christian” churches. Much like in early days, it will be the religious who are at the forefront of persecuting those who follow after Christ radically. Then when you say- Yes, I am a Christian, there will be a cost, and people will be much more cautious in using that name to describe who they are.
Don’t mean to be a “Johnny downer”, just sayin. JM.
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Thanks John, sorry to day but I have to agree. We certainly don’t want persecution but you are right. What a thought that it would come from the religious, but again, so true. We saw it in the early church and those of us who have left the organization are seeing it today. Thanks for your comment.
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If Christ dwells in you and others see him in you yes your are a Christian 🙂 great post!
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Yes, it’s all Him, not a religion, not us….Him. Thanks for your comment, and thanks for reading my articles.
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I believe a Christian is a person in whom Christ dwells–by the Holy Spirit. Excellent post. Thank you!
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With labels, there are always multiple ways to look at it. There’s what the label really means; there’s what I mean in using it; there’s what others mean when they use it; there’s how I understand what others to mean in using it, and there’s how others interpret my meaning is using it. Shwew! Unfortunately, the world in which we live has redefined so many words and terms and applied new meaning to them, whether by a constant misuse of the term or label, or by behavior, which causes the label to be interpreted in a false manner. I think the label, “Christian” kind of falls into both categories. Centuries of abuse has led to the world viewing Christians as other than what the label was originally intended to mean. The last several decades has accelerated this to the point where even Christians are almost embarrassed to identify themselves as such, while still wholly identifying themselves with Christ.
A label that means so many things to so many people carries no real meaning to anyone.
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