What is a Christian?

Today there is a great deal of misunderstanding about what a Christian is. For example, a man recently told me he was a Christian because he had been married inside a Christian Church. Well . . . if that were true, then if he walked into a garage he just might be a car or if he walked into a physician's office he just might be a doctor. This is simply confused thinking.

In a recent survey* 77% of men and 86% of women in the United States consider themselves to be "Christians" We shall soon discuss why this is not possible. First, though,

What is a Christian?

A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. A Christian desires to be more and more like Jesus Christ every day. The person of Jesus Christ - who He is and what He wants us to do - is revealed in the Holy Bible and no where else. So, a Christian man or woman believes and reads the Bible so as to understand what God, in the person of Jesus Christ, wants from us. How can you obey God unless you know what God wants?

What are some of the issues that confuse what a Christian is?

   Unfortunately, many people have an opinion about the Bible that does not come from reading it! Instead, many (some of whom attend church regularly) rely on what someone else has said; invariably someone who has not read the Bible or understood it. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 You cannot do what it says unless you have read all of it.
   To further add to the confusion about Christianity, some leaders in the various churches are hypocritical - that is, what they say and what they do are two separate things. They simply do not practice what they preach. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. Matthew 23:3
   Still further, there are organizations or "churches" who pretend to follow Jesus Christ but their only purpose is to lead people away from God. Jesus replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them. Luke 21:8 Sadly, some of these organizations have even incorporated the words "Jesus Christ" into the name of their "church"! And further, the Bible has, in some organizations, been falsely translated from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic languages so as to support the untruths these organizations present as "truth". Regarding "truth": there are the many truths of men and women and the Truth of God. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17
   Still other churches do not preach what the Bible says - instead, they preach what their congregations desire to hear.
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Why is it not possible for 77% of men and 86% of women in the United States to be "Christian"? Click here

*January 1998 telephone survey by Barna Research Ltd.

All Bible quotations are taken from the New International Version (NIV)

QuietWaters home