What/who is a Christian?
Recently I was asked whether a specific denomination of people were Christians and honestly, I was kind of taken back with the question. To think that a denomination, a certain group, without looking at each individual, could be considered Christian or not without looking at so much more is unthinkable. At that moment, I knew what I was going to write about in my next Faith Matters article; ergo, in a short synopsis “WHAT/WHO IS A CHRISTIAN?”
Before we even begin in the scriptures (the Word of God) where we should always begin, I must make this statement as I did to the person who asked the initial question. There is no denomination that you can belong to that makes you a Christian by the mere fact of being a member or attending that denomination. Period! A Christian is not defined by being, I’ll start with our denomination, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, or any other group I could possibly think of. No, a Christian is one who is defined by what the Word of God and nothing else. Aside from the Word of God there can be no other definition.
The Word of God tells us in Acts 11:26 speaking of Saul/Paul “and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” Further, in Acts 26:28 it says, “Agrippa replied to Paul, ‘In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.’” So, what is meant by the term “Christian”? In the most basic definition, it is one who follows Christ which can be a very in-depth study. Fifty-two times in the New Testament Jesus says, “follow me.” John 10:26-28 makes it very clear that those who follow Jesus are His sheep (v. 26), and that His sheep hear His voice (v. 27), and that His sheep believe. Because of that belief Jesus gives them eternal life (v. 28). Even more clear is one of the most popular verses ever known to mankind. John 3:16-18 says “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” It is in this belief, this faith alone that we are saved. It is in this belief and faith alone that we are Christians; those who follow Christ. It is not a denomination nor any religion, but in Christ alone, that we are saved and Christian. Acts 4:12 says “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Romans 10:13 says “for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
There are people sitting in all our churches that according to these truths are Christians; and there are people sitting in all our churches that according to these truths that are not Christians because they have put their faith and hope in things other than Christ.
Pastor Terry F. Detwiler
New Life Assembly of God Church