What Does it Mean to be a Christian?

Christian

What does it mean to be a Christian? This would seem to be a relevant and relatively easy question to answer; particularly since there are so many Christians in America. But is it?

Individual Christian Response

Aaron Earls, in an article “Survey: What U.S. Christians Say It Means to be a Christian” states, “When American Christians are asked to identify what is ‘essential’ to being a Christian, their answers depend largely on how frequently they attend church. Among all Christians . . . almost 9 in 10 (86 percent) say belief in God is essential.. . . Being grateful, forgiving, honest, praying, and helping the poor were also selected by the majority of all Christians, according to the report by Pew. But there were evident differences between weekly church attending Christians and others.

Majorities in both groups said believing in God, being honest at all times, forgiving those who have wronged you, and being grateful for what you have are essential parts of being a Christian. More than half of the highly religious also included praying regularly, reading the Bible, attending religious services, committing to spend time with family, and working to help the poor and needy.”1

A Cab Driver’s Response

Janet Chismar, in an article “What is a Christian?” wrote, “Some years ago, I was in a cab when I asked the driver about his faith. He replied that he was a Christian, and I asked him how he became one. I’ll never forget his reply: ‘Oh, I was born a Christian.’ But those who belong to Christ know that it’s impossible to be born a Christian because we start out with a sin-infected nature, lost and separated from God.

People often use the term ‘Christian’ as simply a category for describing someone’s cultural, religious, or family heritage. Other people believe that a person is a Christian because he or she attends church or was raised in a godly home. For still others, the term ‘Christian’ is no more than a box to check off on an application or survey form. So what is a Christian? Jesus said that His true followers are those who have been ‘born again’ by the Spirit of God.”2

These individual responses by professing Christians in America indicate they have differing ideas regarding what is essential to the Christian faith.3

A Denominational Response

According to the results of a Religious Landscape Study conducted by Pew Research: Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Jehovah’s Witness, Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Orthodox Christian, and Presbyterian are some of the major Christian denominations in America measured by the number of members.4

Matthew Bowman, in an article, “What it Means to be a Christian in America Today” stated, “Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, began his church because, he felt that there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the new testament.. . . Other American religious innovators followed a similar path.. . . Escaped slave Frederick Douglass denounced white slave-holding Christians as hypocrites and became a preacher for the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a branch of Methodism founded by African-Americans. Mary Baker Eddy despaired that no Christian church she could find sufficiently embraced the doctrine of faith healing, and so she founded Christian Science.”5

A Heart of Jesus Response

In an article “What Does it Mean to Be a Christian?” posted by Compassion.com, the writer says, “What it means to be a Christian, at least according to culture, has changed over the years. Many people think that going to church occasionally or simply believing in God makes them a Christian. But the Bible presents a different perspective and definition of a Christian.” The author continues with a succinct definition saying, “A Christian is someone whose behavior and heart reflects Jesus Christ.”6

A Non-Denominational Response

An article, “Definition of a Christian,” posted by Focus on the Family states, “The term ‘Christian,’ as we understand it, refers to anyone, man, woman, or child, who trusts in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord and who strives to follow Him in every area of life. As evangelicals, we place great stress on the importance of an individual’s personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We believe that this relationship is lived out by way of prayer, study of God’s Word, fellowship with God’s people, and service to others in Jesus’ name. There’s an important sense in which Christian faith has to be expressed in the context of community with other believers. But in the final analysis, it’s an intensely personal and individual matter, not a question of church membership or doctrinal orientation.7

Do all of these denomination and non-denominational responses share the same foundational, essential religious beliefs? No.

A Few Ministerial Responses

Wilson T. Hogue Wilson (1852–1920) was an American bishop of the Free Methodist Church. In his book, The Holy Spirit A Study he wrote, “To be a Christian in the true sense of the word is to be a partaker of the life of Jesus Christ. Without this no man is a Christian, however orthodox his belief, however sound his philosophy, however amiable his natural traits of character, however beneficent [generous or good] his deeds.”8

Hugh P. Hughes (1847-1902), was a Welsh Protestant clergyman and religious reformer in the Methodist tradition. In his book, Essential Christianity he wrote, “To the intelligent and properly instructed Christian, Christianity is Christ. The decisive evidence of my Christianity is that I live in Christ. . .  I am nowhere taught to believe in the Church, but I am everywhere taught to believe in Christ.. . . I am nowhere taught that the Bible saves me, but I am everywhere taught that Christ saves me. I am in His Presence now. Nothing that you can say, or discover, or prove about the Church or the Bible will affect the essence of Christianity.”9

A Worldly View of Christians and Christianity

When considering what it means to be a Christian, determining non-Christians’ views of Christians can be enlightening. While human views do not preempt biblical instruction, they can be very informative regarding how believers are perceived; which has a powerful impact on effectiveness. After all, non-Christians view the world and its people through different eyes than believers do.  

Keith Plummer, in an article “What Do Non-Christians Think of Christians and Christianity?” says, each semester he teaches an introductory Christian apologetics course to undergrads who are in either their junior or senior year.. . . One of the assignments is that the students interview a non-Christian using a series of questions prepared by him.. . . Reading through the responses is always interesting and sometimes disheartening.. . . A few recurring responses included:

  • There is no scientific evidence that God exists.
  • Christianity is primarily an ethical code; it’s heavy on right conduct but light on redemption and grace.
  • People frequently object to Christian opposition to homosexuality.
  • Christians are hypocritical.10

Whenever you have people with very different world views, these views can generate strong feelings and misconceptions. Yet, all of these people are human; having the same basic needs and impulses. Don’t all people have a built-in desire to know how they came to be; what their purpose is in this life; and if there is anything else in this life or after this life?

What’s in a Name?

So, what then is a Christian? The answer to this question does not lie in what differing denominations, religions, or individuals call themselves. You’ve heard the expression “if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck; it is a duck.” So, calling it anything else doesn’t change the fact that it is a duck.

Names are important. If properly chosen, they describe some of our basic characteristics or attributes. Most of us identify ourselves as belonging to a particular group or body; based upon nationality, family, race, creed, or some other common factors. I am a Gentile (meaning non-Jewish,) an American by citizenship, and a West Virginian by birth place. Why do I call myself an American and a West Virginian. Because of I am “of these” places; “from these” places by birthright. I love America, as flawed as it is. I am an adherent (believe in and support the ideals) of democracy, free enterprise, our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and our system of justice.

The Biblical Response is to be “in Christ; of Christ”  

According to the Bible, the Christ, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God; is the origin of the term Christian and Christianity. A Christian is a person who believes in the teachings and the life of Christ and exhibits his teachings in their life to the greatest extent humanly possible. That is why they are called Christ[ian]. This is a simplistic definition of one who is “of Christ” or “in Christ.” If you are not “of Christ; in Christ,” you are not a Christian.

Scripture tells us:

  • And you are of Christ, and Christ is of God (1 Corinthians 3:23).
  • Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
  • As surely as the truth of Christ is in me . . . (2 Corinthians 11:10).
  • In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11).
  • Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).
  • But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did (1 John 2:5–6).

Christians are called to live like Jesus. We all understand we can never live a perfect life on earth as Jesus did. But that is the objective for which we should strive daily; to carry out the will of God as close to perfect as we are humanly able.

The Result is a New Life

Hugh P. Hughes in his book, Essential Christianity wrote, ”He [Christ] gives us a new life, His own life, that we may lead a Christ-like life. The whole ethical object of Christianity is summed up in the phrase ‘Christ-like life.’ You are a Christian if you do what Christ did. Let us understand one another.. . . We Christians have not yet realized that our duty is not merely to get to heaven, but to lead a Christ-like life on earth.”13 Hughes continues, “A Christian man is one who lives in affectionate daily intimacy with a risen and divine Christ. The mere fact that any human being professes and calls himself a Christian proves nothing.”14

God’s Word is Truth

The starting point for decision-making is to determine the truth regarding the matter in question. No one wants to decide an important issue using incorrect or false information. God says his Word is truth. Christians believe the Holy Bible is the one, eternal truth. It is God’s owner’s manual for humans; written by human hands as directed by the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us:

  • Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20–21).
  • All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17).
  • Jesus said to God the Father, “Sanctify them [believers] by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
  • In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1, 14).

Follow in Jesus’s Footsteps

Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Alexander Patterson was an early twentieth century Presbyterian minister near Chicago, Illinois. In his book, The Greater Life and Work of Christ as Revealed in Scripture, Man and Nature, he wrote, “It follows from Christ’s place in Scripture that he is also the center of all Christian doctrine. Every truth radiates from him.. . . A right conception of Christ is necessary to a right view of every doctrine of the Christian faith.”16 Patterson continues, “Christ, his death, and resurrection are the vital facts of Christianity.”17

As Paul wrote:

  • I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).
  • When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1–2).

God is All-Powerful and Faithful

Furthermore, some of the foundational truths that Scripture reveals to us include:

  • God Almighty created the universe and everything in it.
  • Humans sinned against God by willfully disobeying his command and, as a result, were separated from their relationship with God.
  • God devised a plan of salvation for the purpose of redeeming humanity; that is bring man back into a right relationship with him. The elements of this plan are detailed in another article on this website “What is God’s Plan of Salvation?”
  • This plan of salvation required Jesus Christ to come to earth in the flesh, live a sinless life, and then willingly die on a cross to pay the debt due to God for the sins of every human.
  • Faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is the only pathway to eternity with God.

However, if you do not believe the Bible is the truth, then how can you believe the aforementioned claims are true? Accepting the Bible as truth is foundational to faith in God as the Almighty Creator and Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of humanity. There are other distinguishing characteristics as well for those who are in Christ or of Christ.

Showing Agape Love

A pure love exists that is not of this world. The Bible tells us God created every one of us in his image (Genesis 1:27) and his love for us endures forever (Psalm 100:5). The desire of his heart is that everyone would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), even if we hate him now. It is an unconditional love, extended for the benefit of others; sometimes referred to as agape love. God wants us to love him and our fellow man with that kind of love, to the extent humans can. Once we realize that Jesus Christ, the crown jewel of heaven, willingly left the side of God the Father to come to earth and die for our sins, we should love him with all our heart.

Love for humanity was the great motivator for God’s plan of salvation. Love for the Father and humans was the motivator for Jesus willingly dying on the cross. Our love for the Father and the Son should be the great motivator for us to live for Christ. Devotion to duty or obligation can sustain a human for a period of time. However, love supported by the indwelling Holy Spirit can sustain a human for as long as they live. 

Serving in Love

James B. Walker (1805-1887), was a minister in Ohio. In his book, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, he wrote, “The will of God, and not his own will, is the law of life with the believer. But while the law is obeyed as a rule of duty, that law is likewise an expression of the will and heart of his Divine Benefactor. Christian life is not therefore, the service of duty under the impulse of conscience alone; the impulse of love is united with the element of conscience.”20

Scripture tells us:

  • And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
  • By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13:35).

An Intimate Relationship With the Father and the Son

God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are familial persons. That is why God is called the Father and those who believe in Jesus are called his children, heirs. They want us to get to know them intimately. It should become the desire of our hearts to do God’s will the same way Jesus did. The Christ did not have to die on the cross. He had free will to choose. When the chief priests and others came to arrest Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and Peter decided to intervene, Jesus said to him, “Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53). Jesus chose the cross because he loved us and desired to submit to his Father’s will.

The Indwelling Holy Spirit

When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, a radical change takes place within us when the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence there. The Bible says:

  • Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19).
  • Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21–22).

Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are a new creation; they have a new identity. They are being led by the Holy Spirit and have been adopted into a new family, as sons and daughters of God the Father. Furthermore, the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, emanating from him, should show through our lives. Scripture says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). If you look at that list carefully, you will find that a person who exhibits these characteristics regularly may look out of place in America. Some may even call such a person peculiar. I don’t see these attributes being displayed very often in my homeland today. In fact, I would say they are rare.

Exhibiting Joy and Peace

It begs the question, “How can a Christians find true joy and peace in a world filled with sin, suffering, and death?” Because the believer knows who is in charge and life on earth is only a temporary stop on our eternal journey. James B. Walker in his book, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit writes, “In all things the Christian has faith in God. He believes God hears prayer. He sees the divine hand in all the providences that come to pass, small and great. He knows this is a state of probation, and that in a world of imperfection, where the good and the evil are mingled, the same external providence often befalls both classes. But he is sure nothing will befall him without some wise design, either to discipline him for some evil or to remove from him some temptation; and he relies with perfect assurance on the promise that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.”22

The word “Christian” is mentioned only a few times in Scripture; only three times in the New International Version® NIV® of the Bible. The believers were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26). Why then and there? Because of the words and deeds of the believers who were telling everyone the good news about the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:21). Notice one more thing about this name. The believers did not choose the name themselves. Others who saw and heard what they did called them Christians. They were known by others to be “of Christ”; “in Christ.”

Viewing Life Through Jesus’s Eyes

Sinful humans are self-centered, self-seeking, self-gratifying. Our nature is all about me, me, me. When Jesus came to earth he was self-less. He came, not for himself, but to seek and save the lost because that is what the Father wanted. When we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit took up residence within us; we started being transformed by the power of the Spirit into the likeness of Christ, little by little.

Imagine, just for a minute, that you are walking with the Christ on earth two thousand years ago. He has enabled you to see what he sees; hear what he hears; and understand everyone’s thoughts and the state of their hearts. He has also enabled you to feel his emotions. Those Jesus came to save are filled with sin, heartache, insecurity, and disease. Everywhere he looks he sees pain, despair, and death. Yet, most of them he meets will flatly reject him as the Savior. But because he loves these people, his heart breaks for them. Then he goes to die a cruel death on a cross for the few who will accept him. Can you feel his pain and theirs?

Today, the Holy Spirit wants to show Christians how to view the world through the eyes and ears of Jesus. We need to see the world through his eyes. We need to hear what people are truly saying when they speak through their heartache. Our hearts need to be broken when we see the sin, suffering, and death (physical and spiritual). Then we will be motivated by love to act to the extent it is within our ability to do so.

Faith, Words, and Deeds

So, what does it mean to be a Christian? At the beginning of this article we looked at a number of responses to this question, which included essentials such as:

  • Belief in God;
  • Being honest at all times;
  • Forgiving those who have wronged you;
  • Being grateful for what you have;
  • Praying regularly;
  • Reading the Bible;
  • Attending religious services;
  • Committing to spend time with family; and
  • Working to help the poor and needy.

But these things, in my opinion, are not what it means to be a Christian. These are all great things God’s Word would have Christian do. They are all examples of God’s love motivating the words and deeds of Christians for God’s glory.

A Christian Is . . .

A Christian is someone who:

  • Accepts and act on God’s plan of salvation as mentioned earlier.
  • Not only believes in God, but falls in love with him for what he did for them. Demons are not Christians. Yet Scripture tells us they believe in God – and shudder (James 2:19).
  • Not only believes in Jesus Christ, but falls in love with him for what he did for them.
  • Submits their life every day to following his example and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
  • Gives God the glory for every good result. Belief is a critical state of mind and heart; but Christianity requires belief, obedience to God’s Word, and action. The Bible says, “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).
  • Diligently pursues an intimate relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son; attempting to gain a greater knowledge of them through prayer, Bible study, and worship services to name a few.
  • Strengthens their faith through fellowship with like-minded believers.
  • Proclaims the good news of Jesus Christ to the world as they try to help everyone in need; physically or spiritually.

Do you know Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life and the Savior of your eternal soul? If not, won’t you consider making that choice today?

Notes

1 Aaron Earls, “Survey: What U.S. Christians Say It Means to be a Christian,” May 31, 2016, https://research.lifeway.com/2016/05/31/survey-what-u-s-christians-say-it-means-to-be-a-christian/

2 Janet Chismar, “What is a Christian?” September 20, 2010, https://billygraham.org/story/what-is-a-christian/

4 Pew Research Center, “Religious Landscape Study,” https://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/

5 Matthew Bowman, “What it means to be a Christian in America today,” June 19, 2018, https://theconversation.com/what-it-means-to-be-a-christian-in-america-today-97981

6 “What Does it Mean to Be a Christian?” https://www.compassion.com/about/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-christian.htm

7 Focus on the Family, “Definition of a Christian” https://www.focusonthefamily.com/family-qa/definition-of-a-christian/

8 Wilson T. Hogue, Ph. D., The Holy Spirit A Study, (Chicago: William B. Rose, Agent, 1916), Pdf. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/dcmsiabooks/ho/ly/sp/ir/it/st/ud/y0/0h/og/u/holyspiritstudy00hogu/holyspiritstudy00hogu.pdf. 7.

9 Hugh Price. Hughes, M.A., Essential Christianity, (New York, Chicago, Toronto: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1894), Pdf. (https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/dcmsiabooks/es/se/nt/ia/lc/hr/is/ti/00/hu/gh/essentialchristi00hugh/essentialchristi00hugh.pdf. 98.

10 Keith Plummer, “What Do Non-Christians Think of Christians and Christianity?” February 19, 2020, https://www.str.org/w/what-do-non-christians-think-of-christians-and-christianity-

13 Hugh Price. Hughes, M.A., Essential Christianity, (New York, Chicago, Toronto: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1894), Pdf. (https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/dcmsiabooks/es/se/nt/ia/lc/hr/is/ti/00/hu/gh/essentialchristi00hugh/essentialchristi00hugh.pdf. 82.

14 Ibid., 114.

16 Alexander Patterson, The Greater Life and Work of Christ as Revealed in Scripture, Man and Nature, (New York, NY: Christian Alliance Publishing Co) 1898, posted by Library of Congress at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=loc.ark:/13960/t7zk6h49w&view=1up&seq=5; last viewed December 4, 2021. 6.

17 Ibid., 223.

20 Rev. James B Walker, D.D., The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, or, Philosophy of the Divine Operation in the Redemption of Man (Cincinnati: Jennings and Pye; New York: Eaton and Mains, 1901), Pdf. https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/dcmsiabooks/do/ct/ri/ne/of/ho/ly/sp/00/wa/lk/doctrineofholysp00walk/doctrineofholysp00walk.pdf. 154.

22 Rev. James B Walker, D.D., The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, or, Philosophy of the Divine Operation in the Redemption of Man (Cincinnati: Jennings and Pye; New York: Eaton and Mains, 1901), https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/gdc/dcmsiabooks/do/ct/ri/ne/of/ho/ly/sp/00/wa/lk/doctrineofholysp00walk/doctrineofholysp00walk.pdf. 155.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™  Used by permission.  All rights reserved worldwide.