I was talking to one of my friends, about christianity. The question of course came up, "Are you a Christian?" My friend replied, no i am not, but I am spiritual, and I do believe in God. For a second, i was caught off guard, and didn't know what to say. I tried not to be too closed minded and shut that entire theory/idea down. So I just didn't say anything.
My main question is, what is your definition of a Christian?
Also, can you be a Christian, without referring to yourself as a Christian?
About Me
- kballerkari
- I'm a thinker, and a people person. I'm a mass communications major a JSU. I LOVE GOD, and like people.
The concept is really simple... Break the word down.. "Christ-ian" "Christ" meaning Christ, Jesus, Lord, Son of God, and the suffix "-ian" is simply "like." We're talking about a belief with a bunch of people whose whole objective is to try to be "Christ-like." The only way you can be Christian is if you believe in Christ, His teachings, what He did, and you follow Him. Christianity isn't about perfection, because born into sin and its aapart of us. But that fight against it, that urge to do right, and to seek God's word is what saves us. He gave us Christ to set an example and to be our Saviour.
ReplyDeleteLol don't get me wrong, I'm still growing in Christ. There are lots of things I don't know, but I do understand that some people believe in God but don't believe in Christ. There seems to be a higher power in every religion and people have come to except that since enough people believe in some kind of higher power there must be God, but not so much Christ. They still need more proof. It really takes more studying and research on their behalf, and then again some people arent ready and they think religion is some big horrible committment. Lol, My advice is if they believe in God, ask Him to show the truth. He'll show it to you. I dont have to question anything, it all checks out for me
;-)...
That's exactly what i was thinking! a christian means, to be Christ like... my biggest thing is, do we as Christians get caught up on the word "Christian"... the Bible never really uses the word Christian... also, do you believe that by trying to live as Christ did, makes you a Christian, because some simply look at Jesus as a prophet. A good man, that set a high standard... part of me thinks that there is more to being a Christian than just this...
ReplyDeleteWhich i think is where faith comes in to play, believing in the works and purpose of Jesus Christ. like you said some people believe in a god, and don't see Jesus for who he actually is.
"no man cometh unto the Father but by Me"
so many thoughts lol
Since Christianity is completely wrapped up in the great announcement that what God requires of us and what He promised and spoke through the prophets long ago has been fulfilled by Him through Jesus . . . It only makes sense to say that a Christian is a person who has their trust and hope set completely on that great announcement about who Jesus is and what Jesus has done in the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures for the eternal salvation of all who believe in Him alone.
ReplyDeleteBeing a Christian isn't MERELY trying to be Christlike. That misses the whole point of God's great and precious promises in Scripture and all of Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah/the Christ who would come to save His people from their sins by being obedient to God's will to the point of death on a cross, be buried, be resurrected from the dead, and ascend into heaven at the right hand of God to appear in His presence on our behalf and to rule and reign the universe until all of His enemies be made His footstool.
Being a Christian MUST have its substance, not just its foundation or base, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that declares that through the death and the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, everyone who believes in Him receives the forgiveness of their sins and the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, which is the guarantee that they will live forever with Christ in His glorious kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth after they die or upon Christ's appearing.
Christianity isn't morality. It's not going to church. It's not reading the Bible. It's not TRYING to do what God requires. It's not speaking in tongues. It's not listening to Gospel music. It's not being nice to people. It's not staying positive and being a better person or trying to live a better life.
Christianity is all about having trust and hope in the Gospel of God concerning His Son Jesus who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and will come again to judge the living and the dead. Some will be eternally punished and some will live forever in the glory of God and of His Christ.
Probably a bit repetitive, but I hope I answered the question pretty ok...
... @ Amber, you said that
ReplyDelete"Christianity isn't about perfection, because born into sin and its aapart of us. But that fight against it, that urge to do right, and to seek God's word is what saves us. He gave us Christ to set an example and to be our Saviour."
I can agree with some things in this statement, like Christianity isn't about perfection and that Christ was sent by God to be our Savior and as an example for those who have faith and hope in Him.
BUT the part about "that fight against it, that urge to do right, and to seek God's word is what saves us," is a bit confusing.
It's confusing because when you say that those things save us AND that Christ Jesus was sent to be our Savior, it makes it very very hard to tell which is the Savior.
Is Jesus the Savior OR is our fight against sin, our urge to do right and seek God's word what saves us?
This is a BIG point, no?
i would dare to say that our "fight against sin" is evidence of the saviour Jesus, that lives within Christians, i feel like our fight against sin is also some visible proof of our salvation, and is what separates us from those that are unchristian... which is wat i got from what Amber said.
ReplyDeletecorrect me if i am wrong amber.
...@ Kari, I can get down with that if you are referring to Romans 8:12-14,
ReplyDelete"So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
I'm sure there's other Scriptures that teach the same truth too...
If that's what is meant by
"that fight against it, that urge to do right, and to seek God's word is what saves us"
then, yes, I can agree with that.
Like the passage in Romans 8 teaches, putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit gives assurance and evidence of conversion.
We should never get that confused with being the cause or basis of our salvation though... That would be damnable to believe.
I agree with alot of what is being said, but I think that this raises an interesting question, " Is being a Christian and being saved one in the same?" Since the word christian means to be christ like. I believe that there are saved people who are not "christian" meaning they are not living a christ-like life
ReplyDelete@ mississippifs25
ReplyDeleteYes, being a "Christian" and "being saved" are one in the same thing. The word "Christian" does mean to be Christ-like. But there's so much more meaning than just that. I mean, according to the New Testament and all that is found there describing those who are true disciples of the Lord Jesus who is the Christ, being a Christian has mainly to do with faith and what the object of that faith is. What is faith? Faith is trusting and depending on someone or something. In the Bible faith is the instrument that is used to obtain righteousness from God so that we may be forgiven of our sins and declared to be perfectly righteous and holy in His sight on the Day of Judgment. However, faith cannot be in any ole thing. Faith that obtains righteousness from God is only the faith that is trusting and depending and relying upon Jesus and His work (all of His obedience to God and all of His sacrificial death on the Cross to suffer the punishment we deserve for all of our sins) for our eternal salvation (rescue and escape from God's righteous judgment and wrath on Judgment Day) and to lead us and guide us in all of our lives here on earth.
Now, it is true that people who believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah of God do many times sin. Being born again and having faith in Jesus doesn't change the reality that we are lots of times more outwardly immoral than some people who don't know God and who are not believers in Jesus as the Messiah. If someone you know is constantly and habitually and gladly living a life of immorality that is proven to be sinful and rebellious against the Lord who made us and gives us breath then I would raise a few questions about that person's relationship to God as well as you probably would and probably do. (is the relationship a peaceful and friendly and loving and respectful one? OR is the relationship one of hostility and hatred and rebellion and rejection?)
Christians can and do and will sin on earth. But true Christians cannot and do not and will not STAY in a life in love with sin and rebellion against the Lord who requires obedience of all people to His commands.
see 1 John 3:9-10 (the whole book is helpful to read as well)
Grace and Peace :-)
I personally have never understood this philosophy myself, and I consider myself to be a very spiritual person yet not truly a Christian.
ReplyDelete