What is a Christian?
There is a variety of meanings attached to the word “Christian”. Some people see themselves as Christians and are seen by others as such when their names are on a membership list of some Christian denomination, irrespective of their knowledge of, or relationship with, the living Christ. Some people are perceived as Christians merely because they observe traditional Christian celebrations like Christmas or Good Friday. Some people think they are Christians when they have prayed a prayer in which they accepted Jesus Christ as their personal saviour, but without any notable change in their former sinful way of life. Some people think they are Christians when they regularly attend church, do not sin too much, live a decent life and do a lot of good deeds (like giving to the poor and the church), without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
According to the dictionary, a Christian is “a believer in the religion of Christ or one so classified”. This definition differs from the Biblical definition of a Christian. A person can, for instance, be classified as a Christian according to the abovementioned criteria, without being a real Christian according to the Biblical definition. A person can even confess to being a Christian without knowing what a real Christian is. We find the Biblical definition in Acts 11:26 where we read:
“And the disciples (of Jesus) were first called Christians in Antioch.”
This means that a Christian is a disciple of Jesus. A disciple is not only a pupil or learner, but also a follower of the teachings of a person, which in this case is Jesus Christ. A Biblical definition of ‘Christian’ is therefore, a disciple (follower) of Jesus and His teachings. If Jesus is the leader (the one followed), then He is also the one who determines what the requirements are for a true follower of Him. Jesus said about this:
“If anyone desires to come after Me (to be My disciple), let him deny himself (self and own interests are now less important than God and His interests), and take up his cross daily (be willing to die to self, as Jesus did when He took up His cross), and follow Me (be My disciple).” See also Matthew 16:24 and Mark 8:34.
A biblical definition of a Christian is therefore; someone who, because of the salvation in Christ, is completely dedicated to God, denies himself, follows Christ and is willing to die to himself every day (Luke 9:23). He is dead to the world and sin but lives for Christ (Romans 6:2-14), see verse 11: "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NKJ); who, as a child of God, is led by the Spirit of God according to Romans 8:14: "Those who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children." (GNB); and in whose heart the love of God has been poured out as seen in Romans 5:5: "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (NKJ).
In this process of salvation God gets all the honour, because it is His work. Even the ability to believe and to choose is a gift from God; see Ephesians 2:8, 9:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (NKJ).
God Himself enables us to dedicate ourselves completely to Him, as can be seen in John 15:5:
"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (NKJ)
A Christian is someone who lives in total dedication to God (holiness) and does not live in sin any longer.
1 John 3:6: “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”
Do his own good works then save a person? No good works can save a person. We are saved by faith alone, but it must be a living faith that leads to action. The apostle James wrote in 2:20:
“But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?”
Verse 26:
“For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
If your faith (salvation) does not lead to good works and a dedicated life, your faith cannot be real.
But how does one become a Christian?