There are many ideas, assumptions, explanations, and "beliefs" out there today about what a "Christian" truly is. Some say one is a "Christian" when one simply believes on Christ, or says a prayer, or when one just decides they want to be called a "Christian".
According to the Scriptures, to be a Christian means to be a follower of Christ, a disciple of Christ…. Christ-like. The world and modern Christianity of today have a very shallow, unBiblical view of a "Christian". To them, a Christian is simply someone who has "said the prayer" and are still living in a continual life of sin. This is not God's view of a Christian.
The world says a Christian does not have to live holy (but rather they say a Christian sins daily), but the Bible teaches us that Christians must crucify self, die to sin, and strive to be holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). The world says that a Christian can sin and still be a Christian, yet the Bible says "he that committeth sin is of the devil" (1 John 3:8)
So, according to the Scriptures, what is a Christian? We must definitely throw out the view of a Christian that the world has, and adopt the view that our Lord has of a Christian.
Beginning at square one… a Christian is:
- one who has been born again (John 3:3, John 3:7, 1 Peter 1:23)
- commanded to depart from iniquity [sin] (2 Timothy 2:19)
- to be holy, as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16)
- to be perfect (Matthew 5:48)
- to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12)
- to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2:11-12)
- to be a peculiar person (1 Peter 2:9)
- to take up his cross and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)
- to deny himself (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23)
- to die to sin (Romans 6:2, Romans 6:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:13, Romans 6:7… Romans 6!)
- to crucify the flesh and the old man (Galatians 5:24, Romans 6:6)
- to obey Him and His Word (Hebrew
s 5:9, 2 Thess 1:8, Matthew 7:21, and many, many others) - one who has repented of his sins (Matthew 4:17) and forsaken them (Isaiah 55:7)
- one who obtains righteousness by faith through Jesus Christ (Romans 4:5, Romans 4:9, Galatians 5:5, Philippians 3:9)
- not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2)
- to present himself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1)
- to abhor that which is evil (Romans 12:9)
- to think on things that are honest, pure, just, lovely, of good report, virtue, praise, and true (Philippians 4:8)
You can't just say a prayer, and then poof! All of a sudden you're a Christian. No, my friends. A Christian is a follower of Christ and one who obeys His Word, repents and forsakes his sin and strives to live holy and godly, soberly and righteously, in this present world, by the grace and power of God!
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Striving on the narrow way,
