Let’s Talk: What Is A Christian?
How do you define what it means to be a Christian?
Is it simple assent to a theological proposition?
Are there works that define what Christians do?
Are there moral and ethical tenets that define “following Jesus”?
How do you define what it means to be a Christian?
Is it simple assent to a theological proposition?
Are there works that define what Christians do?
Are there moral and ethical tenets that define “following Jesus”?
1 A follower of Jesus Christ
2 No — for example the folks in John Ch 8 who “believed” in Jesus but by the end of the chapter were ready to stone Him.
3. Yes For example the Good Samaritan I think we’re pretty safe to appropriate Christ’s command to “Go and do thou likewise” to ourselves.
4 Yes, such as the sermon on the mount.
Idahoan,
I concur.
How much does the Sermon on the Mount advise what our lives should look like?
In other news, Arthur Blessitt put out a video this week saying he’s now walking the streets of gold up in heaven, rather than trudging through muddy jungles or dusty deserts dragging a cross. He says he’s successfully finished the work of an evangelist which he began when he was saved at 7 years old. Oddly, he adds that he was doing it even before that, implying one can be an evangelist before one is saved. I’ll never be able to ask him to clarify this now, unless I should happen to meet him when the roll is called up yonder. This is the first time I ever heard him speak, although I’ve heard about him for over 50 years. Seemed like a great guy, and likely shared the gospel with more souls in one day than I have in my whole life. If God told me (he told Arthur a great many things) that he was calling me home tomorrow, I might put out a video apologizing for all the ways I’ve NOT been a good witness. Or I might cry and moan like Hezekiah did, hoping God would give me a few more years. Anyway — I suppose some who read or comment here might have crossed paths with Mr Blessitt and I would appreciate your impressions.
Idahoan,
Based on my information about his moral character I never was much for Blessit…I’m understating out of respect for the dead…
Michael — I suppose there are some parts we shouldn’t take too literally, though we should take them very seriously. Right now I’m doing a bit of spiritual wrestling with “blessed are the peacemakers”. A few weeks ago in a Bible study the pastor said he thinks I’m a peacemaker. He said this thinking about my job, where I have to mediate a lot between employees or solve all sorts of problems for customers. And I’m thinking he was correct, at least so far as my calling goes. 70 years old and maybe I finally know my “calling”! But fulfilling that in our little town, where there’s a great lack of peace in the church community— that’s quite beyond me aside from an inkling from Scripture as to God’s desire, and a crying out for some little mercy of the Spirit’s guidance.
I hold to the tenets of the Apostle’s Creed as non-negotiable parameters up-front and on the table.
The rest of the stuff?
I pick and choose as I see fit.
For example, I reject the doctrine of PSA (penal substitutionary atonement).
Religion (along with politics) is one of the most divisive topics there is.
I think Jesus said it best:
“The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.”
I like how Frederick Buechner puts it:
“Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). He didn’t say that any particular ethic, doctrine, or religion was the way, the truth, and the life. He said that he was. He didn’t say that it was by believing or doing anything in particular that you could “come to the Father.” He said that it was only by him—by living, participating in, being caught up by the way of life that he embodied, that was his way. “
and
“A Christian is one who is on the way, though not necessarily very far along it, and who has at least some dim and half-baked idea of whom to thank.”
JoelG,
That Buechner quote comes as close as I can to what I think reality is…
1. Someone who walks with Jesus and is seeking to pattern his or her life after Him and His teachings and is growing sometimes albeit slowly in love of God and love of neighbor.
2. No! the religious leaders were quite succinct in their theological propositions while simultaneously plotting to murder the Son of God.
3. Yes! Works born of love. “When I was hungry you fed me when I was thirsty you gave me drink.” Works of belief and trust. “This is the work of God, that you believe (trust) in the One whom He sent.
4. Absolutely! “And you shall love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and the second is like it, that you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” On these two commands hang all the law and prophets.” Jesus
Over 32 years ago I was sitting in a church service and candidly ready to pitch the whole Christianity thing and go back to my old life when the pastor said something like, “Christianity was a relationship with Jesus Christ…do you know Him?” I sat there that morning realizing that I didn’t know Him. I knew who He was which was quite a feat for a young man that grew up as I did, but I didn’t know Him. The pastor went on to say that you could get a good composite picture of who Jesus was, what He thought and taught etc. in the gospels. That day on the way home I prayed a very simple prayer, “Jesus, I don’t know you; I know who you are but I don’t know you. I will open your word tomorrow morning, will you please reveal yourself to me?” One chapter a day beginning in the Book of Matthew and somewhere before chapter 18 He did it…He revealed himself to me and I have been seeking to follow Him (imperfectly) for over 32 years.
“To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief, I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.” Oswald Chambers
Maybe a Christian is someone who keeps returning to Jesus in triumph and failure…they just keep coming back to Him.
Uncle Buck,
Well done!
Jean,
Wrong question…I know plenty of people who claim to believe and were baptized that show no fruit of repentance or the Spirit…
John’s gospel has a number of “whoever” statements which describe Christians. But they’re not all the same.
Many of them are “whoever believes…” but then some of them refer to action, or eating & drinking. So it’s kind of a package which is primarily faith, but includes actions as well.
The “whoever”s can be found in John 1:12; 3:3,5,6,16,18,21,33,36; 4:14; 5:24,29; 6:35,47,51,53,56,57,58; 8:12,31,51; 10:9,25,26,27;12:24,25,44-50; 13:10,20; 14:15,21,23; 15:5,10. There are some in 1 John as well.
It’s frustrating that there isn’t a single definition, but Jesus and John don’t seem to have any problem with a multi-faceted picture of who Christians are.
“Based on my information about his moral character”
Wow, there’s not much out there to be discovered about that. I did find a bizarre passage in the current version of his first book Turned On To Jesus, ch 6. Up until this passage, everything was about “I”. But between the pronoun and verb, he changes to the plural. We wouldn’t know why unless we were to read the original 1972 edition.
‘Then a wonderful thing happened on Christmas night while I were driving down San Francisco’s Market Street.
” I feel the Lord calling us to the desert, to Nevada.”’
Someone has been erased from history- possibly the mother of his 6 children….
There’s plenty to discover if you know the right people…and I did.
You’re on the right track…
I had always taught John and James as the magic recipe. I still think there is merit to that.
I’m late to the game here, but had a few thoughts.
I think there is a difference between just being “saved” and being a “Christian”.
Plenty of people will claim to believe in Jesus or to have “made a decision” for Him, but only God truly knows who all are His and are really saved. Even as I do not believe any form of universalism to be true, I concede that since I am not God and do not know and understand all, I cannot declare with certainty as to all who would be “saved” and “unsaved”, and the possibility exists that there will be far more “saved” than I would have ever thought. Or on the other end of possibility, would be those who I would have thought were saved, but actually are not one of God’s, as they were simply just good at displaying a good game but never really truly believed.
As for a “Christian”, I would think that is someone who claims to be believe in Jesus and also shows at least some modicum of following after Christ. Even if they may have a good many difficulties and doubts, they do not totally abandon trying to follow the ways of Christ and exhibit some manner of good fruit, i.e. fruits of the Spirit. Nor do they lead a nefariously corrupt or abusive life. The name “Christian”, of course incorporates “Christ”, so for one to be considered a Christian I would think they would both have to claim to have a faith in Christ at least at a basic level of understanding the Gospel and what Jesus did on the cross, and also exhibit some manner of trying to follow after Him.
There may be plenty who claim to be a Christian because they once “made a decision” or because it is a family heritage but never really show any desire to follow after Jesus or exhibit any real fruit. Others may claim to be following after Jesus and living a Christian life, but live a double and deceitful life filled with great evil, corruption, and abuse, exhibiting that their claimed faith has seemingly made no real difference in making them more like Christ. I would not consider any of these to be a “Christian”.
Reuben, KevinH,
You’re both tracking with me…