Am I a Christian if...

[hedrick]

I recommend using words in the way most people understand them. The usual definition of Christian is that it includes belief in God, and belief that Jesus in some way embodied God.

But that doesn't mean the level of commitment to Jesus you have is worthless. It's at least a good start, and many of us think that God will credit us with more than we deserve. Maybe even this much more. And I think you have enough in common with Christians for us to recognize you as having at least some relation to us. But you'll find the nature of the reception will vary among Christians.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

I recommend using words in the way most people understand them. The usual definition of Christian is that it includes belief in God, and belief that Jesus in some way embodied God.

But that doesn't mean the level of commitment to Jesus you have is worthless. It's at least a good start, and many of us think that God will credit us with more than we deserve. Maybe even this much more. And I think you have enough in common with Christians for us to recognize you as having at least some relation to us. But you'll find the nature of the reception will vary among Christians.

Disagree ; It matters not what the usual definition of Christian is based on the consensus ; it is what God thru the BIble considers a real Christian and nothing short of that nor something close to that . Im afraid the term 'christian' is so watered down these days to include just about anything including noble behavior , giving to United Way, attending church all of ones life, admitting Christ was a good teacher, or believing in CHrist without submission of Ones Mind, Heart, Will, and Intellect . To be a real Christian, it requires adherence to what the BIble SAYS is required...and the clearest example of that can be found in the passage Romans 10:8-14 and includes complete sincere belief and acceptance (owning it) of Christs death, burial, and rising from the Dead for total payment of Ones many accumulated sins , by faith alone, which culminates in willfully making CHrist Ones personal Lord, Saviour, and King for the rest of thier earthly life resulting in a true change of heart called the Born Again experience ---- living and serving God and Others as evidenced by a true change having taken place.

It also means that you trust Jesus in what he claimed about himself.

There is no grey area...its black and white and the Bible says that many will think they are Christians...yet will be utterly dismayed to learn they never were. Thats a pretty strong warning for Us to be sure and get it right while we can.

 

[Puptart]

...if I believe in Christ and follow him, but if I do not believe in God?

There are three or four pages of responses here, and I don't care about a single one of them, so I'm sure this has been brought up already.. but there's really no getting around Matthew 22.

I'm probably one of the most liberal/progressive Christians you'll ever meet, and even I don't think you can believe in Jesus but not God while still calling yourself a Christian.

Purely my opinion, though.


Matthew 22: 34-38

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Christianity, as it has historically been confessed and done, has confessed a basic Rule or Symbol of Faith. The wording itself was somewhat fluid in the earliest eras of Christianity, as can be seen in the writings of Church Fathers such as Irenaeus and Hippolytus; but it has maintained a particular rubric. The most authoritative form of this Symbol or Creed (from the Latin credo, meaning "I believe") is the Niceno-Constantinoplian Creed (the Nicene Creed).

This Symbol or Creed has been understood as the most straightforward, plain summary of what constitutes the essence of Christianity. It's not everything, obviously, but it does lay at the heart of Christianity and is how the Christian community has come together to confess what it means to say, "I follow Jesus of Nazareth".

Or, perhaps an alternate, though far simpler argument: Christ is the title bestowed upon Jesus of Nazareth because we confess Him to be the promised Christ--Messiah--of God, promised by God as king and redeemer in the words of the ancient Prophets.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ebia]

Disagree ; It matters not what the usual definition of Christian is based on the consensus ; it is what God thru the BIble considers a real Christian and nothing short of that nor something close to that . Im afraid the term 'christian' is so watered down these days to include just about anything including noble behavior , giving to United Way, attending church all of ones life, admitting Christ was a good teacher, or believing in CHrist without submission of Ones Mind, Heart, Will, and Intellect . To be a real Christian, it requires adherence to what the BIble SAYS is required...and the clearest example of that can be found in the passage Romans 10:8-14 and includes complete sincere belief and acceptance (owning it) of Christs death, burial, and rising from the Dead for total payment of Ones many accumulated sins , by faith alone, which culminates in willfully making CHrist Ones personal Lord, Saviour, and King for the rest of thier earthly life resulting in a true change of heart called the Born Again experience ---- living and serving God and Others as evidenced by a true change having taken place.

It also means that you trust Jesus in what he claimed about himself.

There is no grey area...its black and white and the Bible says that many will think they are Christians...yet will be utterly dismayed to learn they never were. Thats a pretty strong warning for Us to be sure and get it right while we can.

The bible only uses the word Christian twice, and one of those it's to tell us that the word was coined by outsiders to describe this new group who keep on about the one they call "the oily one".

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

The bible only uses the word Christian twice, and one of those it's to tell us that the word was coined by outsiders to describe this new group who keep on about the one they call "the oily one".

It may be true that the 'word' Christian was used twice, however, the entire New Testament is centered around The Gospel Message which was preached to the masses and is what people must believe in in order to become a Christ Follower (Christian) and to be gauranteed of heaven after physical death . The terms Christian and Christ Follower , are semantics meaning the same thing and represent a TOTAL commitment to the person of Christ including who he said he was, his teachings , his sufficent sacrifice on our behalf, and his promises for a safe afterlife in his presence forever with joys unspeakable and never experienced thus far in life.

 

[ebia]

It may be true that the 'word' Christian was used twice, however, the entire New Testament is centered around The Gospel Message which was preached to the masses and is what people must believe in in order to become a Christ Follower (Christian) and to be gauranteed of heaven after physical death . The terms Christian and Christ Follower , are semantics meaning the same thing and represent a TOTAL commitment to the person of Christ including who he said he was, his teachings , his sufficent sacrifice on our behalf, and his promises for a safe afterlife in his presence forever with joys unspeakable and never experienced thus far in life.

I don't think I can be bothered to untangle all the problems in that.

 

[ephraimanesti]

...if I believe in Christ and follow him, but if I do not believe in God?
People here will probably say Jefferson was a Christian, but unlike Thomas Jefferson, I don't believe that God exists. So, what am I?

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Actually, i don't think anyone here would consider Jefferson a Christian--what with his butchered Bible and all. What are you? The best summation i can give is impotent. Like Jefferson, you believe to the point of worshipping all the wonderful things Jesus taught. However, if you don't couple that belief in wonderous teachings with a belief in Jesus' divinity and His consequent ability to petition His Father to bestow upon all believers the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, you, like Jefferson and all the others who want the "good stuff" but don't want to pay the price--surrender of self--can have no power to bring the fruit of Jesus' teachings into active presence in your life for the benefit of yourself and those around you.

This, as you will find, (as i did), is a very frustrating place to be stuck! Hopefully, your frustration regarding seeing what you cannot attain will drive you to surrendering to the reality of who Jesus is and what He demands of you.

BLESSINGS TO YA!

ABBA'S FOOL,
ephraim

 

[Publius]

MY DEAR FRIEND,

Actually, i don't think anyone here would consider Jefferson a Christian--what with his butchered Bible and all.

Actually, Jefferson never "butchered the Bible". That's an urban legend.

There are two books written by Jefferson that are commonly and erroneously called "The Jefferson Bible", never of which was ever called nor intended to be a "Bible".

The first was an abridgement of the New Testament for the purpose of evangelizing the Indians. Many people mistakenly believe that this verses omits any mention of Jesus deity and miracles, but neither are true. Christ's claims about His deity are included, as are His miracles, such as the raising of Jarius' daughter, His resurrection, and His Second Coming.

The second was a collection of the moral teachings of Jesus and was never intended to be published or released to the public. It was to be a gift for a nephew entering college to help with his philosophy studies. It wasn't until 1904 that this book was even made public and, at that time, every freshman entering Congress received a copy.

Jefferson was not anti-Christian and certainly not anti-Bible. He was co-founder and first president of the Virgina Bible Society.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

I don't think I can be bothered to untangle all the problems in that.

Theres nothing to untangle when its the truth .... only misconceptions need untangling .

 

[GrayAngel]

Theres nothing to untangle when its the truth .... only misconceptions need untangling .

There's nothing true about it. You're arguing semantics, which is a useless effort. If we all got together and decided to switch the definitions between blue and orange, would we wrong?

You're arguing not what the Bible says about how to define the word "Christian," but what makes a proper Christian. We all know what the Bible says Christians should be. However, there are a ton of people who call themselves Christian who do not have Biblical standards for themselves. By the dictionary definition of Christian, they are Christian. This doesn't mean that they are saved, or that we should consider them the best representatives of what Christianity looks like.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

There's nothing true about it. You're arguing semantics, which is a useless effort. If we all got together and decided to switch the definitions between blue and orange, would we wrong?

You're arguing not what the Bible says about how to define the word "Christian," but what makes a proper Christian. We all know what the Bible says Christians should be. However, there are a ton of people who call themselves Christian who do not have Biblical standards for themselves. By the dictionary definition of Christian, they are Christian. This doesn't mean that they are saved, or that we should consider them the best representatives of what Christianity looks like.

1. The consensus of personal opinions does not determine truth . Truth about a persons true identity (or lack thereof) as a real Follower of Christ (bonified Christian) is determined by the objective written standard of The Bible. And its THE BIBLE by which all men are judged by GOd in the final analysis which determines one eternal residence.

2. A Person isnt a CHristian unless they ARE saved ; it is very black and white. The BIble clearly says that if you are not of Christ, you are of Satan and no inbetween . Many today have 'a said faith' ...that is...labelling themselves as a christian yet theyve not truly become one --- they may use the same christian-eze language , do some things which real CHristians do like attend church and give of their money, or volunteer to cut the grass at the Church Building, etc.....yet they havent done THE ONLY thing which assures them of making it to heaven. The Bible says its a very NARROW GATE to heaven which few find ... mostly because they tried to get there in their own strength or they never recieved The Gospel Message then applied it to themselves. Its very easy to mess up in this vital area , but The BIble is very clear on what it takes for a person to be a proper devouted Christ Follower which comes along with knowing your name is written down in Heaven.

What are you placing your trust in to get to heaven (?) THAT is the pivotal question which all must answer. The correct answer is found explicitly in Romans 10:8-14 with how you can know for sure in Ephesians 2:8-10 . Heres how to get there >>>> Romans 10:8-14 NASB - But what does it say? “THE WORD IS - Bible Gateway and http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2:8-10&version=NIV

Have YOU personally done what these passages tell you to do to get to heaven ? I trust you have. Regards

 

[GrayAngel]

1. The consensus of personal opinions does not determine truth . Truth about a persons true identity (or lack thereof) as a real Follower of Christ (bonified Christian) is determined by the objective written standard of The Bible. And its THE BIBLE by which all men are judged by GOd in the final analysis which determines one eternal residence.

2. A Person isnt a CHristian unless they ARE saved ; it is very black and white. The BIble clearly says that if you are not of Christ, you are of Satan and no inbetween . Many today have 'a said faith' ...that is...labelling themselves as a christian yet theyve not truly become one --- they may use the same christian-eze language , do some things which real CHristians do like attend church and give of their money, or volunteer to cut the grass at the Church Building, etc.....yet they havent done THE ONLY thing which assures them of making it to heaven. The Bible says its a very NARROW GATE to heaven which few find ... mostly because they tried to get there in their own strength or they never recieved The Gospel Message then applied it to themselves. Its very easy to mess up in this vital area , but The BIble is very clear on what it takes for a person to be a proper devouted Christ Follower which comes along with knowing your name is written down in Heaven.

What are you placing your trust in to get to heaven (?) THAT is the pivotal question which all must answer. The correct answer is found explicitly in Romans 10:8-14 with how you can know for sure in Ephesians 2:8-10 . Heres how to get there >>>> Romans 10:8-14 NASB - But what does it say? “THE WORD IS - Bible Gateway and Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV - For it is by grace you have been saved, - Bible Gateway

Have YOU personally done what these passages tell you to do to get to heaven ? I trust you have. Regards

You're not listening. The Bible does not provide a definition for the word "Christian." Even you admitted to this. What the Bible does describe is what a Christian should be like.

You understand that a word is just a collection of letters, don't you? Is there anything special about the combination of the letters C-A-T that necessitates that it refers to felines? Of course not. A word has meaning because we decide and agree on a definition. You can show that a person's definition is inconsistent, but you can't tell people that their definition is wrong.

This is often what happens in philosophical debates. Two people argue their heads off, but they agree on more than they realize. They just have two totally different definitions for the same words.

 

[Tnmusicman]

Bless yer heart. Christ lived and died for one purpose. THat purpose is to re-unite fallen man to a holy God, dear heart. Jesus the Christ is the only begotten Son of the living God. He's is this God's Son, and He was senjt here, to die for you and for me, because God loves us more than can be expressed.

May your explorations bear much fruit and may His truth set you free, my friend.

I pray that this man has more experiances like this.

 

[TheyCallMeDave]

You're not listening. The Bible does not provide a definition for the word "Christian." Even you admitted to this. What the Bible does describe is what a Christian should be like.

You understand that a word is just a collection of letters, don't you? Is there anything special about the combination of the letters C-A-T that necessitates that it refers to felines? Of course not. A word has meaning because we decide and agree on a definition. You can show that a person's definition is inconsistent, but you can't tell people that their definition is wrong.

This is often what happens in philosophical debates. Two people argue their heads off, but they agree on more than they realize. They just have two totally different definitions for the same words.

1. The Bible DOES give a clear requirement for what One needs to do to become a CHRIST FOLLOWER and make it to Heaven ; it also tells what a CHRIST FOLLOWER should be doing after he/she is saved. When the term 'Christian' is used in modern times, it is the SAME as a devouted Christ Follower .

2. No, the Bible is not 'just a collection of letters' ; the N.T. is a collection of eye witness accounts of Christs life, death, burial, and ressurection (as well as written by contemporaries of these events) , and also include instructions on how the Body of Christ Followers need to live, how to behave, in addition to revealing persnal and vital details about the person of CHrist and God..in addition to explaining how one can get to heaven and be assured of that addressed to mainly UNbelievers . How come you dont wish to delve into the credibility for these N.T. books ,in particular, to discover their accuracy and how historical evidences both christian and secular , show a continuity of credibility by the same historicity tests that ALL ancient literary works are subjected to ?

3. Its not 'a philosophical debate' ; its a debate on the historical Jesus Christ and the semantics between the terms CHRIST FOLLOWER and CHRISTIAN . The term 'CHristian' was even used by Historians from that time period ...did you know that ? I dont know why yuou are making the mountain that you are on this issue....just become a Christian so you dont have to atone for your own many accumulated sins down the road -- youll never regret the decision.