What makes a Christian?

The two basic beliefs would be the physical resurrection of Christ and the deity of Christ. Denying either would place one outside Christian belief according to Scripture. Denying other doctrines such as the Virgin Birth shows a lack of faith. Beyond this, it's not so much crossing a bare minimum threshold of belief, but the faith a person confesses and the basis for it. And then lives out based on faith.

John 1:12-13 answers this question.

The Apostles’ Creed probably sums it up:

Apostles' Creed - Wikipedia

While the Apostles probably did not recite this verbatim, it expresses the preaching of the Apostles.

TuxAme said:

What does one need to believe in order to actually be a Christian? It's obvious that simply calling yourself something doesn't actually make you that something, so what are the things that people have to "get right" in order to be considered a Christian, with everything else being non-determinant of that?

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On the chance you want to know, that you know, your a Christian;

It is ones personal relationship with Christ that makes one grow in Christ. The more you grow in Christ, the more you “know” that you’ve been accepted in the Beloved. It is one’s relationship with Christ that is the important thing. Feed yours, and that relationship will do all for you that you need or want to have done in your innermost being.

Much love and prayers in Christ, Not me

TuxAme said:

What does one need to believe in order to actually be a Christian? It's obvious that simply calling yourself something doesn't actually make you that something, so what are the things that people have to "get right" in order to be considered a Christian, with everything else being non-determinant of that?

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This question can be answered from both a human and divine perspective.

From a human perspective, I think that the Nicene Creed pretty much summarizes the essentials of Christian faith in terms of confession. If any of the Nicene Creed is denied it becomes more difficult to recognize the person as a Christian. Yet one can confess the Nicene Creed and still evidence themselves to not be a Christian by their lifestyle. For this, the 10 commandments comes in handy. If anyone is living in unrepentant disobedience to any of the 10 commandments then it would become more difficult to recognize them as a Christian even if they confess the creed.

From a divine perspective, a Christian is whosoever God has elected from all eternity to become a Christian. This is not to say that an elect person is a Christian before their conversion. But they become a Christian upon conversion even if they cannot yet articulate the Nicene Creed.

TuxAme said in post #1:

What does one need to believe in order to actually be a Christian?

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If people have not become Christians yet, all they need to do in order to become Christians is to believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, and the human/divine Son of God (John 20:31, John 3:36; 1 John 2:23), and that He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins, and rose physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Luke 24:39,46-47, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:28).

After people become Christians, in order to help develop and keep up their relationship with God, they should pray to Him every day, such as with The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), praising and worshipping Him (Revelation 4:11), confessing their sins to Him (1 John 1:9), asking Him for what they need today (Luke 11:3), and thanking Him for everything which He has given them (Philippians 4:6). And throughout the day, they should immediately bring to Him in prayer anything which they become worried about at any time (Philippians 4:6-7).

They should also fellowship with other Christians every day (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25), at least in some fashion (Matthew 18:20), such as on this forum, being exhorted by them, and exhorting them in turn (Hebrews 3:13).

They also need to examine themselves in order to make sure that they are truly in the Christian faith (2 Corinthians 13:5, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 14:12). The way to do this is to read every word of the Bible (Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4), and see if they accept everything that it teaches as having came from God (John 8:47; 2 Timothy 3:16). For just as true Christian faith will initially come from reading (or hearing) what the Bible teaches (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:15), so people can know that they are remaining in the true Christian faith if they continue to believe that everything the Bible teaches came from God (John 8:31b; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 1 Timothy 4:1, Mark 8:35-38).

In order to have any real relationship with Jesus, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), most importantly people must believe the right things about Jesus (John 14:6-7): that He is God the Word made flesh (John 1:1,14), that He is the Christ (1 John 5:1; 1 John 2:22), and that He is the only begotten (only born) Son of God (John 3:16,36; 1 John 2:23), meaning that He is the only person ever born without any human father (Luke 1:34-35). And people must believe that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and so He could suffer and die on the Cross for our sins, and rise from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). He rose, and will remain forever, in an immortal flesh and bones human body (Luke 24:39; 2 John 1:7), as Christians' eternally-human high priest/mediator (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 2:16-17, Hebrews 7:24-26).

Once people come into faith in Jesus Christ, they must obey Him, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, by repenting from their sins, and getting water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:27). And they must partake of the divine flesh and blood of the bread and wine of Communion (John 6:53, Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30). And they should get hands laid on them to receive Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 8:17), and one or more of the Holy Spirit's wonderful Spiritual gifts (Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Then, washed from their sins by water baptism (Acts 22:16), and empowered by the Holy Spirit within them (Acts 1:8, Ephesians 3:16), they must each and every day for the rest of their lives deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:15), by continuing in the Christian faith to the end (Hebrews 3:6,12,14, Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12), by repenting from every sin which they commit (Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27, Luke 12:45-46), and by doing to the end the particular spiritual works which Jesus has given them as individuals to do (Mark 13:34, Romans 12:6-8, Titus 3:8).

But if they as Christians wrongly employ their free will to refuse to do these things, then they cannot expect to have any continued real relationship with Jesus Christ, and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit. For a continued real relationship with them requires that people not only continue to believe in them, but also continue to obey them (John 15:10, John 14:21,23). Faith without works is dead (James 2:20), and cannot ultimately save people from hell (James 2:14-26, Romans 2:6-8, Matthew 7:21, Hebrews 5:9).

Jesus walked on water and didn't claim any modern day religious title. So I think that all people are welcome to believe in God.

TuxAme said:

What would you say to those who don't believe that that's enough? Or, those that make "exceptions" to exclude others?

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I would think that it is not enough in the sense that faith is something that we must live out as others have said here. It is the faith we give to God through His Son, our Lord Jesus Who tells us to love God & neighbor through charity & prayer ( Matthew 6:1-14 ) & by commands in daily living ( Romans 13:8-10 etc.). Additionally, the Nicene Creed ( as others have also mentioned) completes & amplifies the Apostles’ Creed.

As far as “exceptions to exclude others” that would seem to be lying. We uphold a faith we believe to be true that is to be preached to hopefully include all. Many will not agree & we must discern (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 ), not judge ( Matthew 7:1-12 ), but we must hold to the truth ( 1 Timothy 4:10 ). This is a delicate process Christians are not united but many of us preach salvation, others are losing their foundation. Then we must observe that while we are all sinners, the Lord sees the righteous & non righteous in all people ( Romans 2 , Romans 13:8-10 etc. ).

TuxAme said:

What would you say to those who don't believe that that's enough? Or, those that make "exceptions" to exclude others?

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Say "We have a difference of opinion about this."

But I am keeping in mind that the question concerned the minimum for being classified as a Christian, not what makes anyone correct on all issues.

TuxAme said:

What does one need to believe in order to actually be a Christian? It's obvious that simply calling yourself something doesn't actually make you that something, so what are the things that people have to "get right" in order to be considered a Christian, with everything else being non-determinant of that?

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Christian originally meant disciple of Jesus. And Jesus said:

"If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

I think that is the Biblical answer. However, nowadays it seems Christian doesn’t mean anymore disciples of Jesus and in that case, it may be whatever people make up.

The Holy Spirit

TuxAme said:

What does one need to believe in order to actually be a Christian?

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BNR32FAN said:

The Holy Spirit

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???

Albion said:

???

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The question is what makes a Christian so my answer is the Holy Spirit makes a Christian.

betterorworse said in post #9:

Jesus walked on water and didn't claim any modern day religious title.

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Note that Jesus of Nazareth claimed two religious titles which are both ancient and modern-day. For He claimed both the titles of the Christ and the Son of God:

Matthew 16:13 ¶When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 26:63 . . . And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

While there are many sons of God, both angelic (Job 38:7) and human (John 1:12), Jesus Christ is the "only begotten" (only born) Son of God (John 3:16) in that He is the only human ever born without any human father (Luke 1:34-35).

Jesus Christ is also God Himself (John 1:1,14, John 10:30, John 20:28, Titus 2:13, Philippians 2:6, Matthew 1:23). And He is uncreated God, just as God the Father is uncreated God. For everything created was created by Jesus (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17). Because Jesus is uncreated, there was never a time when He was not. He has always existed. He is YHWH the Holy One, from everlasting (Habakkuk 1:12a, Acts 3:14, Micah 5:2c). He is YHWH the only Savior (Isaiah 43:11, Titus 2:13), YHWH the good shepherd (Psalms 23:1, John 10:11, Mark 10:18), YHWH who will set His feet on the Mount of Olives at His return (Zechariah 14:3-4, Acts 1:11-12), YHWH the first and last (Isaiah 44:6, Revelation 2:8), YHWH the great I AM (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58), the great God (Titus 2:13), the mighty God (Isaiah 9:6), one God with God the Father (John 10:30, John 20:28), equal in divinity with God the Father (Philippians 2:6).

Just as the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) is the three distinct, coexisting Persons (Mark 1:9-11) of God the Father (Galatians 1:3), God the Son (Hebrews 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (cf. Mark 13:11 and Matthew 10:19-20; Acts 5:3-4), so the Trinity is YHWH the Father, YHWH the Son, and YHWH the Holy Spirit. For YHWH is the only God (Isaiah 45:5-6). He has always been and forever will be the only God (Isaiah 43:10b).

betterorworse said in post #9:

So I think that all people are welcome to believe in God.

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Note that believing in God per se does not make someone a Christian. For everyone of any religion can believe in God per se.

That is, people of any religion can know that God exists simply by seeing everything else that exists (Romans 1:20, Psalms 19:1-4). For the universe could not have created itself from nothing by physics, because of the first law of thermodynamics. So something outside of physics had to have created the universe. The term spirit is used to refer to something which exists outside of physics. So what created the universe was a spirit (John 4:24, John 1:3). And this had to be an uncreated spirit, because nothing, not even a spirit, can create itself from nothing. For in order to create itself, it would have to already exist. So just by being able to see the universe, people have no excuse for denying the existence of an uncreated spirit, who is known as God (Romans 1:20, John 4:24, Psalms 19:1-4). And God must have eternal power (Romans 1:20), for the first law of thermodynamics requires that even the physical energy in the universe is eternal.

Because knowing that God exists is the only reasonable response to seeing the existence of the universe (Romans 1:20), when educated and intelligent people refuse to admit that God exists, this is only because they are intentionally choosing to be unreasonable (2 Thessalonians 3:2), choosing to be foolish, regarding God's existence, because of their human pride, their unthankfulness to God, and their desire to continue in sinful actions (Romans 1:21-22, Psalms 14:1). But there is no salvation in simply believing that God exists (James 2:19). Believing in Jesus Christ, the human/divine Son of God, and His suffering and dying on the Cross for our sins, and His rising physically from the dead on the third day, is the only way for people to have their sins forgiven, so that they will not have to go down into hell when they die (John 3:16,36, Romans 3:25; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

1213 said in post #12:

Christian originally meant disciple of Jesus.

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Great point. For:

Acts 11:26 . . . the disciples were called Christians . . .

Here the original Greek noun (G3101) translated as "disciple" means "learner", just as the apostle Paul uses the verb form (G3129) of the Greek word to refer to what those in the Church have "learned" (Romans 16:17, Philippians 4:9; 2 Timothy 3:14), and need to "learn" (Titus 3:14), and can "learn" (1 Corinthians 14:31; 1 Corinthians 4:6).

We as Christians must continue to learn from Jesus Christ's Word the Holy Bible, if we are to be His disciples (John 8:31b).

The best way for Christians to study the Bible, as a whole, is simply to read every word of it (Matthew 4:4), over and over again. It ends up explaining itself once what it teaches has become engrained in your memory, and you see the connections between verses regarding something in one place in the Bible and other verses regarding that same thing in other places in the Bible. It is by comparing and combining related verses in different places in the Bible that we arrive at correct doctrine (Isaiah 28:9-10; 1 Corinthians 2:13).

It is also a good practice to always start and end each Bible-reading session with a prayer for understanding and remembrance of the whole Bible.

One great way to read the whole Bible, over and over, is to think of it as seven volumes:

1. Genesis to Deuteronomy
2. Joshua to Esther
3. Job to Song of Solomon
4. Isaiah to Malachi
5. Matthew to Acts
6. Romans to Philemon
7. Hebrews to Revelation

You can read a chapter in each volume every day. This will keep you current in every part of the Bible. After a while, there will not be any part that you have not read recently enough to remember what it teaches. When you reach the end of a volume, simply start again at the first chapter of that volume. In this way, you will be cycling through smaller volumes like #6 and #7 much more often than larger volumes like #2, but the smaller volumes are so much more dense with doctrine that it is profitable to read them over and over more often.

Also, you can listen to recordings of people reading the Bible out loud whenever you need to keep your eyes on something else while you listen (such as keeping your eyes on the road while you are driving, or on a cutting board while you are preparing food, or on your clippers while you are trimming a hedge). In this way, you can listen to the Bible throughout the day, whenever you don't need to be thinking about something else (such as at your workplace or school). Also, you can listen to the Bible even while you are going to sleep, so that it will become part of even your subconscious mind.

TuxAme said in post #16:

If Jesus said to do X, am I still a Christian if I do Y instead? Exactly how much does willingness to follow Christ matter versus doing as He instructed?

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That brought to mind what Jesus Christ said:

Luke 6:46 . . . why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Matthew 7:21 ¶Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

This shows that both faith and obedience to God are required for Christians to enter ultimate salvation (Romans 2:6-8, Hebrews 5:9, James 2:24). But, because of free will, there is no assurance that Christians will choose to obey (Matthew 25:26,30, Luke 12:45-46).

Matthew 7:23a could be hyperbole, like Matthew 23:24b is hyperbole. For Matthew 7:22 could refer to Christians, believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, John 20:31), who had repented from their sins (1 John 3:6) and performed many wonderful works for Jesus to the end (John 15:4-5). But at some point subsequent to their initial repentance, they had fallen back into some unrepentant sin (Matthew 7:23b; 2 Peter 2:20-22), so that they had to be rejected by Jesus in the end despite their continued faith and good works (1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Hebrews 10:26-29).

Regarding the ability to cast out demons (Matthew 7:22), that is one of the signs that people are Christians, believers in the Gospel (Mark 16:17). People must be careful not to fall into the unforgivable presumption of Mark 3:22-30.

TuxAme said:

But what does it mean to be a disciple? If Jesus said to do X, am I still a Christian if I do Y instead? Exactly how much does willingness to follow Christ matter versus doing as He instructed?

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I have understood that remaining in Jesus words means, you keep his teachings and don’t reject them, or twist them.

"If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

To answer your question about “x” and “y”, I think you should be more specific, before I can answer well. Generally speaking I think it is not necessary wrong to do “y”, if it is not against what Jesus said. And even in that case, if you remain in words of Jesus and admit the truth, it is not necessary too bad.

Remaining in words of Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean you do all exactly as Jesus told, it means you don’t reject the words, even if you have done something against them.