A clear definition of being a Christian?

[losthope]

Over the years I have heard several different explanations of what makes a Christian. Many people suggest that it happens when someone sincerely says the “sinners prayer” of repentance and commitment. Other possibilities that believers have told me include:

• A real Christian speaks in tongues as this is a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in them
  
  
• Believing that Jesus, the son of God, rose from the dead
  
  
• Trusting God
  
  
• Telling people about your faith
  
  
• Being baptised by immersion in water
  
  
• Being an active member of a church
  
  
• Having a personal relationship with God
  
  
• That only God knows who is truly saved
  
  
• That it is grace, and so is about what God does, not what the person does
  
  
• A combination of some of the above
  
  
• Something else
  
  
  What does make a person a Christian?
  
  
  Also, if you suggest that two or more things are needed, what is the position of the person who has done one thing but not the other?
  

 

[graceandpeace]

Over the years I have heard several different explanations of what makes a Christian. Many people suggest that it happens when someone sincerely says the “sinners prayer” of repentance and commitment. Other possibilities that believers have told me include:

• A real Christian speaks in tongues as this is a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in them
  
  
• Believing that Jesus, the son of God, rose from the dead
  
  
• Trusting God
  
  
• Telling people about your faith
  
  
• Being baptised by immersion in water
  
  
• Being an active member of a church
  
  
• Having a personal relationship with God
  
  
• That only God knows who is truly saved
  
  
• That it is grace, and so is about what God does, not what the person does
  
  
• A combination of some of the above
  
  
• Something else
  
  
  What does make a person a Christian?
  
  
  Also, if you suggest that two or more things are needed, what is the position of the person who has done one thing but not the other?

Traditionally, baptism is the visible means of joining the Christian faith. This is the basic position of the majority of the world's Christians.

Most Christians would agree, however, that living life as a Christian means following Jesus & his teachings. There is not always agreement about what that means on every point.

 

[ChetSinger]

What does make a person a Christian?

I was taught long ago that Paul describes in Romans 10:9-10 coming to the Lord and being saved:

...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

That is, we confess verbally and publicly that Jesus is our Lord, and we believe in our hearts that he has risen.

We then receive the Holy Spirit, and his presence is our assurance that we are saved (from Paul in Romans 8:9-11):

...You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Traditionally, baptism is the visible means of joining the Christian faith. This is the basic position of the majority of the world's Christians.

Most Christians would agree, however, that living life as a Christian means following Jesus & his teachings. There is not always agreement about what that means on every point.

This.

It can further get trickier, because for some "Christian" and "saved" are synonymous, and so when people talk about "being Christian" they mean "being saved" (and what "saved" means can mean different things depending on where one is coming from theologically).

But if you want what would be a pretty broad consensus, a Christian is a [visible] member of the Christian community; one who through baptism has become part of that community and participates in the community's life of worship. That isn't, however, necessarily the same thing as "being saved"--to which we might point to two things:

1) Christ's discussion about wheat and tares and
2) That we can't say who is and isn't saved, that's up to God, so being a Christian does not necessarily mean one is saved and not being a Christian does not necessarily mean one is not saved. God alone is judge of these matters. As Christians it's not our place to say who is and isn't saved, but for ourselves to put our hope and trust in Christ for our salvation.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[NJA]

I was taught long ago that Paul describes in Romans 10:9-10 coming to the Lord and being saved:
That is, we confess verbally and publicly that Jesus is our Lord, and we believe in our hearts that he has risen.
We then receive the Holy Spirit, and his presence is our assurance that we are saved (from Paul in Romans 8:9-11):

Yeah, I was taught this and it made no difference.
The reason is that this is near the end of the letter to the church at Rome, people that have already become Christians, Paul is not telling them how to receive salvation in Romans 10
Acts 19 details details what Paul actually said to unsaved people .. people who did't believe the right thing .. he baptised them when they did and then he prayed with them to receive the Holy Spirit so that they could become Christians (Romans 8:8-9, Titus 3:5-6).
So, he knew that they hadn't received the Spirit, and he knew precisely when they had ()the same way as the other apostles in Acts 2 - Jews and 10-Gentiles).

The assurance is the independant witness, the "abba father" cry (speaking in tongues) of the Spirit, not us presuming to call God father with our spirit (Romans 8:15-16).
We don't know God's perfect will for us, how to get his peace that passes (our) understanding ... but He does! ... that's what praying in tongues is for (Romans 8:26-27, 1 Cor. 14:2, 4).

 

[ViaCrucis]

The assurance is the independant witness, the "abba father" cry (speaking in tongues) of the Spirit, not us presuming to call God father with our spirit (Romans 8:15-16).
We don't know God's perfect will for us, how to get his peace that passes (our) understanding ... but He does! ... that's what praying in tongues is for (Romans 8:26-27, 1 Cor. 14:2, 4).

Neither of these references to Romans 8 say anything about glossolalia, trying to suggest they do is to commit eisegesis against the text.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[aiki]

What does make a person a Christian?


Also, if you suggest that two or more things are needed, what is the position of the person who has done one thing but not the other?

As has already been pointed out, the apostle Paul explains the how of becoming a Christian in his letter to the Romans. (10:9, 10)

What marks a genuine believer and disciple of Christ the Bible also makes quite clear:

Romans 6:22 (NKJV)
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (NKJV)
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

1 John 3:14 (NKJV)
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

Jeremiah 15:16 (NKJV)
16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.

Romans 8:16 (NKJV)
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God...

1 John 2:3-6 (NKJV)
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

John 16:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

And so on. Paul did not urge believers to examine themselves and determine if they were in faith (2Cor. 13:5) even though he knew it was impossible to know for sure. As the verse above show, there is a very clear biblical criteria by which to judge the reality of one's claim to salvation.

Selah.

 

[Hawkins]

A Christian is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ who is striving for living a life as Jesus Christ teaches.

 

[1watchman]

Christianity is more than "following Jesus", or believing about Him, or doing religious things, etc., but is essentially having a new birth relationship by the Holy Spirit through receiving Jesus Christ into one's heart. This will be in evidence to real saints as one can see that is their daily life, conversation, walk, witness to others always, value of worship, and reading the Word of God, etc.