The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. In Antioch, the disciples were called Christians for the very first time. The word “Christian” literally means, “Belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ". Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile. Being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church does not make you a Christian. The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us acceptable to God. Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”. So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by God (John 3:3; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23) and has put faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8 tells us that it is “…by
grace you have been saved, through
faith, and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God".
Christianity is a religion that believes in the worship of one God.
In the New Testament, believers never refer to themselves as “Christians”; rather, they use such terms as brethren (Acts 15:1; 1 Corinthians 16:20, NAS), disciples (Acts 11:26; 14:24, NKJV), and saints (Acts 9:13; 2 Corinthians 13:13, ESV). Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus sought out those “who belonged to the Way” (Acts 9:2), indicating that an early label for Christians could have been “people of the Way” Acts 19:9; 24:22.
A true Christian is a person who has put
faith and trust in the work of Jesus
Christ, including His death on the cross
as payment for sins and His
resurrection on the third day.
John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God". The mark of a true Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4, 10). A true Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ. Believers in Christ came to be called “Christians” during a time of rapid expansion in the church. Persecution had forced out many believers from Jerusalem, and they scattered to various areas, taking the gospel with them. The Christian definitions vary depending on the individual's perceptions. Some tend to think that a Christian is one who is born in a Christian family or nation; others think that it is one who believes in Jesus and his teachings. Others think that a Christian is one who has a deep and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible outlines various features and characteristics in regard to who a Christian is..
A Christian according to the Bible is
derived from the book of Ephesians.
1:13 which says, "You were included in
Christ when you heard the gospel of
salvation".
A Christian is someone who responds
to the calling of God In John 6:44, Jesus
says, "No one can come to me unless
God draws him".
A Christian is someone who believes in
the Holy Trinity Although Christianity
is the belief in one God; a Christian is
one who believes in the three parts of
one God known as the Holy Trinity.
These are God the father, God the son,
and God the Holy Spirit.
In the Bible, the book of 1st John 5:7 in the New Testament records that, There are three present in heaven, the father, the word and the Holy Ghost; and they are all one.
Christian Lifestyles and its characteristics The Church/group fellowship
In the fellowship of a local church, we stir one another up to love and good works. We encourage one another to wait for Jesus’ return, to repent and believe day by day (cf. Heb. 10:24–25). Every Christian needs to belong to the fellowship of a local church.
Prayer/fasting It is a very great privilege of the Christian life that “through (Jesus Christ) we both (Jew and Gentile) have access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). We pray to the Father; we can have this access because by his sin bearing death the Lord Jesus has opened the way; the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and enables us to use this privilege in prayer (Rom. 8:26). And so, “in everything” all the trials and joys of the Christian life – “by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” we may bring our requests to God (Phil. 4:6).
The Sacraments Jesus gave his church two visible sacraments, or signs of the gospel: baptism (Matt. 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion (e.g Matt. 26:26–28; 1 Cor. 11:23–26). Baptism is the sign of entry into the Christian life and the Lord’s Supper signifies a continuing participation in the benefits of Christ’s death for us. By these outward signs we are reassured of the trustworthiness of the gospel of Christ.
The Spirit Enabled Life Paul writes to the Philippian church: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:12). God first, “works in” us. In Romans 8:1–14 the apostle Paul sketches out for us, in broad strokes, the difference Christ makes in terms of practical living. Life without God, before salvation, was dominated by sin and “the flesh". We lived not with Godward aims but for ourselves. But in Christ a new controlling factor has taken over; we are no longer “in the flesh” but “in the Spirit”, “led by the Spirit” (v. 14) into righteousness. This is the “gift of the Spirit” mentioned above. With his enablement, we are now free to live unto God.
Faith and Obedience Faith in Scripture is more than a cognitive assent or agreement that certain things are true. Authentic faith is inseparable from obedience. Paul writes of “the obedience of faith” (Rom. 1:5; 16:26. James agrees with Paul and insists that a so-called “faith” that does not involve obedience to the law of God is not a true faith (James 2:14-26. The outworking of the life of faith will be shaped by the law of God, and especially the grand moral principles summarized in the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:1-17). The Christian life takes seriously the commandment to love God and love neighbor (e.g Matt. 22:37-39. This is at heart one commandment, not two distinct commandments: we love God with heart, mind, soul, and strength; and the outworking of genuine love for God will be a love for the neighbor whom God sets before us. This includes our close family and those who live in our locality, but also many others, in the workplace, in our nations, and in the world.
Godliness and Good Works the obedience of faith” is a life of practical godliness, of good works. The letter to Titus emphasizes this aspect of the Christian life. Titus himself is to be “a model of good works” while teaching that Jesus Christ our Savior “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:7, 14). This is not legalism, which is the attempt to gain a righteous standing before God through our good works; it is the out working of the redemption that is given us entirely by grace.
The Scriptures Psalm 1 declares a blessing on the one whose “delight is in the law of the Lord” and who “meditates” on that law “day and night” (Ps. 1:2). The “law” of the Lord means his instruction, that is, the Scriptures. Jesus supremely is the man whose delight was in these Scriptures, during his life on earth (cf. Luke 2:41-51). These Scriptures, the Old Testament as read in the light of the New, and the New as prepared for by the Old, make us “wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 3:15); that is, they lead us in the way that leads to our final rescue. The Christian life is nurtured by the Bible, both read privately and in the life of the home, and heard publicly, especially in the preaching of the Scriptures to the local church.
Self denial and Sacrifice Another way of speaking of the outworking of the Christian life is that it involves denial of self. “If anyone would come after me,” says the Lord Jesus immediately after speaking of his sufferings and crucifixion, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” When Jesus speaks of the denial of self, he goes on to promise that “whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). It is important to take seriously the Bible’s emphasis on the priority of the gospel of Christ. It is not enough for a Christian to read the Scriptures, to belong to a church, to pray, to live a life of godly piety, and to do good works. (Mark 8:34).“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Jesus speaks first of his own sacrifice; by his death he bears much fruit. But he speaks also to every man and woman who will follow him.
Giving/Paying tithe A beautiful outworking of the grace of God in the Christian is the grace of giving. This is entirely a willing and cheerful response to the grace God has given us in Jesus (2 Cor. 8–9). Provide financial support for the work of the church is an excellent thing that attract God’s blessing
The Great Commission In Matthew 28:19 Jesus said: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. The thing to note about the Great Commission is that Jesus never called it great. And the Bible never calls it great either. The phrase ‘Great Commission’ became popular during the 19th-Century missionary movements to Asia. Of course, it is important. It’s the final teaching of Jesus, and we see it in all four Gospels and in the New Testament Church. Many of us, including me, are Christians because someone else took this seriously and shared the Gospel with us. But it is also teaching that is sometimes emphasized at the cost of all others – especially in evangelical circles where it is often seen as the one thing we must do because, it’s the ‘Great Commission’ isn’t it.
The service of the gospel in Christian mission: The highest form of love for neighbor will involve doing all he or she can to bring them the message of the gospel. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” says the risen Jesus. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18–19). Not every Christian will be a particularly gifted evangelist, but each Christian ought to be committed to evangelism and the work of Christian mission, both in their locality and throughout the world.
The greatest commandment Since Jesus told us the most important commandment, then it must be important. In Matthew 22:36-39, Jesus is asked: “‘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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself' Here, Jesus declares that the most important commandments are to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. But note, Jesus was asked to name the most important commandment from Old Testament Law. That is different to simply asking: “what’s the most important instruction in our Bible today?” Practicing obedience also helps new believers grow and creates healthy behavior patterns. Before we knew Jesus, we did what we wanted to do according to our fleshly lusts and passions (1 Peter 1:14). We obeyed our flesh. Learning to crucify that flesh and live according to the Spirit is a crucial part of living as a Christian (Ephesians 5:16, 25). The Bible calls this “walking by the Spirit”. Growing believers continually surrender more and more areas of their lives to the obedience of Christ and let go of their right to control things.
Another important step in growing as a new believer is guarding what we allow into our minds and hearts. Praise and worship God publicly. Romans 12:1-2. Receive instruction and encouragement from their leaders. Make a public witness of their faith in Jesus by sharing the communion. Develop an accountable relationship, We need another Christian who we can trust and develop a close and honest relationship with. They need to know us and the pressures that we are under. We need to give them permission to ask searching questions about our behaviour and attitudes at work.
Towards Press on the goal We must pray and make priorities, remembering to ‘fix our eyes on Jesus’. God is faithful and can be trusted. One of my personal aims for my preregistration house officer year is to trust God more and it seems that I am being faced with a number of relevant life situations! To maintain eternal perspectives is the best way of approaching our medical careers as we press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called (us) heavenwards in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14)
A life closer to God Jesus said, ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well’ (Mt 6:33). It is not easy to live such a life because it means denying yourself and some of the things that you enjoy. But how many times have we made new resolutions against sin and for a closer walk with God? How do we get into such a relationship? I believe it involves an initial, and then daily, point of total surrender to him. Repentance has to be more than ‘saying sorry’. It involves dying to ourselves (Gal 2:20). Such a response to the call and command of God leads us into a life of ‘brokenness’, as we allow God to break our selfish will and lead us into a life of greater closeness to his will and purpose. This is true revival as his life is poured into ours. A life closer to God, Jesus said, 'seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well' (Mt 6:33). It is not easy to live such a life because it means denying yourself and some of the things that you enjoy. But how many times have we made new resolutions against sin and for a closer walk with God? How do we get into such a relationship? I believe it involves an initial, and then daily, point of total surrender to him. Repentance has to be more than 'saying sorry'. It involves dying to ourselves (Gal 2:20). Such a response to the call and command of God leads us into a life of 'brokenness', as we allow God to break our selfish will and lead us into a life of greater closeness to his will and purpose. This is true revival as his life is poured into ours. James 4:8-10 says, Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor
Controlling wrong thoughts and actions We must have the courage to be tough on wrong thoughts or actions in our own lives. First we must call sin sin (Ps 51:3,4). Second, we must confess our sin to God asking for his forgiveness (1 Jhn 1:9). Third, we must turn from it, that is stop doing it, asking for his help (1 Cor 15:34; Col 3:5-8) Fourth, we must walk in obedience to him (Jhn 14:14, 1 Jhn 5:3), according to his Spirit (Gal 5:16) and resist further temptation (Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:9). This is possible because God has promised that we will never be tempted beyond our power to resist (1 Cor 10:13) (although it may feel like it at times) and that he who successfully resisted all temptation lives in us to help us (Gal 2:20; Heb 2:18, 4:15). And if we love God, and truly seek to do his will, this is exactly what we will do. If we fall, then we just start all over again. But the best way of dealing with wrong thoughts and actions is by replacing them with thoughts and actions which please God (Phil 4:8,9; Col 3:12-17).
What is God’s view of sex? God loves sex. It is his design. The Bible is full of sex, of all kinds. But you’ll notice that it’s only sex within marriage which is promoted. God’s ideal is one man, one woman, for life (1 Tim 3:2,12; Tit 1:6). To God, any sex outside marriage is a disaster (Gen 34,38,39; 2 Sam 11,13). The Bible defines marriage as a lifelong, publicly recognized, monogamous, heterosexual relationship (Matt 19:4-6; Gen 2:24; Mk 10:6-9).
The Heart of the Christian Life. The Christian life is a matter of the heart before it concerns our words and deeds. From the heart flow the springs of all of life (Prov. 4:23). The corruption of the heart is at the root of all our problems (e.g Mark 7:6, 7, 14–23). The healing of the desires and affections of the heart is the most significant affair of the Christian life. What passes for the “Christian life” but bypasses the desires of the heart can never be more than rank hypocrisy.
The Means of the Christian Life. The Christian life begins, continues, and ends entirely by the free unmerited grace of God, yet God has chosen to use instruments through which to bring his grace into our lives. The old-fashioned expression for these is “the means of grace”.
The identifying mark of a disciple.
In John 13:34-35 Jesus said: “A new command I give you: Love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”, we love one another. And that love has to be real, practical and visible.
Understanding that you are a new creation!
2 Corinthians 5:17 declares: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Treating others with love.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Christianity teaches that Christians should be an influence for good on the world around them. For example, they should love and value each other and even want the best for people who hate and persecute them; they should be hospitable; they should live in peace with others; they should put the needs of others before their own; they should love what is good and hate what is bad. the Bible says that God made people to rule over the Earth - not to exploit it or damage it, but to bring it under control and help it to flourish. Many Christians have made it their life’s purpose to change the world around them for the better. But all of these public actions are based on the fact that each Christian in the church has a Christian lifestyle throughout the week. Otherwise it is simply public hypocrisy.
May the good Lord uphold you and equip with his word for the great task ahead in Jesus name
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