WHO REALLY IS A CHRISTIAN?
The question I ask myself is “Who is a Christian?”, “If you call yourself a Christian, why have you referred to yourself by that precious name?” Is it a person that goes to church on Sundays but constantly misses weekday services that’s referred to as a Christian? Is it a man who because his parents, grandparents, great-grandparents go by that precious name, then he also wakes up one day and calls himself a Christian? Is it a pastor who can move a crowd and people appreciate the anointing of God in His life but Heaven does not recognize Him, that’s called a Christian? etc. Those are some of the questions that’s always being silently asked in my heart but have you ever wondered “If I call myself a Christian, who then am I and who then is a Christian?” Hmmm, how powerful these two very important questions are to a believer who has heaven (eternal life) as aim. You alone have the answer to the first of those two questions, but I will admonish you read on as I briefly demystify the second question which says “who is a Christian?”
Acts 11:26
He found Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they met with the church for a whole year and taught many of its people. There in Antioch the Lord's followers were first called Christians. [CEV]
As believers in Christ Jesus, we are most times too forward or too quick to call ourselves a Christian anytime and anywhere. Let’s go into the Word of God together to check this as in Acts 1126, the name “Christian” was first called the Disciples of Christ Jesus at Antioch. Note this, the Disciples didn’t refer to themselves as Christians from the above verse. THEY WERE CALLED CHRISTIANS. The people at Antioch looked at them, and after checking through their lives and seeing the glory of God radiate glamorously, they concluded that this one’s must be little Christs’ (they are Christ like). Some will argue that the Disciples were called Christians here only on the platform of their teaching the Word, but I say that’s not all to it. If the Disciples spent a year in Antioch as the bible explained, then does that mean they only taught for the whole year; NO, there must be much more reasons to why they were called Christians than just their explicative teaching of the Word. For me, when I encountered this verse, I wondered why this one’s specifically -of all that were located in Antioch at that time- were called CHRISTIANs. Then I got an understanding that the people of Antioch-during the times of Jesus-must have seen Jesus Christ (His deeds, attitude and everything about Him), and on seeing the Disciples also, they found A MATCH, they saw a likeness; not a mirror image (which is always inverted and opposite to the original view), but they saw the Disciples as CHRIST (Christ was seen in them).
The singular thing that bothers me as I write is this, why is it we call ourselves believers, but people always have to ask us ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN? Shouldn’t we be ashamed, or are you not also bothered as you read this article? I call myself a Christian, but when I get somewhere, I need to still be asked “Which is your Religion?” In fact, it is a disgrace to the body of Christ altogether, and a disgrace on all those outside who only carry the tag of “Christian” around but are not in themselves at all a Christian. For God sake, the Disciples didn’t call themselves Christians, they were studied so much that to those in Antioch, they were Christs’. Let me reveal to you, the truth is that people must call you a Christian, a pastor, an evangelist, a teacher of the Word, a preacher etc, before we can be recognized by heaven to be truly one. Then, it is as simple as this; to carry the name-tag “Christian”, you must be called it. I know really well that it is impossible for us to inscribe on our foreheads that we are Christians so that when people see us, they can call us a Christian; but there is an inscription that does not need to be outward that can make you be declared. We shouldn’t declare ourselves to be a Christian, we are to be declared. Remember, Jesus said a word to His Disciples in Matthew 514, “Ye are the light of the world”. If you must be a Christian, then people around you don’t need to ask you before they know. Christians are light wherever they find themselves. They bring light to overcome darkness anywhere and everywhere. Their light is not the hidden type, in fact theirs is one that can never be hidden because they are “a city set on a hill”. And remember Jesus Christ in them is this Light and darkness cannot overcome/understand Him
The question that follows that needed to be answered is this; “if you are not called by people around you by the name Christian until you declare yourself, then what could be the reason”. Please before you read on, ask yourself that question. Don’t you think it is because your life does not match that of Christ Jesus and as a result you cannot be declared a Christian? Know this, the world around (the people of Antioch) deeply know that the life of Christ Jesus was one that was without SIN and therefore, until they see also a life as that one of Christ, they will not declare you a Christian. The issue is that the world knows you to be one that involves in fornication (relationships: boy-friendism and girl-friendism outside God’s own command). You are the type that steals but rather says “Even God knows I need this thing”, the type that lies (and yet, you say “I was just joking”), the type that has filled with another thing (e.g Money) his heart instead of God, the type that does not love His neighbor instead thinks bad about him/her and so on . The truth is that you only call yourself a Child of God, heaven does not recognize you as one; even those around you do not recognize you as one and so they cannot call you a Christian.
But I have a good news for you, 2 Timothy 2:19 says
“Nevertheless the foundation of the Lord standeth sure, the Lord knoweth them that are His. And let everyone that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.
Depart from your sins and move unto righteousness, live as one with heaven in aim and let those things (sin) that contrast The Almighty God’s command be far from your life. Colossians 32. These were the attributes that qualified the disciples to be called CHRIST-like. God loves you and he does not want to see you end your life wrongly, remember He created you, so he desires the best for you. Jeremiah 2911. Change your life now and move on to HOLINESS IN CHRIST. Then see if your light/life (Christ’s life in you) will not speak wherever you go even without you uttering a word.
This is my message altogether; you are never a Christian until you are recognized to be one and you are called that name by people around you who see your life to be in sameness with that of Christ Jesus (Christ-like), then can you boldly carry the nametag “CHRISTIAN” or “I AM A CHRISTIAN”.
BE A GOD CHASER! BE A GOD CHASER!! BE A GOD CHASER!!! BE A GOD CHASER!!!!
PEACE||SELAH
JESUS>religion
