What Is A Christian?

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According to you, or your Church, what is a Christian?

How do you determine a Christian from a non-Christian?
 
If you confess with your mouth that “JESUS IS LORD” and believe in your heart"THAT HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD" for your sins you are a CHRISTIAN. of course if you believe that Jesus is lord then you will strive to be like him and follow his teachings. In Christ.
 
All men are sinners (Romans 3:10; 23). There is a penalty for sin—death (Romans 6:23). Not only physical death, but also spiritual death in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8; 20:11-15). To commit even one sin makes us guilty of all in God’s eyes (James 2:10). Our self-righteousness is filth to God (Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5). There is nothing we can do to save ourselves (Ephesians 2:8,9).
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But God expressed his love toward us, knowing how sinful we would be, by sending His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). This is the good news. We don't have to go to Hell when we die, we can go to Heaven to be with the Lord because He has paid for our sins with His own blood (Acts 20:27).

Thus, we need Jesus' righteousness (Matthew 6:33; 1st Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:3,4). Jesus paid for our sins, by sacrificing His precious literal, physical blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12). Our sins can only be washed away by Jesus' blood (1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
A Christian is someone who has acknowledged his GUILT of sin (Romans 3:19) and believed on Jesus as the Christ (Acts 10:43)… “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” A Christian is someone who has been born again and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31 and John 3). Water baptism has no role in one’s salvation.
 
Very simply:
Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
 
This was an issue that the early church dealt with at great length. In fact, a crisis ensued with the rise of groups like the Gnostics, Docetists, and Arians over what exactly were the minimum beliefs that one could hold and still be considered a Christian. The Council of Nicea was called as a result, and the resulting “minimum” definition of Christian became the Nicene Creed. All of this was decided 1,675 years ago.

Here is the text of the Nicene Creed:

We believe (I believe) in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. (God of God) light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is to be adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We confess (I confess) one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for (I look for) the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen."
 
A person who follows the teachings of Christ Jesus and accepted him as savior hence the word christ in christian
 
A basic definition of a Christian is one who has placed his faith in Jesus. This means to believe everything Jesus has said, whether written in scripture or orally, as passed down in Apostolic Tradition.

In Mk 16:15 Jesus told the Apostles to preach the Gospel & whoever believed & was baptized would be saved (from the slavery to sin). Since nowhere does the bible claim to present this Gospel as preached by the Apostles & St. Paul, then it must be found elsewhere. Where? The pillar & foundation of truth, the Church (1 Tim 3:15).

What Church? The Baptist Church? The Catholic Church? The Lutheran Church? All those who are baptized? Whoever reads the bible? Whoever accepts Jesus as his personal Lord & Savior? The bible doesn’t say.

But if one researches history & the writings of the early Christians who were taught directly by the Apostles (and the Apostles were taught directly by God himself, Jesus) we find the doctrine & practice described in their writings matches only one Church today - the Catholic Church!

So to answer the question, the one who is a Christian in its fullness is one who has heard the Gospel as preached by the Apostles & passed on in Apostolic Tradition for 2,000 years, believes it, is baptized, and as a recent Pope said, is under the leadership of the Pope.

Many are Christians by their baptisms but since they don’t know what the Gospel is they cannot be full Christians, even though they may love Jesus and give their lives to him. Unless one knows what the Gospel is as preached by the Apostles one cannot be a Christian in the fullest sense.

This is why Jesus commanded the Apostles to preach the Gospel, as that was and still is the best means of mass instruction or evangelization.
 
Epistemes said:
According to you, or your Church, what is a Christian?

How do you determine a Christian from a non-Christian?
Click to expand...

🤷 Maybe it’s not our business.​

To answer the question reversed though - I think that someone whose life exhibits the values of the Kingship of God is a disciple of Christ.
 
thetruthnow said:
All men are sinners (Romans 3:10; 23). There is a penalty for sin—death (Romans 6:23). Not only physical death, but also spiritual death in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8; 20:11-15). To commit even one sin makes us guilty of all in God’s eyes (James 2:10). Our self-righteousness is filth to God (Isaiah 64:6; Titus 3:5). There is nothing we can do to save ourselves (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Code: 
But God expressed his love toward us, knowing how sinful we would be, by sending His only begotten Son into the world to die for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). This is the good news. We don't have to go to Hell when we die, we can go to Heaven to be with the Lord because He has paid for our sins with His own blood (Acts 20:27).

Thus, we need Jesus' righteousness (Matthew 6:33; 1st Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:3,4). Jesus paid for our sins, by sacrificing His precious literal, physical blood (1st Peter 1:18,19; Hebrews 9:12). Our sins can only be washed away by Jesus' blood (1st John 1:7; Revelation 1:5).
A Christian is someone who has acknowledged his GUILT of sin (Romans 3:19) and believed on Jesus as the Christ (Acts 10:43)… “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” A Christian is someone who has been born again and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:30-31 and John 3). Water baptism has no role in one’s salvation.
Click to expand...
You sound like one of these once saved always saved folks who unfortunately are gravely mistaken in their thinking.

Baptism is NECESSARY for salvation.
 
Epistemes said:
According to you, or your Church, what is a Christian?

How do you determine a Christian from a non-Christian?
Click to expand...
One who loves God with his whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. I think this is a much taller order than we give it credit for-it’s the very perfecting of a human and is only possible by means of the grace won by Jesus at Calvary.
 
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