What is a Christian?

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YeshuaFan said:
Real Christian would be one who has received as their Savior and Lord Jesus, now indwelt by the promised Holy Spirit, and agrees with the cardinal truths, such as God being Trinity, Physical resurrection, actual Second Coming etc
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Since the Bible doesn't say 'real' or 'true' Christian. I'd rather speak of Christians in deed and in truth, vs Christians in name only. Confessing faith in Christ from the heart, vs with lips only.

Mar 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

1Jo 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

As I said at the start. The subject has nothing to do with being either one or the other, and especially not with making judgments about one another. It's only about what is a Christian, and so can be called a Christian on earth: I've given the Scriptures, that call Christian, anyone confessing faith in Christ, and calling Him Lord.

Whether we are an obedient elder, or disobedient prodigal, is beside the point. Even as Scripture calls them both sons, so does Scripture call us all Christians.

According to the admonishment of Scripture, I would avoid Christians living riotously, but pray for them as a brother. And so long as they continued to confess faith in Christ, I would never call them a non-believer and not a Christian.

It could help to understand this simple point, by making difference between calling someone a Christian on earth, because they call Him Lord, vs the Lord Himself calling someone Christian in heaven, where all that call Him Lord love Him as Lord. That is where only Christians in deed and in truth will be called Christian forever:

Rom 11:26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
 
Here is some more Scripture, that makes the same point: Anyone calling Christ Lord on earth, is called a Christian, even if they are not of Christ from the heart:

Rom 9:6 For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Paul is speaking of Israelites, that are called Israel, but are not of the Israel of God. And so, not all that are called Christian, are of Christ. Even as all Israelites by birth are still called Israelites, though not of God, so are all Christians by confession still called Christians, though not of God.

Rom 2:28For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Same again. All that are called Jews, by circumcision of the flesh, are not Jews of God by circumcision of the heart. But by outward circumcision, they certainly are still called Jews. And so, all that are called Christians, by confession with the mouth, are not Christians of God by inward confession of the heart, and yet, they are still certainly called Christians

Rom 10:9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There certainly are Christians saved by confession from the heart, vs Christians unsaved by confession with the mouth alone. And the Lord certainly knows which Christians are of Him.

2Ti 2:19Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

But He does not make that judgment call known to all Christians, until at His judgment seat. In the meantime on earth, we can call anyone Christian, whether by mouth or heart, even if we must avoid them that do not depart from iniquity.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
That's a topic worthy of discussion that I may start one day.
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Please let me know if you do. I want to see it. Thanks. I'm only just now exploring it, because I got to thinking about it in another thread.

There are no Christians, nor anyone called Christian, in the lake of fire.

And so our business with the Lord, is to ensure we are Christians in deed and in truth, that He may call us Christians at His appearing.

2Ti 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
 
Godhelpus said:
If we begin to exclude some people calling Him Lord from that title, when we are in effect refusing permission to use it for those we don't approve as Christians.
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Perhaps because we don't want to be fellowshipping with antichrists.

(1Jn 2:22) Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
 
this is like beating a dead hore the question of what is or who is a christian is good.. the answer is those who have been born again we take on our heavenly father nature aka a new creation in christ redeemed by the Precious blood of Christ .. as a Christian what john the baptist said to the pharoses and Sadducees matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:. there should be some type evidence of change..

its not our call to say who is saved and is not. there is only 2 kinds of people lost or saved.... God will separate the the wheat from the tares at the harvest..


your view of the judgement seat is tad bit off the bema seat of Christ is for rewards , no judgement of are you saved.. the white throne judgment separates the real from the fake.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
Are you saying "Christian" is a synonym for "saved"?
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what does the bible say ? might i add the word christian first appears at antioch acts 11 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
 
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LearningToLetGo said:
Exactly! This entire thread is an example of that. If we can't agree on what is a Christian, we'll never agree on anything that follows.
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thats more less part of my remarks depending on who you ask... example some feel water baptism is the final stage to salvation. some teach tongues are a must.. some think joining the masonic lodge does.. some are legalist who think following the law does. last but not least the good person. see no evil speak no evil do no evil.
 
crossnote said:
Perhaps because we don't want to be fellowshipping with antichrists.
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I've explained enough times the difference between withholding Christian fellowship from someone confessing faith in Christ, vs telling them they're not a Christian and a non-believer.

So, how many people calling Christ Lord, have you told them, "You're not a Christian at all. You're a non-believer."?
 
forgiven61 said:
example some feel water baptism is the final stage to salvation.
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"Salvation" is not the same as "Christian". The two are of course related, but in this thread only tangentially.

forgiven61 said:
some teach tongues are a must.. some think joining the masonic lodge does.. some are legalist who think following the law does. last but not least the good person. see no evil speak no evil do no evil.
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But I see your point and you are correct.
 
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LearningToLetGo said:
Perhaps we should settle who defines "Christian"? Does God define Christian or man?
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You can go back to the first post for that. I offered Scripture there and elsewhere, that God defines a Christian as anyone confessing faith and calling His Son Lord. We can call anyone a Christian, so long as they are still doing so.

So far, I haven't seen anyone correct my reading of the Scripture, nor offered one of their own.

Whether anyone deserves to be called a Christian or not, is not the issue. We don't have to call anyone a Christian, if we don't want. But none of us have the right to call someone naming Jesus Lord, a non-believer and not a Christian at all.
 
Godhelpus said:
You can go back to the first post for that. I offered Scripture there and elsewhere, that God defines a Christian as anyone confessing faith and calling His Son Lord. We can call anyone a Christian, so long as they are still doing so.

So far, I haven't seen anyone correct my reading of the Scripture, nor offered one of their own.

Whether anyone deserves to be called a Christian or not, is not the issue. We don't have to call anyone a Christian, if we don't want. But none of us have the right to call someone naming Jesus Lord, a non-believer and not a Christian at all.
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I see.

Here are the three uses of "Christian" in KJV:

and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
www.biblegateway.com

Bible Gateway passage: Acts 11:26 - Authorized (King James) Version

and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
www.biblegateway.com www.biblegateway.com

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
www.biblegateway.com

Bible Gateway passage: Acts 26:28 - Authorized (King James) Version

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
www.biblegateway.com www.biblegateway.com

Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
www.biblegateway.com

Bible Gateway passage: 1 Peter 4:16 - Authorized (King James) Version

Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
www.biblegateway.com www.biblegateway.com

There are seven references to "Christian" in ESV but I won't copy them.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
Are you saying "Christian" is a synonym for "saved"?
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Very well done. I've been perplexed by how hard it is to get across something so simple to me. You have just made it clearer for me. In Scripture, being called a Christian is the name for people confessing faith in Christ. It's not a synonym for being saved. Not everyone confessing Christ does so from the heart.

Rom 10:9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

And yet, Scripture still entitles us with the name Christian, so long as we continue saying that Jesus is Lord. And the only ones not entitled to the name, don't even want it, because they don't call Him Lord, and especially not them that curse Him.

1Co 12:3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
 
forgiven61 said:
this is like beating a dead hore the question of what is or who is a christian is good.. the answer is those who have been born again we take on our heavenly father nature aka a new creation in christ redeemed by the Precious blood of Christ .. as a Christian what john the baptist said to the pharoses and Sadducees matthew 3:8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:. there should be some type evidence of change..
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Well, that certainly does bring the horse back to life in a jiffy.

Anyone confessing faith in Christ can be called a Christian. It's a least simpler.
 
LearningToLetGo said:
The Bible (KJV) mentions the word "Christian" exactly three times.

View attachment 13087
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Good deal. Now we're getting back to the first post. I read from these Scriptures and their context, that anyone confessing faith in Christ, is called a Christian by other men (Acts 11 & 26), as well as by Scripture (1 Peter 4). And the most important one to say who is called a Christian is Scripture, more than other men.

Another Scripture says anyone calling Jesus Lord, can only do so by inspiration of the Spirit of Christ.

1Co 12:3Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Anyone want to say they are not a Christian nor believer at all, whom the Holy Ghost inspires to say Jesus is Lord?
 
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