"Are You A Christian?"

I honestly believe if we stopped any number of people on the street and asked this question, most of them would say yes.

But what is a Christian? Being a Christian, according to God and His Word, The Bible, does not simply mean being a part of what is sometimes called a Christian nation. Being a Christian is not simply coming from a family that is said to be Christian.

Being a Christian is not simply going to a certain building on Sunday, leaning in the direction of Christ, or even believing that Jesus Christ is The Son of God. Many through history have believed Jesus was all He claimed to be, but were far from being Christian.

Who is a Christian then? In view of Romans chapter 15, a Christian is, in fact, a sinner who has been saved by the wonderful grace of God. God's grace has brought into man's reach everything necessary for man to be saved.

God does not force any man to be Christian. He does not force them to accept the will of Christ. He does not call for His disciples to behead those who refuse to convert. He does, however, offer all that Christ can be to a person's life. Man is called on to respond to God.

When God made us in the beginning, He gave us the ability to think, to reason, to believe and to make decisions. He gave us the choice of free action. We exercise this freedom to choose when we respond to His will. If you are a Christian, it is because you made a decision in your own mind to accept the work of God through Christ.

In Romans chapter 6 Paul showed that in becoming a follower of Christ, we have become dead. That is, we died to the old person we once were. We were sinners, lost, outside of Christ. We have died to our self-rule and even our self-will. We surrendered to the will of Christ.

Paul said, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." (6:3-4)

We were buried when we were baptized, and we were resurrected to a newness of life. That newness of life is the Christian life. Did you notice that Paul says that when we are baptized that we are baptized into Christ? When a person dies, is buried, and raised to a newness of life, he enters the most exciting existence a human in this world can enter. He has become a Christian! He is now a disciple of Christ and continues to learn of Christ from His Holy Word.

In Acts 11:26 the Bible says, "And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." When we say the word Christian we must say Christ. A person who is a Christian is a Christ-one, a follower of Christ, a learner of Christ, an imitator of Christ. In living the Christian life that individual takes on certain characteristics. These characteristics are evidence of who this new person is.

Just 'What' is a Christian? Romans chapter 15 mentions the marks of a Christian. In his practical application of the doctrine of salvation in this epistle, Paul has a lot to say about who is a Christian by giving the marks of Christianity. He mentions these marks in his writings as he is directed by The Holy Spirit.

First, a Christian is one who is helpful or concerned about others. Notice verses 1 and 2, "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. (2) Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification." (NKJV)

In the Christian's response to other people, he is genuinely concerned about other people, their feelings and their needs. The Christian does not simply endure others and tolerate them but in actuality he loves as Christ loves.

In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul said that if one member of the body suffers, all the members suffer with him. We are to love other people as we love our selves. That love is seen in our concern for the needs and feelings of others. It may be that we are no more Christian than we are concerned about our fellow man.

Then Paul says a Christian is resourceful. In verse 4 Paul tells us, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning..." Paul says the things that were written 'before' were written for our learning. He, no doubt, had the Old Testament scriptures in mind since The New Testament was at this time being written. 

All the scriptures are for our learning. If we do not learn from the history of those who followed God and often were unfaithful to Him, we are only bound to repeat that history in our own lives. The Christian is to be ever learning, feeding on God's Word as it is a banquet of depth and knowledge. Without God's Word, the spiritual man will certainly die.

Next, Paul tells us that the Christian is faithful. This comes from the last part of verse 4. He says, "...learning, that we through the patience."

Patience is perseverance. Perseverance is endurance. Perseverance is being steadfast through the difficult times of training. The Christian will not give up! It makes no difference the storms of life that may come, he will not loose sight of the goal of eternity with Christ. It does not matter that even sometimes as a Christian he is mistreated or abused because of his faithfulness. He will simply not give up. 

Other people, including our own family members, may do hurtful things to us, we still do not give up. The easy thing is to say, "I quit." A Christian, who knows the 'Truth' and the glory yet to come, will not give up.

There are a few more marks we need to consider but I will stop here and we will finish this up next time. God bless...