A Series of Definitions: Christ-ian

I figure a series of definitions is needed so my readers can understand my core theology a bit better. Please, feel free to disagree with any of these definitions. But they have been forged from my life experience, reading the Bible, reading the works of theologians, reading the works of everyday men/women, conversations with Ph.D's, meditation on God's word, and discussions with friends. So, over the next several posts I will define those things which I believe are core to defining Faith. Without having your own understanding of what each of these concepts means...can you really know your own Faith?

Christian

I was born, baptized and raised in the church. That doesn't mean I know much, but it does mean I was taught early on that "Christian" means "Follower of Christ." Of course after this each denomination takes on their own unique interpretation of what it means to "follow" Christ. And whatever denomination you are, well that is up to you.

But as a Christian, how do you and I define what it means to be Christian?

I define myself as a follower of Christ. Now, let me warn you...I am an open-minded believer. I believe coming to be a follower of Christ is EXTREMELY easy. But, I am a narrow-minded follower. Following Christ...that is hard. Because He lived a life I can only strive to live. And whilst I hold no one but myself to those standards, they are standards I believe are laid out plainly throughout the Bible and are not unobtainable.

Let me explain....

Coming to Christ is easy. I was taught in Bible classes on Sunday mornings that coming to Christ is as easy as A,B,C.

A is for Acceptance. You must first accept God exists and Christ is the Son of God. Then let Him into your heart. Salvation is a free gift. No strings attached. And no way you can earn it or buy it. You must accept His love freely and willingly. He will NEVER force you into salvation. It's a free will thing.

B is for Belief. If you believe God sent His only Son to live amongst mankind and die for our sins as the perfect sacrifice and that Christ then rose from the dead to live again before ascending to Heaven to prepare a place for us, then you will be saved.

C is for Confess. If you confess your sins to God and believe He can and will forgive you of those sins, you will be saved.

But you must do all three steps or your heart will not truly belong to the Lord. And that is all I believe it takes to become a follower of Christ.

Now, the hard part. How do you actively stay a Christian?

The path of the righteous is fraught with hardship. Christ never said following Him would be easy. However, it is worth it. I believe in being baptized twice. Once with water as a public declaration of your new birth into the Family of Christ. And once with the Holy Spirit. When you welcome the Spirit of the Lord into your life, you are welcoming the portion of God that comforts and guides and is with us 24/7.    

Once you have the Spirit within you there are ways to maintain your walk with Christ. Prayer, meditation on God's word (the Bible), working to be moral and upright. Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. And Loving each other as Christ loves you. And of course, taking care not to sin. Sin will be defined later. I think it is important to know what sin is.

Following Christ requires loving till it hurts, actively seeking God's presence, asking forgiveness for sins regularly, living an upright and moral life, sacrifice, and being prepared to go and do whatever, whenever, God asks you to. Following Christ also requires flexibility because God has His own timing. And of course it requires dedication and patience. As well as, a willingness to apologize when you are wrong. And honesty that runs as deep as your heart. 

See what I mean about hard? These are not things that come naturally to our culture. But they are necessary in my opinion if you are to truly call yourself a follower of Christ. Being a Christian is a full time commitment. And SO worth it. 

So you see, the definition of a Christian is really not just one thing. But rather many things combined. You can easily become one, but are you truly a Christian? Or are you merely living under the lable? I do not allow the word Christian to define my life but rather I define it. I must live my life as best I can following the example Christ gave us. Only in that way can I call myself a "Follower of Christ". And only then am I confident enough to describe myself as a Christian.

Are you living under a lable? Or are you the definition incarnate?