What does it mean to be a Christian? How might you recognize a Christian? (Dave Graham)

The question: What does it mean to be a Christian? Was discussed but only for a short while in Donald Miller’s book “Searching For God Knows What.” However the book chose not to examine this question that deeply. The book points out that most of us Christians, do not know how to biblically answer this question. We say things like: born again, focused elsewhere, a person that is a part of a church, read their bible, and other things that do pertain to the Christian life, but do not separate us from what someone from another religion would say. So my question is: What makes a Christian different and unique, and how might we and others notice that?

What makes a Christian unique? Erwin Lutzer says it is the fact that we have a sinless savior.1 He speaks of a time when he was at a conference where many different religions had booths setup. He went around to the booths asking some basic questions. His search was for a savior that was not a part of our predicament.

Every religion has a basis on good and evil. Most religions have a system of good and bad things we do that it is impossible for us to follow them all, thus needing someone to help us out of our sinful predicament. Each religion could not point to a sinless savior, each except one. Jesus did not sin. Jesus was not a part of our predicament; therefore He can save us from it.

A Christian is a person who accepts this sinless savior, Jesus, and what He did on the cross. Christians believe that Jesus died as the propitiation for our sins. He died so that we, Christians, would no longer live under the law of sin and death. Romans 6:1-14 explains this more. The reason Christ died was so Christians could have a relationship with God. God has always been about the relationship with us since the beginning.

Adam and Eve walked with Him in the garden. In Genesis 3 when Adam and Eve sinned God was sad that the relationship was now changed. Some people struggle with this story because they say, why God made Adam and Eve in a way that they would sin. I’m glad you asked, because Paul answers this question of sin in Romans 7:7-25 then back in 6:15-23.

The key is faith in Christ Galatians 2:15-21 specifically looking at verse 16, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

No matter how much we would like to believe that basically good people go to Heaven, they don’t. I would like to believe that I have ten thousand dollars in the bank saved up for school. I can believe this with all the passion that I have, and make documents to look like statements from my bank, but does that make it actually so. The bank would see through my lies and would not recognize or allow me to withdraw that ten thousand I “would like to think” I have in there. Romans 9:30-33 and Galatians 2:15-3:9 Salvation is based on faith alone, apart from works.

Does this mean a Christian can do whatever they want so long as they have faith in the resurrection of Christ? No, a Christian is different after salvation then they were before. When a person comes to Christ through faith the Holy Spirit enters into their soul, changing their soul. Jesus presents this to the disciples before His ascension, Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4-5. Paul talks about this difference between our sinful bodies and our souls post salvation, Romans 8:1-11. Romans 8:5 say this, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”(ESV)

How might we and other notice the difference in a Christian verse a non-Christian? Romans 12:9-21, describes some of the marks of a true Christian. Genuine love, hold fast to what is good, love on another, serve the Lord, pray, contribute, rejoice, weep, do not overcome evil with evil, and other things as well, but these are just a few things we might notice in a Christians life. These things here are how a Christian might act, but what is at the heart of these actions, a person carrying out commands or a reflection of whom they are and the spirit that is within them?

Jesus said a tree is known by its fruit, Matthew 12:33, well what is the fruit of the spirit? Galatians 5:22-26, verse 25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” How do we walk by the spirit?

Christ said to His followers, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24 ESV. This is shortly after Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, and Jesus in telling the disciples once again about the purpose He came to fulfill. Just like most of Jesus’ ministry the disciples do not full understand what Jesus meant by this statement until after His death and resurrection.

This reminds me of a saying we hear very often, “When the goin’ gets tough, the tough get goin’.” Why must a Christian or anyone go through pain? Many of us do not look forward to the next hurdle or obstacle we will need to overcome, but how do we meet that time? This is where many non-Christians have trouble understanding those who call themselves Christians. In college I knew a Christian who struggled with drunkenness, and lived with another Christian and a non-Christian who was curious about the Christian faith. This non-Christian roommate said something one night to the drunken Christian’s face that I will never forget what was meant by his words. I do not remember the exact words but it was something like this, “Doesn’t your book tell you not to do this?!?!” By your book he meant the bible, how do I know that, well he pointed right at it when the question was expressed. Non-Christians for the most-part know the things we Christians should not do, and when we appear no different from them, they question the authenticity of our faith.

Many years I struggled with this. The application of faith that overcomes the desires of the body, this is how you might recognize a Christian, a true Christian. Romans 6:1-14, 8:12-17, 12:1-2, 14:1-23, 1 Corinthians 10:23- 33, Galatians 3:10-14 these are just a few verses about the struggle that Christians face between the soul and the body. Just because a Christian is saved they will still sin from time to time, but the Christian, the true Christian fights hard against the desires of their body in a desire that the spirit within might shine through these bodies we have, so that others might catch a glimpse of God.

1. Southern Evangelical Seminary “National Apologetics Conference” 2006 Erwin Lutzer “7 Reasons You Can Trust the Bible” 11/10/2006