What Exactly is a Christian?
The idea behind this post is to present a question that you’ve always wondered about or wanted to ask but didn’t think it was safe or questionable. The goal is to get readers to THINK in an effort to challenge and provoke them to go on a personal pursuit of understanding.
So here’s the question:
What exactly is a Christian?
Where does this word come from? Where exactly do we derive it’s present-day meaning? And most importantly, does it carry the same meaning today as it did centuries ago? These questions spark interest in me. I’m finding that so much of the Christian faith is taken out of its proper – or should I say original / Biblical – context. I do believe that our finite minds cannot conceive all of what God knows, but I also believe that He has made an immense effort to reveal enough of His Truth at a level that we can understand. And that portion of insight can be found in a collection of writings we refer to as the Holy Bible. As I continue to challenge the idea of what exactly is a Christian and begin to rap my mind around what Jesus defines as a Christian or follower, I am discovering a huge disconnect of what many of us define as a Christian today.
So, what exactly is a Christian?
You tell me…
June 16, 2008
Daniel Gilland
Great post. I like the 'Ask Anything' blogs. Keep 'em comin'!!!
I think you raise a great point that Christians around the globe need to sit down, pray over, wrestle with, have their hips kicked out of socket a few times, and then get up and make a decision on what they will do.
For me, a Christian is a radical, willing to lay down their life, committed, whole-hearted, passionate follower of Jesus. Someone who commits their ways to follow the King of kings. Someone who puts Jesus first and everything else second. No compromises, no turning around. Committed to living pure and holy and committed to the process.
The Bible says that we're to wrestle with our salvation with fear and trembling. I don't know why we skip that so much and make Christianity a 'poof' 'Congrats, you're now a Christian!' When I think it should be more of a 'crash' 'guess what bro, you gotta change so that you can change the world, have a great day!'
I could go on for a while, but I'll leave it at that.
Great post!