What is a Christian?
1 Peter 4:16 says:
If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.
What is a Christian?
Very simply, a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ.
The word was first used at Antioch when the Greeks called Jesus followers “Christians”. Before that, the followers of Jesus referred to themselves as “disciples”.
So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for [Paul], and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:25-26)
So, what is a disciple, then?
Well, a disciple is a follower of Jesus.
But what does that mean… to follow Jesus?
Jesus said:
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. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits himself? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, I will be ashamed of him on the day of judgment. (Luke 9:23-26)
Jesus also said:
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)
Meaning that: you must value Christ above everything!
After all, Jesus gave us everything, dying on the cross for our sins so that all who believe in Him will live forever in heaven.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe,
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow. (Elvina M. Hall)
Being a Christian means you follow Jesus with your whole life. You turn from sin and be holy. You obey His word, the Bible. You love His people, the church. You love others and share His gospel.
Following Jesus is not an easy road. Jesus, Himself said people will hate us just for His name, But praise God we’re following the One who rose from the dead! He will bring us into His kingdom.
Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14)
Being a Christian might cost you everything, but it’s worth the cost.
…when we understand the text