What is a Christian?

There’s a lot of confusion in our world about what it means to be a Christian.

“Christians battle Muslims in Nigeria!” the headlines read.
America is said to be a “Christian” nation.
People want to have a “Christian” wedding or funeral.

But what does it really mean to be a Christian?

Let’s Find Out

Many people think a Christian is someone who attends church regularly.

Others think a Christian is someone who tries to live by the Ten Commandments.

Still others believe a Christian is someone who isn’t any other major religion
(Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, etc.)

Who is right?

If we want to know what a Christian really is,

we have to go to God’s Word for the answer.

There we find the following…

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Romans 3:23

First of all, the Bible affirms that no one is a Christian by default.

In fact, every person naturally falls short of a relationship with God because of sin.

Sin is anything that fails to meet God’s standard of perfection and holiness,
and it’s a problem shared by every member of the human race.

"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."

Isaiah 59:2

Sin separates us from God,

leaving us in a terrible condition…

…a condition for which there is no human solution.

"For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Isaiah 64:6

We can’t “earn” our way back to God because we just can’t be good enough!

By thought, motive, or deed, we fall short of God’s perfect standard on a daily basis.

But there is GOOD NEWS…

There is a way to a relationship with God!

"He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

2 Corinthians 5:21

Jesus, who never sinned, died on the cross as a substitute for us.
Taking our place, He fulfilled God’s requirement to punish sin, placing Himself in harm’s way to rescue us.
And having been raised from the dead,
He now offers us His own righteousness and forgiveness.

But the transaction isn’t automatic.

It requires a decision on our part…

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 6:23

Eternal life is a free gift, a gift that can’t be earned because it’s already been paid for.

In fact, there are only two things you can do when someone offers you a gift:

accept it or refuse it.

Refusing it is easy —
just walk away, ignore it, laugh, whatever.

But how do you say “yes” and accept God’s gift?

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

John 3:16

We accept God’s gift by

acknowledging we cannot save ourselves from sin (repentance)
and placing our faith (or “trust”) in Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Everyone who does this is completely forgiven,
being restored to a right relationship with God.

This is what becoming a “Christian” is all about.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

What is a Christian?

A person who has placed his or her faith personally in Jesus Christ as Savior and thereby has become a new person, forgiven and alive in a relationship with God!

Have you done that?

If not, read through this web page again and consider what God’s Word says.

Still have questions?

That’s OK!

We would be glad to help you find the answers you need.