What Does Christian Mean?
What does Christian mean? And what does it mean to be a Christian? Let’s start by figuring out where the name Christian came from. Surprisingly, it did not arise in Jerusalem or Nazareth, but in Antioch, a city that lies in what is now southern Turkey.
The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
When you put the name Christ together with the suffix ian you get Christian (Christ + ian). Typically, the suffix ian means from or belonging to. For example, an Oregonian is someone from the state of Oregon.
Belonging To Jesus
The second meaning of the suffix ian, means belonging to. And that makes sense to me as a description of Christians–we belong to Jesus Christ.
This is quite different from how the world defines a Christian. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives this definition:
…one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
With all due respect to Merriam-Webster, this definition is woefully inadequate. Take politicians for example. On the campaign trail, most politicians claim to be honest. If we went by the Merriam-Webster definition, an honest politician would be one who simply claims or professes his or her honesty. But we know full well that claiming to be something doesn’t make it so. After all, are most politicians really honest?
“…actual belief must accompany a profession of faith or it means no more than a politician’s empty campaign promise.”
KurtBrouwer.com
The first Christians knew they had to profess their faith, but they also had to live in accordance with the commands of Christ. The Bible makes it clear that it’s your actual belief that counts, not just words.
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
The Gift Of God
How does Christian belief start? Do we wake up one morning and think, you know I’m going to start believing in Jesus today? That’s not how it works. Our belief in Christ does not originate in us at all. It comes from God. It is a gift from God, but also the gift of God:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
A Christian Is Chosen By God
We cannot and should not boast or feel pride in our belief for it comes from God, as a gift, not from our own efforts. Now we all know that not everyone accepts the call of God. Nonetheless, a Christian certainly is someone who has been chosen by God.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
God calls us first and draws us towards him. A Christian is someone who has heeded the call of God and accepted the gift of salvation.
What Does It Mean To Live As A Christian?
Once we accept the gift, what comes next? If you believe in someone or something, you pay attention, right? If you like football, you watch the games, either on television or You Tube or in person. You follow a favorite team, getting to know the players and coaches. When they win, you’re happy. When your team loses, you’re upset.
In the same way, as we draw closer to Christ, we seek him out, study his life and his teaching, and follow him. As Christians, we want to learn more, to understand better.
If we believe in Jesus, then surely we spend time seeking him. By spending time with the Son of God in prayer, in music, and in Bible reading, we get to know him and to appreciate what he did for all of humanity and for us individually.
What Comes Next?
If we accept the gift of salvation that Christ has made possible, then it sure makes sense to follow Jesus. That is, to love him and obey him as His disciples did:
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
How do we demonstrate our love for him? Jesus spells this out very clearly:
If you love me, keep my commands.
Before we go further, let’s agree that I’m not perfect and neither are you. We all are sinners who fall short of the glory of God. We struggle against our own human nature and we must learn to draw on the power of God to change our nature and become more like Christ.
As we grow in our faith, we can join the ‘great cloud of witnesses’ who have gone before us, demonstrating what it means to be a Christian.
Yours in Christ, Kurt
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