May 21, 2006

  • Christian

    I had someone ask me a question and so I asked him if I could just post his whole comment on my site.  His site is sickboy86.  Here is his statement and question:


    I’M NOT A CHRISTIAN, NOT IN THE SLIGHTEST BIT OF THE DEFINITION. I’VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF CHRISTIANS VISITING MY SITE THOUGH AND TRYING TO ARGUE CHRIST INTO MY LIFE. I TELL THEM I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT BAD EXPERIENCES WITH THE CHURCH, I DISLIKE PRIESTS AND DON’T REALLY AGREE WITH THE WHOLE CONCEPT, I DON’T MEAN TO OFFEND YOU OR ANYONE ELSE, ITS JUST WHAT I BELIEVE.

    WHAT I FIND STRANGE IS THEY ALL SEEM TO HAVE THE SAME MESSAGE, CHRISTIANITY ISN’T A CHURCH OR PRIEST, SOME GO AS FAR AS TO SAY THAT ITS NOT EVEN THE BIBLE, ITS JESUS. SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD PUT UP A POST ASKING WHAT PEOPLE DEFINE AS A CHRISTIAN, IS IT SOMEONE WHO GOES TO CHURCH, OR LISTENS TO A PRIEST, PRACTICES THE BIBLE, READS THE BIBLE OR IS IT BELIEVING IN JESUS, OR EVEN JUST BEING A GOOD PERSON ENOUGH? I’M SORT OF LOST HERE, THOUGHT MAYBE THIS MIGHT CLARIFY THINGS FOR ME, IF NOT NO BIG DEAL, BUT IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED.


    What does it mean to be a Christian?


     

Comments (244)

  • Someone who worships jesus.

  • FIRST!

  • or… are you? muhahaha

  • St.Paul.

  • A Christian is someone, by definition, that has accepted Jesus Christ as their one and only Savior and the one and only way to Heaven.

  • Grace. Forgiveness. Unconditional love.

  • id like to find out myself

  • You just have to believe in God and Jesus.  No church required!  Pretty sweet deal, actually.

  • God loves you and cares about you, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that love, even if you refuse to acknowledge it. The love still exists, even if you don’t accept it.

  • a christian is one who has accepted Jesus into their hearts and he is their savior.
    Kelly

  • The word Christian was created to mean Follower of Christ, so yes, that means that you are a believer in the message of Jesus Christ, namely that he came to Earth, died on the cross, and rose again, he is the Son of God and that he took away the price for our sins.

    It isn’t about church, or about priests, or organizations, it has very much to do with the Bible, since that is the place it is documented in. But it focuses and centralizes around belief in Jesus Christ.
    -Josh

  • To be a Christian is one of the greatest titles of all life.

    It is to believe without seeing. To believe just because you feel it in your heart.

    It is faith.

  • someone who accepts jesus to be their saviour.
    and you should remove that username in that post before he starts getting hate comments and hate mail…

  • I love how soo many people think YOU have to accept Christ.  The word “christian” literally means people of God.  He chooses YOU He died for YOU.  Sadly today there are sooo many different groups of “Christians” out there that this term simply could mean one who believes in the person and work of Jesus Christ and knows that through Him ALONE can we be saved.  My deffinition however is A LUTHERAN CHRISTIAN.  one who follows the Bible and first and ultimate authority, who holds to the Augsberg Confessions and takes part in the sacraments instituted by Christ to grant us the forgiveness of sins.  A christian is NOT a person who does good works as a part of working together with God to recieve Salvation, but rather who lives by faith that through God’s grace EVERYTHING is done for us already.  Rather, a Christian does good works because of the faith, they want to show the Good News of the Gospel and give praise and thanksgiving to God.  —Question.. can you make a post on CCM music?—

    <3 Amanda –feel free to check out my site!

  • Someone who accepts Christ or Jesus as their lord and saviour

  • Regarding Amanda’s comment, a Christian doesn’t do good works because of faith, rather faith works ‘good works’ through the Christian. As by ourselves we are incapable of doing good works on our own that are worthy of demonstrating praise and thanksgiving of God. Only through him do our good works occur. But I’m sure thats what you meant to say

  • I think it just means a follower of Christ.. however, that gets tied up with “blind obedience of anything either in The Bible, or that someone with a bigger hat then you TELLS you is in the Bible.”

  • Theres not a template for christianity. I think it’s whatever you think. I think i’m a christian, and most people would disagree.

  • Because Christianity is a lifestyle, that question really can’t be answered in one sentence, but requires an explanation.

  • Susan, Thank you, that is EXACTLY what I meant by that section!

    -Amanda

  • No long explanation needed… I’ll go with the example as definied in the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

    Chris·tian
    Pronunciation: <TT>’kris-ch&n, ‘krish-
    Function: noun
    Etymology: Latin christianus, adjective & n., from Greek christianos, from Christos
    1 a : one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ

  • I agree with evangelist08.

  • Oh goodness I can’t even spell the word right… defined, not “definied.”  Sorry about that.

  • I’ve never accepted Christ as anything other than the Son Of God, and I consider myself a very strong Christian. To think that I (or anybody, for that matter) has the ability to accept Jesus/God is ludicrious. God accepts us, we have nothing to say about it. The only thing that we can do is choose to acknowledge God. That is truly the only say we have in it. To believe otherwise is crazy, in my opinion.

  • I believe that being a Christian is having a close personal relationship with our savior Jesus Christ. To be close to him we read the Bible and pray, and have fellowship at church.

  • It means that you believe that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and is in general our messiah and the son of God.

  • An excellent question. Though the “look and feel” of Christianity has certainly changed throughout history (ex. small home gatherings in the time of Christ vs. American televangelism of today) the bottom line is one’s belief in Christ. People will argue endlessly about what you are supposed to do or not do with that belief. My best advice for anyone seeking answers to religious questions (Christian or otherwise) is to keep asking those questions and make your own path.

  • being a christian is believing that Jesus and God Almighty are one and the same, and a change towards a certain lifestyle results from that. this certain lifestyle can be summed up in one word: love.

  • I would not be fully satisfied with any of these answers, myself, nor yet with all of them together. The closest to my take on it – gads, I hate the word christian anymore, and fundamentalist even more – is the idea of accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Risen Lord. But then, definitions of Son and Lord abound. Different takes on “risen” are ever-present.

    I have just read an excellent newsletter on the junction between faith and reason at this address: http://www.mrrena.com/2006/smorgasbord.shtml and I highly recommend it. In it, you’ll find a smorgasbord of thoughts on the junction of faith and reason among philosophers with a strong leaning towards epistomology. Good stuff.

    Back to the question of what is a Christian, we know what isn’t. Someone who does not act like Jesus Christ acted, who does not think like He thought, or treat people like He treated them. In short, those who are self-absorbed, obsessed with numbers of “converts” or with plotting out their personal success, hell-bent on developing a personal empire under the guise of God’s will. Those who are intolerant of others and their views, who insist that their way is the only way to see things, who believe their church is the only path. These are not christians.

    Likewise, those who follow blindly, who accept the status quo because it’s tradition, who have a dominionistic pair of glasses they see the world through, who are like baby birds sitting in the edge of their seats waiting for the next dose of regurgitated popular garbage to be shoved down their throats, who have become trained seals dancing to the tune of the latest high-powered or most popular preachers – not christian.

    How do you know when someone is? They aren’t always right, but they don’t fault you for being wrong. They are confident in the God they love, as revealed to humanity in the person of Christ, but aren’t arrogant or bullying. You’ll find them humble, willing to let God renew their minds, their hearts, and their worldview.

  • *applauding for Breath of Dawn*

  • Oh my word, the full explanation would be so long, so here’s a shortened version…

    Since man is sinful and therefore cannot be in the presence of God, we are sent to hell when we die. God does not want us to go to hell because He loves us and does not want us to suffer eternally. In order to save us from this eternal punishment for sin, God sent His son Jesus to live a perfect life and then die in our place. Because He is perfect, His death can be in place of all of ours. Now, any of us who put our faith in Christ and the saving power of His sacrifice can be in the presence of God since our sins are covered by Jesus. Being a Christian is putting faith in Christ and His saving work on the cross.

  • this is a tough question

    to me being a christian. is trying to lead others to salvation. not even necessarily through christ, if they dont want christ in their life. but by guiding them away from harm, and yourself too of course.

  • someone who believes in christ and is generally a good person through their thoughts and actions

  • Great, Dan. Now we are arguing predestination. Choosers or chosen. You are in for a long week, my friend!

    I will ditto Josh’s (Beren_C) comment.

    I would also like to apologize to sickboy86. No one should try to argue you into Christianity. Christ would not do that. He would throw you the offer, and you would choose. End of story. He allowed many to choose not to accept and believe him.

  • A caveat to my previous reply: a Christian can make some serious mistakes in their approach to others, but if their heart is truly humble and pure, ie, if they’re really willing to submit to God’s lead and not be hard-hearted (hard-headed) He will bring about change in their hearts that will bring them to a point of truly being what is truly meant by the term Christian, as a little Christ. I think motive is very important, and that starts in the heart. The difference between a “christian” and a Christian is in the heart, and we see the difference in the outward manifestation of what comes from the heart.

  • Someone who believes in the Gospel message, that being that Jesus Christ died for the sins of man, was resurrected, and is the Son of God, and also the only true way to reach Heaven. Church politics has nothing to do with it.

    -Jared

  • to ACCEPT Christ as your God and allowing Him to rule your life. its so rewarding!

  • to believe in God, have good morals. i think it’s really that simple.

  • Nicely said, Breath_Of_Dawn.

  • A Christian is someone who (1) believes that they are completely sinful, have violated God’s law of perfection, and are therefore deserving of hell, (2) believes that God loved them so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to take all the punishment for all of OUR sin, (3) so that we can live eternally with Him when we die.  There’s more to the lifestyle here on earth, but that’s the short version.  =)

  • being a Christian is not just acknowledging God’s love for us…even the demons do that.  being a Christian is having a personal relationship with Christ, believing he died for all our sins as a sin offering and raised to life again because he is the son of GOD, and letting that truth make a difference in your everyday life.  You might be saved if you don’t live like that, but you’re not a good example of a Christian.  That is what the Bible teaches.

  • A christain has accepted the lord as there savoir.

    -elizabeth

  • to accept jesus as your savior

  • SOmeone who follows Jesus. One who puts Jesus at the top of their priority list. When it comes down to it Church is only an aide not a requirement.

  • To let go, to trust, love and have faith in Christ, but also to love those around you; to try to emulate christ in all of your words and deeds

  • some quotes from one of the best books i’ve ever read on the topic, Jesus With Dirty Feet, by Don Everts:
    “To really understand “Christianity” we have to go back to the beginning, to put first things first.  For starters, Jesus was not a Christian.  He never asked anyone to become a Christian, never built a steepled building, never drew up a theological treatise, never took an offering, never wore religious garments, never incorporated for tax purposes… He simply called people to follow him.” (pg13-14)
    “What we would call “Christianity” was nothing more and nothing less than some simple people responding to Jesus’ call by attaching themselves to him.  They believed, followed, listened to, questioned, obeyed, talked with, learned from and ultimately gave their lives to this character Jesus.  That is Christianity.” (pg17-18)
    “Plain old Christianity: not a set of dogmatic principles, not a life philosophy, not an outdated old religious institution, but a peculiar band of people – that group of followers that’s been on the move for the past two thousand years, busy doggedly following this Jesus.” (pg20)

  • To me, being a Chritian means believing in the teachings of Christ.

    My parents are Catholic (I was raised catholic) but they feel I am a bad Christian, because they do not have the same definition as me…

    I don’t believe everything the bible says as truth, I think a lot of it was story to help teach a lesson.  I don’t belong to an organized religion and I don’t believe I need to attend church to have a relationship with God.   Every experience I have ever had with an organized religion has been a bad one.  We have explored many different religions, and I give my children a choice as to what they want to believe.  It is important to me that they believe in Christ, but it is still their decision.  If I have one child that wants to try a church 10 miles away, I will drive them to that church, so that they make up their own mind as to what suits them.

    I try to teach them to live a good life, and to be a good person. And I do feel that God influences those choices, from my own personal experience.  So I consider my children and I to be good Christians, even tho we have made many bad choices and mistakes, whether we belong to a religion or not…because we learn and lead by example:)

  • Someone who believes that Jesus died for them, in place of their sins.

  • Being a christian is about exactly what the BIble says it is about “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”

  • A self-rightous, self-appointed missionary? Ha, those are just the Christians I hate. Really, the only thing I like about Christianity is the Cathedrals, because they’re really beautiful. The arcitecture. And religion always makes good plotlines. Anyway to me, a person who cannot take the whole God thing, a Christian is someone who brings up the whole concept in a sort of “It’s really important to me” kind of way. Otherwise they aren’t Christian to me, but that’ probably personal preference speaking. It’s the only way for definitions to come about.

  • hmmm…for me, a christian is someone who’s accepted God’s gift of forgiveness and love, a gift made possible thru Christ’s death & resurrection, and is living their live in a way that reflects that decision. plain and simple.

  • drat.  link didn’t work.  try this one:  Jesus With Dirty Feet

  • To be a Christian is simply to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Christian means Christ-follower.

  • to believe that jesus is the son of god, to beleive that he is the only way we can be made right with god, and to seek to follow him in all aspects of life.

  • i have to say that Lattany’s answer says it complete enough for me!!!!!

  • A Christian is a person who believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God and you only can enter heaven if you believe in Him.  Christians should follow the teachings of the New Testament.  The New Testament is written beginning with the birth of Christ, His life, His teachings, His death, and the disciples spreading the Good Word after Jesus’ death per Jesus’ instructions to them. 

  • I figure it’s someone who believes that Christ is the Lord, or son of the Lord or whatever, believes in the teachings of Christ, and worships him by following through with his teachings.

    Not everyone sees his teachings the same way. There seem to be a lot of different kinds of Christianity. But people here seem to be saying that in order to be Christian, a person needs to be nice or good. Or that good or nice people are inherently Christian, even if they don’t know it, cuz God loves them. Since Christianity is a religion, I would think it would be measured in faith. Besides, there are lots of good people who are Jews or gays or whatnots and I don’t think the Christ ever met a black person anyway and Native Americans had their own beliefs about God and Christ probably thought the world was flat and wouldn’t have considered them in his teachings. So the idea of being good = Christian and vice versa is a little insulting, since a whole lot of good people would end up damned anyway.

    I’m technically a Christian. I was baptised and all. But I never got around wondering why this god, and not some other god, should be real. So I never really had faith. I kind of want to believe in God, or any god, cuz that would mean there’s more to the world than just what I see, and that would mean there’s more to death than just turning to dust, and that there’s just more if you know what I’m talking about. But I don’t see how I can believe the teachings of one religion over another, since they all seem to be invented by people. (For example, I heard something about the idea of limbo, the place where unborn babies go to, being changed cuz it’s not nice. And there are christians on both sides of the gay fight, and of course those perverted priests who all deserve to die twice.) I figure there should be a truth to religion that’s non-negotiable.  

    I’m an okay person. I generally choose the moral route. If I was a better, more moral person, I wouldn’t start to believe in Christ. If I had more faith in the Bible, than I would. So being good is not the same as being Christian.

    Just my two cents.

  • Someone that has accepted Jesus into their hearts, as their one and only Savior.

  • To be a Christian means that you realize and confess that you are a sinner, and put all your trust in Jesus to save you. You believe with all your heart that He died to save you, and you have devoted your life to serving Him and showing His love and glory through your everyday actions, so that His love for you is evident in your love for others. It means that you forsake the ways of this world and of society and live the ways that God wants you to. Although practices such as going to church and reading the Bible do not make you a Christian, they are a good way to learn about Jesus and become closer to Him.

  • It is faith in Christ, believing in the salvation that is a free gift from Him. It is also knowing and loving God. If you believe in God, but don’t love Him, you have to re-examine who you think God is. Good question, sickboy86 – it’s hard to answer. It’s amazing to believe something and not be able to explain it. To have it in a nutshell, though, is like trying to summarise every event of impact in my life. I’ll invariably go out of sequence, or forget something important. I just don’t even know where to start. Anyway, I don’t think being a “good person” is enough, since we cannot acheive goodness without Goodness. Imagine trying to sing without using notes. It defeats the purpose. God is goodness, there is no evil or injustice in Him, but people are prone to making mistakes. Trying to be good is trying to follow a standard that God placed; but if you’re not following God while you’re trying to follow that standard, it’s just rebellion against goodness. Does that make sense? So being a Christian is ultimately following God, acknowledging His goodness, and trying to attain to that standard.

  • Someone who constantly judges others, is a hypocrite, is against gay right, pro-choice, women’s rights, and things that anyone who isn’t a Christian is a bad person.

  • Being a christian is one thing– Believing in what Jesus did for us, and accepting him into our hearts. No one is a ‘good’ person. We’re all sinners, and fall short. People may disagree with me, but this is what I honestly believe with my whole heart.

  • it means having God in your life, and believing that Jesus died for you. and i believe that if you have that going on, then you are bound to be a good person. idk how someone can believe all of that and then be negative.

  • Christian is cultural.  Followers of Christ is what Jesus called out.  I am Marked by Christ.  And you can join the blogring:  Marked by X.

  • Several here have given the right answer, but what I would encourage is not to look at Christians for the answers to Christianity. Chisitans aren’t what they are because they do the right things or follow the right rules . . . they all sin. When non-believers see Christians sin, they think Christianity is a scam, but that’s not how it works. What’s so amazing about Christianity is that Christ loves us IN SPITE of our sin. Christians are what they are because God has given them the grace to accept Jesus Christ . . . then look to Him for the answers in how to live. His teachings are all in the Bible.

  • I asked a similar question on my post too.

    The answer is simple, yet difficult to live out.

  • Being a Christian is about believing in Jesus Christ.  What does that mean?  It means believing that he was/is the son of God, that we are all sinners, that because of our sin we are unworthy of God, that God loves us so much anyway that he sent Jesus to die so that our sins could be forgiven, that Jesus died for our sins, that we are forgiven, that because of his sacrifice we are seen as worthy by God.  It means realizing that this – commonly known as “salvation” – is a free gift from God and all you have to do is accept it.

    Being a good person, reading the Bible, praying, etc. is part of what people call the “fruit” sometimes.  In other words, these are things that you will see a Christian do.  You will find Christians in churches.  But these things do not make a person a Christian anymore than living in a garage would make you a car .  Christianity is about your own personal faith relationship with God. 

    If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.

    building_a_mystery — mystery.xanga@gmail.com

  • I, personally, do not believe in organized religion.  I’ve been saved and baptized, I obviously have attended church some in my life.  But as I got older, I saw so much hypocracy and it turned me off to the whole “going to church on Sunday” thing.  I pray to what I believe to be “God” daily and I would like to believe there is some higher power out there, but I can’t be 100% sure.  I think that Christianity helps keep some order in the world.  I certainly don’t think that people claiming to be high and mighty Christians should be telling me how to live my life though.

  • a christian shouldnt be definined in any denominational boundaries.  churches often mislead people into thinking that their church is the only one comprised of people going to heaven.  in my opinion, denominations are CRAP!  a christian is simply stated as a person who belives in the ONE TRUE God and has accepted him as their Savior.  I hate to say this, but sometimes churches give Christians a bad name. Sometimes there is more hypocracy in churches than in the Secular world.  Why is that?  I guess I’ll never know.  But you don’t, by any means, have to go to church to go to heaven.  The Bible even states that “Where any people gather in My name, there I shall also be”.  That could be at church, your house, or even Starbucks!  But there are a lot (and I mean ALOT) of interpretations of the Bible, too.  It’s just my opinion..

  • A Christian is someone who believes in God and in Jesus as their savior AND a Christian is also someone who, through their actions, strives to be like Jesus and follow his teachings.

  • a christian is a person who accepts they are a sinner, and that christ’s death makes atonement for that.  

  • also, exchangeing the way we live for the way christ teaches us to live

  • the reason we need christ to make atonement for us is because God is perfect.  he can’t do things, simply because he is god.  such as attaching himself to something that isn’t perfect. 

  • going to church doesn’t save you…nothing we do can. Christianity is a relationship with Christ. We go to church to fellowship with other believers and read the Bible to get to know Christ better.

  • christ’s blood atones for that

  • To pretend you follow the Bible.

  • I still don’t understand when it came to be that the church was all about Jesus, and when God stopped being the focus of worship. I’m not sure what I think Christianity is anymore; it used to be that they were people who followed God, were familiar with the Bible, prayed to God, and maybe even went to church, at least on holidays.

    I’d like to believe that religion as a whole promotes humanitarianism and just generally being a good person.. I think that’s all you really need to do to get into Heaven, if there is one.

  • Being a Christian I think means believing God died on the cross for you, and having a relationship with Him.

  • Being a christian is about exactly what the BIble says it is about “If you confess with your mouth Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”
    Posted 5/21/2006 at 2:42 PM by SykoJonnyboy
     
    I agree with what Syko wrote, but you can’t stop there.  Daily you have to choose to live what the Bible says.

  • You believe in Jesus and his message. (ie love one another)

  • my son’s name is Christian and when i looked up the meaning it says “follower of Christ.” I dont know much about Christianity at all. I just know I believe in God and Jesus. and I would say maybe following the bible would make you a Christian?

  • Another thought: as there was music before there were notes, and sex before marriage, I think there was love before there was religion. Though I haven’t checked the Bible, so maybe Adam and Eve went to church on Sundays and maybe God served as their priest while they exchanged marriage vows and maybe he invented the first musical score for the nightingales to sing.

    Sorry for being an asshole to all of you devout Christians and going off from the subject. I just thought I’d put some thoughts out.

  • someone who woships jesus

  • this is a really good question, and my answer to it changes all the time as i get new perspective on what i believe and on what God is…

    a Christian is, by definition, a follower of Jesus, cristos, the Christ or Annointed one.  Jesus, a Jew, was the foretold Messiah for all people, and is the son of God by the human woman, Mary.  therefore Jesus was perfectly human and perfectly divine, the ultimate bridge between God and estranged humanity; the reconciler. 

    to follow Jesus means to attempt to emulate him and his life, to live up to his teachings.  the best way to do that is to read the Bible, both the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (the life and sayings of Jesus as well as the lives and writings of his followers).  this gives one an insight into what Jesus believed as well as what those who followed him experienced and believed.

    going to church is part of what Jesus did, since he attended synagogue (Jewish worship) and believed in communal prayer and working in community.  as far as listening to priests/ministers/deacons/rabbis/elders goes… the stories about Jesus show that he knew his scriptures and was not afraid to challenge the traditional interpretations of those scriptures.  he never stopped being a Jew because he disagreed with the established religion, he worked from within to change the religion. 

    so, being a Christian means to follow Jesus’ teachings, engage in your communtiy (both religious and social) activities, and continually bring injustice to light, with an eye towards reconciling all peoples to each other.

  • to Believe in Him.

  • You are going to get many different answers to this. To me, being a Christian goes beyond church attendance or tithing or Bible reading; it is someone who loves Jesus (and thereby God) and strives to serve them in the best way they can. This attitude will result in all the listed behaviors above and many more, but simply doing them from obligation or routine does not make one a Christian. A Christian must try tol internalize the message of Christ and live it out in his or her interactions (or at least try to). Christians are far from perfect, but fortunately God is right there to forgive us.

  • some people get all mixed up in thinking that htere is the right way to be a christian, but there isn’t. You just need to believe in God and Jesus. You must find your own personal relationship with him though. Your relationship will be different then all others and special between just you and Him. The bible is a great back bone of info on our religion, but it was published by man and human error does exist, so it’s not all a perfect synopsis for the faith. Basically just find your own relationship with him and still follow some traditions that show your respect for that religion.

  • I see it as..you find christiantity thru yourself. If you find it then you may join a church to find their beleifs. As you learn about these beliefs you read the bible and the priest, minister, preacher…. helps you interpret and follow its[holy doument] word.

    Top 100 baby..BUYA

  • A person who simply believes in God and chooses to follow him.

    Thats it.

  • Blind obedience to whatever someone who claims to know more about Christianity then you says – particularly someone getting rich off the whole thing like the Pope and the rest of the high-ranked clergy.
    A needy personality demanding constant attention from a “higher power” helps too. Particularly when your a terrible person and want to know that no matter what, good things are going to happen to you in the end.

  • those that confess with their mouths their sin and believe in their hearts that jesus is the son of god, god raised jesus from the dead. One who loves God and loves others.

  • see breath_of_dawn’s comment.  good one!

  • I think being a true Christian means showing unconditonal love for God and Jesus Christ. However, I personally don’t think the right way to do that is to talk about him constantly and go to church and worship him. Sure, it might help, but i believe that the right way to follow Christ is  to take care of those things he loves most. That is, of course, other people and the earth we live on.

  • Well, I also believe that the term Christian is terribly watered down.  There are “Christians” who are just as worldly as the unsaved portion.  Do you know (actual statistic from Barna.com) there are more Christians who view pornography than secular people.  !

    What we should be saying is you want to be a Follower of Christ.  Jesus never said to become a Christian…   …EVER!  He said “Follow me”.  We must be “followers of Christ.”

    And while I do believe that God chose you, you still have to accept him as your savior.  He gave us an invitation.  Because he invites us doesn’t mean we will go.  We have to take that one, tiny step and accept him as our God.  Otherwise, there wouldn’t be free choice, and that love wouldn’t be real.

  • to follow Christ. But the only way to follow Christ is to have Him dwelling within or being a deep part of you. It is reading the Bible until you can know how Jesus acted so you can become like Him.

    The accepting Jesus thing, well, those are just words that people use, just like going to church on Sunday or whatever is a TOOL that people use to help them follow Christ better. Same with priests/pastors, listening to them can be a TOOL for learning………or it can be a plain ol tool LOL.

  • not gonna lie….the all caps is super annoying

  • Well, we in the Christian world (or at least the part of it I’ve been exposed to) call those who think going to church, reading the Bible, doing good works, etc. are ‘playing Christian’.  Which is unfortunate, really, because a lot of those people really think that’s all there is to it.  But while going to church, reading the Bible, and doing good works are all good things, the only required is a relationship with Christ through confession, repentance, and acceptance of his gift of eternal life.  He asks that you follow him throughout the rest of your life, doing all those good things previously mentioned by His power, but if you don’t follow through on your part of the deal, He still holds true to His promise of eternal life, just as He remained faithful to the Israelites in Old Testament times, despite that they turned their backs on Him.

  • A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ our Lord, who suffered and died on the cross as a sacrfice for our sins.  We are ALL sinners, but by grace Christians are saved through Jesus Christ.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not parish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

    G – God’s
    R- Riches
    A- At
    C- Christ’s
    E – Expense

  • yay, go sickboy !! dude, you’re gonna get heaps of traffic now.

    Christians scare me, I have said this before … I have tried to be a Christian in the past, if God’s there he knows that … but going to certain churches and watching people talk in tongues and fall down with the blessing of God has, to be quite frank, scared the heck out of me … If Christianity is about talking in tongues and falling down then I’m out … And i was made to feel “out” coz i never spoke in tongues. and i refused to go and “be blessed” and fall over. do i have to fall over ?
    Tell me, Why do I have to go in front of a whole lot of strangers and give my self to God in a public display and then flop about on the floor like some twit ? and then sing loud raucous songs and clap my hands and maybe after that bust out the tongues again.

    I went to a HIGHLY Anglicised school, the religious complete opposite to the above mentioned displays of um, “faith” …
    We had “chapel” every day and sat there, crossed ourselves after our little prayers, posh-like, looked at the stained glass windows, admired the saints, sang to the organ, received communion (ok, i never did, and guess what, I FELT OUT!) and watched our principal preach and threaten, i watched the Father swing that spicey smokey thing through the aisles, i got ash on my forehead and watched my friends drink from a cup … and then 4 years later the principal gets done for little girl porn on his computer and disgraced… What’s with that ? Some holy man, eh ?

    What is a Christian ? What does it mean to be Christian ? Heck, in between all the singing and falling down and talking in tongues and little girl porn and swining smokey thing, I have no idea.

  • God RAPED Mary.

  • I’ve noticed some people saying that Christianity is a lifestyle. That’s true…but that comes later. To be a Christian, all you have to do is believe in Christ and repent of your sins. The Christian lifestyle, as put forth in the Scriptures, not necessarily as dictated by the church, is simply a repercussion of your belief. True the lifestyle takes work and no one lives it perfectly, but if you truly believe and understand what Christ has done for you, then you will want to strive towards that goal.

  • I think most of the folks that have already commented are on the right track of defining what a Christian is. I’m sure WEBSTER’s dictionary could do the same thing. But if someone truly wants to know what being a Christian is about they only need to look in the bible to find out what Jesus, God Himself has said about HIS followers.

    Because the mark of a Christian’s life begins with the Holy Spirit entering their heart when they agree with God that they are a sinner and need HIM to restore the relationship back to HIM. And believing that the way to restore that relationship occurred over 2000 years ago on Calvary’s Cross when Jesus became a living sacrifice for us. Jesus paid the ONLY price that could cover the bill WE ALL owed.

    But it doesn’t end there. Because the life of a Christian from that point on is totally and amazingly changed and altered forever. They are giving a NEW chance at life both here on earth and in heaven.

    The Christian life is marked by one of humbleness before GOD and before the world, its marked with forgiveness towards those that have wronged us even if we don’t think they deserve it and will probably wrong us again.

    Its about having LOVE for ALL of God’s creation because HE loved us enough to give us a cool planet to live on with all the plants, bugs and animals and of course other people. The Christian life is marked by sacrifice because doing God’s will is MORE important than doing your own will and knowing that doing the right thing sometimes is going to hurt but that doesn’t make it wrong.

    It’s realizing that we are NOT perfect and that we will mess up DAILY but that God’s mercy, love and forgiveness will NOT allow us to stay messed up. I could go on for hours or even days about what it means to be a Christian but truth be told its better to see it in ACTION than just talk about it. Jesus said be a DOER of my word not just a READER. Christianity is an ACTIVE life lived to the glory and honor of GOD.

    Blessings In Christ,

    Shelly

  • As many have said, it is to be a follower of Christ.  Quite simple really, but the depths are endless when realizing what it means to follow Christ.  It means joyfully entrusting your entire life to Him in faith, it means listening to and applying His teachings, it means realizing our total moral inadequacy from start to finish, it means living a selfless life in the Spirit of God, it means many beauties and wonders – an endless discovery.  It also means carrying your cross.  And all of these things, of course, lead us to even more questions.  What a journey!

    It all starts by turning from sin (repentance) and entrusting your being to Christ (faith).

  • to follow your faith.

  • “God loves you and cares about you, and there is nothing you can do to prevent that love, even if you refuse to acknowledge it. The love still exists, even if you don’t accept it.”

    according to your Bible that is incorrect. It says that God has wiped out entire cities because they didn’t believe in him. God created hell especially for those people who don’t believe in him.

    Personally, if I loved someone, I wouldn’t send them to a place of eternal damnation.

  • well, the word means “little chirst” so what we’re supposed to be is like Christ. we need good lives b/c that’s what we’re made for.

    but that’s nothin’ compared to God’s grace. church isn’t a building, church isn’t anything other than a person worshiping Christ. yes, fellowship is a big part of being a Christian b/c if you are sincere about it, you will want to be with other people who share your faith, but that’s not the real deal. Christianity itself, as society has made it, is a complete and total religion. it’s following a bunch of laws to make everyone see you in a ‘holier-than-thou’ way. which isn’t what Jesus wanted. Jesus wants a relationship with His people, the people He died saving. Jesus, therefore, is NOT religion.

    so basically, being a Christian means giving your life, your WHOLE life, over to Christ to further His kingdom and walk in His ways.

  • it means that you belive that jesus christ was Gods son. im not christian, and im ok with that. I had an argument at school once about this. it was so annoying. so i agree with him.

    !~nicole~!

  • Ah, Sickboy is teh man.

  • Frankly, I think Chrisitanity is a bunch of silly horseshit. But I’ve got a bunch of Christian friends who I respect (inasmuch as a misanthrope can respect the devout), so I tend to keep that to myself.

    The whole thing just seems so damn silly and unbelievable.

    Guess that’s why they call it faith.

  • It means that you have accepted Jesus into your heart. You may not go to church, but that doesn’t matter as long as you have that connection with God and follow his word you’re a Christian

  • accepting that christ died for us so that we could be forgiven. many christians…like myself do not always lead a “chrisitan life” I think ones that have been turned away by church or organized religion….will come back. christians have that deep rooted belief and always led back when the time is right. god loves everyone…regardless. and I think that boy should not be harassed. I think  you should encourage that Dan.  

  • There are so many disputed definitions of “Christian” these days. Some say all you have to do is believe in Jesus Christ. But even Satan and his demons believe in Jesus! But they still fight Christ. Others say all you have to do is believe in the Bible. Satan can qoute the Bible! He quoted it Jesus, trying to tempt Him. But, a true Christian is someone who has completely, unconditionally given their life over to Jesus and hac accepted Him in their hearts. Along with that goes the belief that the Bible is the unfallable word of God. There’s nothing about church involved, that comes later as the new believer desires to be around other people who believe the same thing and wants to worship Jesus with others.

    That’s my 2 cents.

    amanda

  • In the words of Christ, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”  It involves a recognition of one’s inablility to save himself or anyone else from sins.  A Christian recognizes that God in the flesh, died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for the sinner.  He believes that Christ rose from the dead, all according to the Scriptures.  The lifestyle of a Christian is a high and difficult calling.  We should be loving God with all of our being and loving our neighbors as ourselves.  Christianity would be less confusing to many, if we took those commands to heart.  And no one can argue you into heaven, God calls your heart to Himself.  Thanks for asking.

  • By its nature–because of what it claims–the Christian faith cannot be somewhat important. Either Christianity is totally unimportant or it is the central fact of human history. There is no middle ground because of what this religion claims: a man performed miracles, said he was God, was executed by Roman authorities, came back to life, was witnessed by a number of people, and before leaving earth for another trans-temporal, trans-spacial dimension, said he would return at the destruction and remaking of the world to save those who believe and follow him.

    If that’s true, it’s more than somewhat important. If it’s not true, it’s a fraudulent hoax and should be wholly dismissed.

    A Christian is someone who believes it is true, and orders his life around it.

  • You have to first recognize you are a sinner and can not get to heaven on your own. You then have to accept Jesus’ gift of salvation and His death on the cross and recognize him as Lord of your life. Many people ‘believe’ in God but even the demons believe in God, but the demons are definitely not saved. Allowing Christ to become Lord of your life is the difference between those who ‘believe’ and fill pews on Sunday morning and those who are the real, authentic, saved believers. Going to church does not make you a Christian. Going to church is where you hear the Word of God, have a chance to praise and worship God, and fellowship with other believers to deepen your relationship with God and your fellow believers. Being a Christian is having a relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ; therefore, we do not need earthly priests to get to God. Jesus Christ is our Priest, He is our access to God.

  • a Christ Follower. nothing to do with the american church at all.

  • being a christian means wanting to live for christ, and believing that there’s something bigger out there than just day to day living. No body can convince you to be a christian you have to want it. I do promise that if you were to live your life for christ and devote your entire life to him, you will have such a better outlook on life, and will have a reson to wake up every morning. i know that with God my life would have absoulutly no purpose. I hope that all will reconsider not going to church.

  • It means that you believe in Jesus and the teachings of the bible. If that wasn’t what it meant, why would so many quote the bible?

    Eva.

  • some one who tries to be like jesus

  • What I’d like to know is, when do people start becoming a Christian? If, for example, your parents are Christian, then are you one from birth?
    I wonder how many Christians here made the conscious choice to become Christians, and how many are simply repeating what their parents believed.
    I’d guess more of the latter than the former.

  • I think that being a Christian can encompass many things. However, the one thing that is true of all Christians is recognizing Jesus Christ as Lord and God and walking in His footsteps. The ultimate goal is to become like Christ….Christ-like, Christian.

  • “I believe that being a Christian is having a close personal relationship with our savior Jesus Christ. To be close to him we read the Bible and pray, and have fellowship at church.”

    Exactly.

  • From my experiance? A lying, hypocritical person.

  • A Christian is someone who is following Jesus, whose life is being transformed by Christ.

  • 9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

    Romans 10:9-10

  • I’m an atheist, so I don’t really know. But if I were to answer, I would probably say that a christian is someone who believes in god. But idk, who knows.

  • Christianity means so many things to so many different people.  I think it is nearly impossible to clearly define what is means to “be a Christian.”  Everyone has their own beliefs, they follow different churches and practices, they live different life styles.  So I think, when it comes down to it, the base of being a Christian means having faith in/a sense of reliance/trust in Christ (or maybe even any other higher power).

  • It has always been my goal to stand out among your hundreds of comments, and although there are so many thorough comments on here already; I felt that being Jewish, now might be a good time to say something worthwhile.

    I have spent the last fourty-five minutes or so reading through all of the comments and definitions that people have already provided. A general similarity between the majority or the positive comments invloved being a good person, and accepting Jesus as your savoir, and letting him into your heart. Many also included believing in the bible.

    I have a few things to say to those people. Being Jewish I do not believe that Jesus is any sort of divine being, especially not our savoir. This allows me to step back and fully analyze the Christian faith; although I do have to admit that I am a little bias. This is the way I see it. Jesus was born, lived, and died JEWISH. If all the people with W.W.J.D. bracelets really thought about it, Jesus would be doing exactly what the Jews are doing because he was Jewish.

    Second, Jesus was not actually the one who spread his ideals. It wasn’t until after he died that Peter decided that Jesus was God’s son, invented the Christian religion, and spread it throughout the world. Not only is that a little strange because Jesus did not actually spread his beliefs at all, but it’s also strange for another reason. Christianity was basically invented by man. In fact, basically every religion in the world (including my own) is man-made. I have to wonder if any religion that was created by man’s imagination could really be true.

    Third, I have noticed that it is a general pattern in religion that the religiopn’s followers assume that their religion is correct, and everyone else is wrong. I have especially noticed this pattern in Christians. I probably would not mind, but the Christian faith always seems to try to push their religion onto what they call “non-believers”. One year, a group of Christian people put flyers on all of the cars at my temple during high holiday services. (The high holidays are the most important Jewish holidays, and since the Jewish community is very small where I live, almost every observant Jew comes to those services at one plave) Not only was this completely inconsiderate, rude, and disrespectful, but frankly–it was very annoying as well. Christians always say that they are good people, but then shouldn’t they accept everyone as they are, no matter what they believe?

    While I’m on that point, I’d like to mention observancy in the bible as well. Right now, many people that are against gay marriage say that the Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman. I am curious to know where exactly it says that, but that is not my point. The point is rather that the first testament has six hundrerd and thirteen commandments. Every single Christian I have every talked to is only aware of ten commandments, and I have certainly never met a Christian who keeps kosher. I’m not trying to say that they should since I don’t myself, but what I am trying to say is that if they want to follow exactly what the bible says, they should follow exactly what all of the bible says, not pick and choose.

    So what exactly is a Christian? I cannot say, but what I do know is that Christianity, and all religions in general, need to stop assuming that they are correct. Give some other religions a try and see what they are all about. Who knows, you might learn something?

    Now that I’ve finished….bring on the hate mail.

    P.S. Please do not take offense from anything I have said. Although I realized I have said many offensive things, I did not sya them for the purpose of offending people.

  • Alas, a lot of these definitions are vague and vacuous and merely throw out a lot of cliches which unchurched people probably won’t care about or understand. Being a Christian means simply that “we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending.” Christians recognize that they’ve made more than a mess of their own lives, and that they still do this on a regular basis, but (ideally) they aren’t ashamed to admit their weaknesses and to confess their need for God. We understand that in some mysterious way Jesus resides within us and transforms our spirits so that each day we can become better, stronger, more loving people if we will only acknowledge our failures and His all-encompassing strength.

  • Being a christian means to accept God as your Savior, recognize that he is part of the trinity, God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost (much in the same way Water can be a solid , liquid and a gas ) AND allow him to be Lord of your life. Thats the clincher, allowing God to be the leader in your life. When you feel that little something that says read the bible, that little something is the Holy Spirit speaking to your soul, being a christian means heeding that voice of God that speaks to you supernaturally. No, not like the sound of some deep bass comming out of the stereo speakers…but…well, lets say you were looking for a friend: You’d call out to your friend, you’d look for him in places you think he might be and you’d talk to people who know him. You’d read his dayplanner and you track him down. Inviting God into your life is a lot like that. God will never force himself on anyone. He merely waits and reaches out to us when we first reach for him. The way we reach for him is to develop a desire to know more, to act on that desire by reading his word, by hanging out with others christians that will allow us opportunity to bounce ideas off of each other and to go directly to God in prayer. Some of my most spiritual moments have been times when I was on my knees praying for God to help me in some way and then recognizing him as the person who helped me when my prayer is answered.

    A church is just a building, religion is just a practice, but being a christian is having a personal relationship with God and following his lead.

  • You don’t actually have to do anything, except for have faith. That is where the phrase “asking Jesus into your heart comes from”, basically you’re just asking Jesus/God to help you have faith.

    As you grow in faith, you can begin to try the other things.

    A great place where I would begin is “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. Tozer. It is a short book (like 120 easy-reading pages). It helps give you the knowledge which guide your faith.

    If anybody tells you that you need to do any more, then they are asking too much. They are asking a beginning believer to act like a fully grown Christian. What they are asking you to do is the same as you asking an infant to read the newspaper to you.

  • Jesus

  • A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. Originally, the term was used in Antioch as a derogatory slang name, but it has stuck instead as a badge of honor. A follower of Jesus believes that, as the Bible says, all humans do or have done wrong things, that the penalty for doing wrong against God’s law (sin) is death, and that Jesus Christ paid the price of our sins to redeem us. He then works in our lives, as we let Him, to make our lives better, that is to make our lives in line with what is right. I have often met new people that, either during or after the encounter, have asked myself, “Iwonder if they are a Christian.” I think that is part of what being a Christian really is: you don’t have to tell everyone you follow the teachings of the humble Galilean because they will figure out there is something different about you. True religion is a way of life, and true Christianity reflect in the life of the Christian that He spends time with Christ in prayer and meditiation of the Bible, the word of God. Unfortunately, as Sickboy86 has found, Christians still make mistakes, and sometimes Christians behave in a most un-Christ-like manner. If every Christian were perfect,there would probably be more people who would become Christians. I recommend that Sickboy86 read the book of John for himself. Or, there is also a terrific book about the life of Jesus that is called The Desire of Ages by Ellen White which gives a deep perspective on Jeshua (Jesus) the man who lived in Palestine about 30 – 33 AD, who was called Christ, the messiah, the Son of God. The Disire of Ages is listed by the Library of Congress. Also a book by the same author called Steps to Christ or Happiness Digest is also a good start. A book that is pretty good but with less words and more recent is The Gift, by Max Lucado. There is also a book called Grace, by Chuck Swindol I think,that I have heard parts of that seem like it would be a good place to start.

  • Being a christian means that you identify yourself as a christian, no more, no less. If you think you are, you are, if you are not, then you are not. There is no such think as god’s love for you, whether or not you accept it, or other such crap. People who think everyone is christian, or who think that you must be a good person to be a christian, or any other variety, are confused.

  • thus far, like breath of dawn. i would say, nothing in here is full or accurate. to know what a Christian is, you have to go to the source. i would advise reading the four Gospels, in which Christ himself is quoted and see what HE says a Christian is (though he never uses the term) He calls the “disciples” or “followers”. the point being, i wouldnt ask a TV what it is, i’d read the manual.

  • What does it mean to be a Christian?

    It means realising and acknowledging that we have all sinned and need to be justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that came by His Son, Christ Jesus, through His sacrifice on the cross. But we can’t just acknowledge this, we have to believe it in our heart and soul and we need to give our heart and soul to Christ who cleans and purifies and makes us new again. God is my Creator and Father, Christ is His Son and my Saviour and His Holy Spirit is my guide and comforter. Susan <><

  • gandhi once said something along of the lines of liking christ, yet that christ is so unlike christains.

    i tend to agree with that concept, i have had some bad experiences with christians, yet nothing ive read in the bible supports that kind of behavior. the judgemental, “must convert you” mentality is just wrong. you can be a good christian w/o pissing people off.

  • I believe that being a Christian means doing your best to be a good person, a caring person, a person that believes in “your” higher power.  I try not to discuss Christianity as there are so many versions of it and everyone believes their tenets to be the true ones. I pray to Jesus Christ.  I try to be kind to people and follow the commandments as closely as I can.  I do not attend a church regularly but I believe I am a good Christian. My mother taught me that your prayers can be heard as clearly from inside you home as inside a church building.  They will not be sent back “Return To Sender” because they’re not said in the correct building on the proper day.

  • If you remain a good person, and believe in jesus Christ then a cristian will be going to heaven. There are many people that dont go to church but still believe and worship there own way.

  • Love.
    “For God so LOVED the world he gave his only begotten son that whoever belives in Him shall never die but have enternal life” -John 3:16
    Jesus came to earth. He had eveything in Heaven and He came to Earth to be a sacrifice. He went thorugh tremendous pain on the cross so the children He LOVED could have eternal life. God gave up the son He LOVED and let Him suffer through three days of Hell becasue he LOVED the world so much and wanted to save His children.
    The basis of it all, is LOVE.

  • My personal definition:

    Someone who tries to emulate Jesus in every way. (except for the walking on water bit) They don’t even have to be believers in the religion, in my book. I’m not Christian in any definition though, so don’t ask me.

  • “Christian” is an old word meaning “soldier under the command of Christ”, like Danian would mean “solider under the command of Dan”.  A common Roman military term, renderable with any high ranking person’s name.

    I think we get a little to stuck on words sometimes though…in the Bible, they were called “belivers” for the first good while there.  ~Someone who believes that Jesus was the Messiah and confesses that- who repents of their sins, etc.- who does what the Bible says.~

    According to C.S. Lewis, a Christian is someone who agrees with the basic concepts of Christianity (in “Mere Christianity”)- and therefore not nessisarily someone who actually follows Christ or wishes to enter Heaven.

  • I became a Christian when…

    1) I realize that I am a sinner and that because of sin, I stand condemned under the Law.  There is nothing within my ability to redeem myself completely.

    2) I trust that Jesus, who is God, was qualified to (because of His holiness), willing to (because of His love for me), and actually did die and suffer in my place. He bore my sins when He was crucified on the cross. Isaiah 53:5

    3) I believe that Jesus indeed resurrected on the third day after his death, demonstrating to me His power over death.  And therefore I trust that He has the power to give me life, a life that is eternal and secured. John 10:29

    Because of the three convictions, I became a child of God. The moment anyone comes to believe in the 3 points above is the moment he/she becomes one as well.  Thus, he/she begins a brand new relationship with God Himself.  And thus, he/she becomes a Christian.  John 3:16

  • Romans 10:9-10

    9That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

  • the concept of modern christians are terrible, and i won’t defend them.
    christ showed the world a life of love and service and sacrifice and humility.
    to be a christian is to follow his actions and do the things he did.
    to do this is to have a relationship with your creator, God.
    we’re all playing a song with our lives.
    we have to ask ourselves: are we in tune with God’s song?
    to be a christian is to die to yourself daily. to sacrifice your own will
    for that of someone who you don’t like. it’s to love your enemy.
    it’s to set aside your pride.

    that’s being a christian.

       jonathan

  • i am so excited that you are interested! it is important that you can ask many questions,  i advise you to go to a church where you live, be upfront about your bad experiences because Christins have a bad habbit of expecting you to understand everything right away when you really cant. Talk to a pastor because they will give you the best argument and you can argue back! please dont be scared off by the Christians who have made a bad impression, they were mistaken and although this is cliche it is true “Christians arent perfect, just forgiven”

    http://www.fishthe.net/digitracts/roman.htm

    Sarah

  • Believing that Jesus is the son of god and savoir
     
    You should read the story of the Faith of the Centurion
     
    Here it is
     
    The Faith of the Centurion

        1 When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

        He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

        9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

    All you have to do is believe and you can be saved 

  • I am discusted by a lot of these answers.  People who don’t think that works are nessasary for the Christian’s life or who say that it is not a religion…have you not ever read the Book of James?!?

  • Someone who believes that God is sovereign,Jesus is his son, both man and God, who was born of a virgin birth, lived a sinless life,was crucified on the cross and resurrected and will one day return, and someone who loves God and accepts his love and strives to follow Christs’ example and live righteously spreading the word of God and the good news. A “Christ-follower” in other words. Beause people have associated such a negative connotation with the term “Christian”.

    <3

  • It means you are (1) deceived to believe that there is a God; (2) had a near-supernatural experience of sorts and believes that there is a higher Being that has created such a moment; (3) insecure about the questions that science cannot answer and has turned to God; or (4) your parents are Christians, so why not you?

    Much of other parts I was going to say, I can easily say, has been answered by others and hence I will not repeat them, though.

  • Being christian means accepting Jesus as your savior and being the best person you can be in the time you have and trying to help your fellow man.

  • it means that you’ve felt a power. a power unlike anything in this world. it means you’ve met somebody that can’t be seen. It’s about Jesus. Church, The Bible, Priests…they are just tools to help further your faith. Christianity is about giving your life over to a strength that can’t be comprehended and can’t be seen. It’s about faith.

  • HERE’s AN ACCOUNT:

    USERNAME:

    Tony_Donnahue_h_p_r_p_xx

    PASSWORD:

    harry

  • Being a Christian means accepting Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and following his teachings, which are found in the Bible. That’s the short version, but I think it works.

    Just going to church doesn’t count, and nothing in the Bible says that following an earthly priest’s teachings will get you into heaven. You can do good things and say, “Jesus was a very good guy, but I don’t think that he rose from the dead.” There are muslims and hindus and atheists who are good people, and that doesn’t make them Christian.

  • I think being a christian means believing in faith…but then again…not everyone who believes in faith is christian.  Maybe its belief that a higher being will take care of you when you do…as long as jesus is your savior.  I’m not christian…I’m catholic..ave a lot of christian friends…so I learn things.  I just think its a belief system that seems to work for them.  I don’t think its far that christians push their beliefs on us non’christians as though we are sinning the air they breathe…but some were brought up that way. 

  • Coming to know Jesus – God sent his only son to become man, Die on the cross and rise on the third day to give salvation to the world. 

  • too bad i can only give you 2 eprops for posting this question.. if i could i would give you 4. haha

    anyway yeah… a christian is someone that believes in AND LOVES Christ. the other things, such as reading the bible, being a good person, going to church etc. just come along with it. but if you just wanna be technical.. its that simple. if you believe in and love Christ, as in Jesus Christ, Son of God.. then you’re Christian. and you’d better be proud of it.

  • jesus loving ten commendmant following person

  • A Christian is, by definition, someone who follows Christ. It’s someone who follows His teachings, and imitates Him. Most people would say a true Christian (or redeemed Christian) is someone who has a saving faith in Christ.

  • Wow.  Alot of good answers here!  I grew up “Christian” and grew away from it until my early 30s.  The church I grew up in was Episcopalian – alot like Catholic.  We had communion, babies were baptized, The Lords Prayer and The Nicean Creed were said weekly.  To me it just seemed like alot of repetition.  I went through a time when I didn’t believe or even want to believe in God.  Then one day, for some reason, all of that changed.  I really didn’t know what to believe.  

      The day that all changed, I picked up the Bible and just started reading it for myself.  As you can see there are many different opinions, so find out for yourself!   Although I read it from cover to cover, it is recommended that you start with The New Testament with the book of John being first.    The Old Testament has alot of prophecies in it many regarding  Jesus.  Nobody has ever proven anything in the Bible wrong and the more archeological evidence that is found, the more the stories are substantiated. 

    After reading the Bible, do some more research, don’t just read the Bible, study it.  It is really interesting.  It does say that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to eternal life and heaven.  Most other religions that aren’t considered Christian just don’t believe that Jesus Christ is God.  They say he was just a really nice guy, basically.  If that is so, then he is also either a liar, a demon, or a lunatic because Jesus Christ himself has said he is God.

    Anyways, a good site to check out is http://www.myfortress.org

    Take that journey and explore it for yourself! 

  • I love reading all the atheists saying what it is to be a christian, quite entertaining, but a lot of us are off I believe, just look at the bible, what it is to be a follower of christ is right there, if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

  • Sick Boy, has officially become my messiah.  Next to DMV, The_Church_of_Fat, NikBV, and Nomadtellus

  • Follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

  • It means you act like Christ.

  • A Christian is someone that believes that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for their sins, and that He rose again from the dead. If someone believes this and repents and let’s Jesus be the Lord of their life, then their sins are forgiven by the blood of Jesus and the righteousness of jesus has been imputed to them, which means that they are not saved by their own good works, but the work that jesus did for us on the cross.

    Larry

  • a person who has a vital, daily, relationship with God, and allows that relationship to affect his life/

  • A Christian is someone who realizes that he/she is a sinner and that they can do NOTHING to save themselves from condemnation. Not good works, going to church, giving alms, praying, or bieng a good person can save them. A Christian has acknowledged that God has sent His son Jesus Christ to die in our place. Good works are a PRODUCT of salvation, rather than salvation being a product of good works.

  • It is supposed to mean ‘to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and do what He commanded’.  But there are a lot of Christians that seem to lose sight of that.

    L,r

  • christian = accepts Jesus Christ as his Lord and savior.

  •  Christian:
     
     Noun
     1. One who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. 2. One who lives according to the teachings of Jesus.
     Etymology
     Middle English Cristen, from Old English cristen, from Latin Chr*sti*nus, from Chr*stus, Christ ; see Christ.

    * Definition provided by The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

  • Since the beginning of time there has always been someone, be it a king or priest who tells you how it is and followers accept it because he spoon fed them what he wanted them to hear. Nothing has changed today and I can hear it now there are going to be some that stand up shouting I am wrong and they can if they want, it is a free Country so far.

    Throw everything you have ever heard and anything that a priest told you and opinions out the window. Christianity is a commitment to a life style. When man was first made he was perfect, as perfect as God. The problem was man sinned. God loves us and wants us to be with him but he cannot be in the presence of sin. Sin cannot be wiped clean without a blood sacrifice and at that time only the Jews were able to go to heaven. God is like an egg, he is three parts that makes up one, the father, the son and the holy ghost. God the Father sent God the Son to Earth to become flesh and to be the perfect sacrifice. He was sinless, physically perfect in every way. Because the Son died on the cross as our perfect sacrifice salvation is now available to non Jews and Jews alike for an unknown time period which at the end Jesus will come again and take all who still live that are Christians to Heaven. During this time period all prophecy must be fulfilled and all man kind must be educated about who God is and the sacrifice of the Son for our sins. In order to receive the gift of salvation all you have to do is pray to Jesus the Son and accept his sacrifice as payment for your sin. That is all there is to it basically.

    You will hear all kinds of wild tales from preachers and I tell you this because I have been burned a few times. What they did not know is my parents gave me a very rare and valuable gift. I was educated without bias toward any denomination. What is written is what I learned beyond what the average Joe has learned. There are many churches and cults that survive by you being a uneducated Christian. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not all bad, but many of them miss the mark because their denomination has trashed what they don’t believe in. It is good to have fellowship with other believers but you should always check what they say with the Word. They may be wrong, they are only human, not God

    It does not matter how good you are because we are all sinners and we have all fallen short of the glory of God. This includes all humans no exceptions. Once you pray the prayer to the Son Jesus and accept him you are saved. You will always sin till the day you die but that’s ok because you are saved. All you need to do is ask Jesus to forgive those sins, not a priest or some other human being. The only way to get accurate information is to get a copy of a Bible, preferably the Old King James Version. You can use the Living Bible to help you get through the Old English but refer back to the old text also. Read the New Testament first and more specifically Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read Revelation last. In God’s eyes we are all equal, we are his children. I hope this helps there is just so much you can squeeze into a comment.

  • Christian is supposed to mean “Christ-like”. It was a name given to the followers of Christ by NONBELIEVERS.

    Unfortunately, so few “Christians” live upto that name. Grace has been perverted into a license to tell others how to live, instead of an oppurtunity to demonstrate by example. Early Christians shared everything and served their community in ways that dwarf us today. Society today “Christian” and “Non-Christian” is very selfish and legalistic. Very few Christians know what it means to wash another’s feet. Infact, very few denominations even practice that during Holy Communion during Holy Week any more.

    Now Christian means to vote Republican, preach religion in the science classroom, and worship the Flag more than Christ. The Terry Shiavo affair showed me that it isn’t enough to tell the world how to live but how to die as well.

    I find the concept of the Rapture to be very dangerous. Not because the concept wasn’t invented till the late 1800′s but rather because it creates an attitude to hasten Christ’s return for self serving wants. Christ said “What you do unto the least of my Brethern, you do unto me.

    The Fundementalist take over of the Republican party I find particularly disturbing. What part of “My Kingdom is not of this world” don’t “Christians” understand? Many of Christ’s followers wanted Him to establish a political kingdom and he would have no part in it. Some in Missouri have tried to make Christianity an official state religion. Why don’t Christians see the damage they are doing to Christ’s NONPOLITICAL legacy?

  • “IS IT SOMEONE WHO GOES TO CHURCH, OR LISTENS TO A PRIEST, PRACTICES THE BIBLE, READS THE BIBLE OR IS IT BELIEVING IN JESUS, OR EVEN JUST BEING A GOOD PERSON ENOUGH?”

    While many Christians practice the things unbolded, the part I bolded is the most important part to me. It’s all about Jesus!

  • Today’s answer comes in the form of dorky Jesus music.

    “And they’ll know we are Christians with our love, with our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians with our love!”

    “I am a C!  I am a C-H!  I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N!  And I have C-H-R-I-S-T in my H-E-A-R-T and I will L-I-V-E E-T-E-R-N-A-L-L-Y!”

    Feel like puking yet?

    Being a Christian means showing Christ’s love in deed, not just cheap talk, and I’m sorry that this guy is being bombarded by fundamentalists who are full of it.

  • Romans 3 basically sums it up for you. Good deeds are nice, but in the end it is only faith in Jesus Christ that grants your salvation.

  • I’d give it levels.  A true Christian believes in and follows the words of Christ, be it no premartial sex to no murder.  Then there’re the partial Christians who’d say they believe but don’t really follow all the rules and might not have complete faith.

  • Being a Christian isn’t about going to heaven. Its about making the earth into the Kingdom of God or heaven on earth. Its following the teachings of Jesus. Promoting peace and justice. The best examples of what it means to be a Christian in recent times are Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi.

  • Someone who accepts Jesus as their savior.

  • Christian — to believe that Christ came to earth in the form of a man, died for your sins, and that belief in him is the way to eternal life in heaven with Him. He came to reconcile humans to God, because all sin and have fallen short of perfection. Being a Christian is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ — He can guide you, and belief in Him will change your life.

  • A follower of Christ.

  • To aim to lead a Christ-like way of life.

  • a Christian is a follwer of Christ…one who adheres to and follows the teachings of Jesus.  the difficult part is the interpretation of what He taught, hence the numerous ‘christian’ denominations.  denominations are necessarily bad but the reason is because people interpret what Jesus said in the Bible.

  • To be a Christian is to recognize your place as a child of the Almighty God and to be cleansed of your sin, to have an eternal home and inheritance in Heaven. It is, by its very definition, to be a follower and friend of Christ, to have a personal relationship with Him. It is to be a part of an inseperable brotherhood of like-minded people, who follow Christ as well and who will help you in your walk.

    “Christian” means “little Christ.” If you claim to be a Christian, you should be constantly progressing to become more and more like Christ every day.

  • There are a million different answers because people make God what they want to make him out of their own limited understanding. I consider myself to be a Christian, but so many people would look at my life and find 100 reasons to tell me that I’m not (or that I’m not a good one anyway!)

    I don’t necessarily agree with the Sunday School answer “you just have to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior and believe that he died on the cross for your sins.” To be a Christian is to FOLLOW the WAY of Christ in my opinion. If you look at his life…tolerance for others, his choice of disciples, his teachings on mercy and forgiveness, his disdain for religion and a controlled relationship with God, and his willingness to DIE for his beliefs, I don’t think that very many of us really understand what it means to follow in his footsteps.

    Accept and believe. If you believe a certain thing, you will act like you believe it. It’s about what you believe…what you really believe.

  • I don’t know how I would define a Christian, but I do know what a Christian is not. 

  • You can be a good person and not be a Christian. I have a friend who is Atheist and she is an amazing person. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her sin…but she still doesn’t believe there is a God.  You don’t have to be a good person to be a Christian. You don’t automatically become a good person when you’re saved, you’re supposed to (in my opinion) work to become Christ-like. Christ died for all sins, even one’s we have not yet commited.

    I think that a true Christian is one who seeks God’s will and not his/her own…or anyone else’s.

  • All these comments remind  me of the story of the 3 blind men who wanted to know what an elephant looked like.  Each of them went up to the elephant and felt it, and smelled it, etc.  But because each one felt a different part of the elephant, they each had a different idea of what an elephant looks like…one described the trunk, the other described the tail, and the other described another part.

    Each person has his/her own individual idea (albeit some are similar) of what a Christian is, and part of this is because of the relationship-nature of being a Christian, as well as individual perspective or understanding of the Bible.

    Any researcher knows the difference between a primary source and a secondary source.  All these comments and the books suggested in many of them, are secondary sources.  If you really truly do want to know what a Christian is, I would suggest you go to the primary source to find out:  the first four books of the new testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  See who and what Jesus Himself claimed to be, what He taught, what happened in His life and to His followers. See what Jesus defined as being a “true” follower. Put it all together, don’t pit one book against another, for they are each a little different, yes, but one thing Christians have in common is the belief that these books are the inspired word of God.  The “differences” in the books are minor and won’t affect the overall goal you’d have of wanting to know who Jesus was and what HE taught about how to follow Him correctly.  All Christian belief and practice is based on these books, and variations are due to individual differences in understanding, which it seems God has allowed.  Then read the book of Genesis, for that is the “beginning of it all”, the basis for believing in a God at all, that creation demands a creator.  It also would help you understand why Jesus came as “savior”.

    Other books of the Bible would give more information and “flesh out” the description of what it means to be a Christian and further “define” it, but the first 4 books I mentioned and Genesis, are the core of it.

    Read these books in an easy to understand translation, such as NIV or even the “Every Day Bible”.  If you’re up to it and interested in this, even pray to God before reading, to ask Him to show you this stuff.

    As a Christian and believer in God, I say to you, God bless your studies.  in Him, Gerrie

  • Man… your site is very impressive, feel free to check mine out.

  • Daniel, has jake been reading these pages?

  • I think its hard to perfectly define who a “Christian” is, because it is impossible to know people’s hearts.  Luckily, God knows our hearts, and He will judge us.  But to me, a Christian is someone who belongs to Christ, who makes a habit of trying to surrender their life to Him every day, every moment.  Needless to say, we fail an awful lot.  But like I said, God knows our hearts.  I hope that all made sense.

  • hmmm, i just happened upon the site, and thought i would leave a comment because i actually just posted some thoughts that i (as a Christian) had about repentance and the like. it may be of interest. it may not. but who knows, it might kinda answer the question for you, or at least lead to an answer…

  • I think it’s living your life according to the teachings of Jesus, isn’t it?

  • Im not even gonna touch this…

    That story in the bible, or saying? About praying in a loud tone of voice in public areas?

    Doesnt matter, I currently go to a Hindu temple specifically devoted to the love and worship of the one true god, Krishna to worship and I am A-OK!

    Hare Krishna Prabu!

  • This person has alot of insight. The Bible says a Christian is someone who says they have asked Jesus to be their Lord and Saviour. No hoops to jump thru, no catechisms to recite. You just need to be able to say, truthfully, that you believe Jesus saved you from your sins.

  • Follower of Christ

  • Someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

    Of course, then he must act on it by loving God with all he has and obeying Him, and then loving his neighbor as himself. =)

  • i believe that being a christian is being a follower of Christ. believing that he is the son of God, God sent him as a sacrifice for our sins, Christ died as that sacrifice so that we may know eternal life. because we are followers of Christ we also model our lives by His perfect life. Since this is documented in the Holy Bible that is where we look as our guide.

    church is supposed to be “the body of christ” - as in the body of believers. It should be a support and encouragement to each other in their christian walk. People helping people get to heaven.

  • A Christian is a follower of God. Someone who has chosen to place God in the center of their life. Simple as that. Some people that attend church may not be Christian. If you listen to a priest that doesn’t make you a Christian. Neither does just reading the Bible or believing in God.

    James 2:19
    You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

    Even the demons believe in God, but that certainly doesn’t mean they are Christians!

    If a Muslim picks up a Bible and reads a few passages does that make him a Christian? No

    Reading the Bible, going to church, praying… it’s all part of being a Christian, but to become a Christian you must…
    A. Admit that you are a sinner and need a Savior
    B. Believe in your heart that Jesus died and rose again for your sins
    C. Confess your sins to Him and commit your life to Him

    When you are a Christian you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

  • <TABLE width=”80%”>

    To be Christian is to believe that Jesus is the son of God.   But if your belief isn’t strong enough to make you act and change your life, then you don’t have real faith.  A real Christian is one who can “show you [his] faith by what [he does]“. (James 2:18).  A true, deep faith will prompt a person to obey the Bible’s teachings (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:36-39) and try to live for God (Romans 6:1-2).

    Trying to be a Christian without the Bible is like trying to cook an ethnic dish you’ve never heard of, without the recipe.  You’ll get a big, confused mess most of the time.  And the Church as a group of believers was designed to work as a team, like all the organs and limbs work together to make a human body (1 Corinthians 12:27), so being a Christian without the Church is theoretically possible but not really practical.

    I think it’s really sad that people are so easily disillusioned with Christianity because of an experience (or even more than one) with Christians.  Just like few scientists are frothing at the mouth while combining the contents of multi-colored test tubes, and few businessmen are actually cold and corrupt, not all Christians are hypocritical, pathetic softies.  Most of us are free-thinking, honest individuals who understand what we believe and why.  It’s really sad that people reject Christianity, which is such an incredible thing, because they’ve gotten a bad view of Christians from TV or from a hypocrite who isn’t acting like Christ.

    <TBODY>

  • <TABLE width=”80%”>

    To be Christian is to believe that Jesus is the son of God.   But if your belief isn’t strong enough to make you act and change your life, then you don’t have real faith.  A real Christian is one who can “show you [his] faith by what [he does]“. (James 2:18).  A true, deep faith will prompt a person to obey the Bible’s teachings (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:36-39) and try to live for God (Romans 6:1-2).

    Trying to be a Christian without the Bible is like trying to cook an ethnic dish you’ve never heard of, without the recipe.  You’ll get a big, confused mess most of the time.  And the Church as a group of believers was designed to work as a team, like all the organs and limbs work together to make a human body (1 Corinthians 12:27), so being a Christian without the Church is theoretically possible but not really practical.

    I think it’s really sad that people are so easily disillusioned with Christianity because of an experience (or even more than one) with Christians.  Just like few scientists are frothing at the mouth while combining the contents of multi-colored test tubes, and few businessmen are actually cold and corrupt, not all Christians are hypocritical, pathetic softies.  Most of us are free-thinking, honest individuals who understand what we believe and why.  It’s really sad that people reject Christianity, which is such an incredible thing, because they’ve gotten a bad view of Christians from TV or from a hypocrite who isn’t acting like Christ.

    <TBODY>

  • At the core, as a few others have stated is confessing with your mouth (telling others) and believing in your heart that Jesus is who he said he is and that God raised him after his death on the cross for your sins. However, many claim to be Christain who truely are not. It is said that by the fruit of their actions you will know them. It does not cut it to just talk the talk.

  • Conceptually, the Christian is the one who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. He is one who believes that by God’s grace Jesus Christ was sent to earth as fully man and fully God that He might live a perfect sinless life that was able to serve as an atonement for Man by being worthy to take the punishment deserving for sinful Man.

    A Christian is a person who trusts that God provided a means of reconciliation to Him when we were unable to do so by ourselves.

    example: A person runs a stop sign. He is unable to atone for his mistake by promising that he will never ever miss another stop sign ever again. Nor can he ask another person who ran a stop sign to atone for the stop sign he ran — that person has his own stop sign running to atone for. Instead, each person needs for someone who has never ran a stop sign and therefore who is obligated to owe nothing to be fully able to make up for the transgression of those who err’d.

  • Christianity is in your heart and soul, your actions and the choices you make. Pure and simple. =D
    ~J4J~

  • being hypocritical… in a loving, caring sort of way…of course

  • Interesting….Jesus is our great High Priest not an earthly priest…..Yes, I agree that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in your heart unto righteousness, you shall be saved…..I think some of the confusion comes in when people say they are Christians, and are trying to convince another, yet their life, and all that doesn’t show it…Yes, I know you can’t really see someone’s life over xanga. I believe Christianity should be the working out of what Christ has worked in…..you are saved by grace, through faith unto good works, but not by works lest you should boast….No, it’s not church, but the church should be mostly made up of those who have come to saving faith in Jesus Christ….for forsaking not the assembling of yourselves together as the days are evil….I think some times distinctions should be made….faith first… then fact….then feeling….I even find myself these days wondering what a true Christian is in this modern world, society of ours which also seems to affect believers, churches, and anything to do with Christ – Christianity, as you can’t serve two masters for if you love one. you will hate the other….So who is your master???? Work out your salvation with fear, and trembling…a two pronged fork….It is the Holy Spirit’s job anyway to convict one of sin, and convince one of the truth that lies in Jesus Christ…..It’s not our job anyway, and I feel for this gentleman who has all these questions, as I say I also begin to wonder some times in this modern Christian era…..

  • First off, no capsy lockies, please. Hurts my tender, experienced eyes. I believe I am a true christian. All you have to do is believe that Jesus is God and he came here to die as sacrifice for all the sins that humans commit all the time, only to rise again three days later. OH, and then you have to accept it, you know, like in a prayer or something. Other than that, just try and do what the bible says.

  • I am happy to have this question.  Jesus is such an amazing person; yes, he is Divine, and he is human, and he wants to bring out OUR divinty, and love us.  He loves us all times, in all ways.  And he is infiinitely patient, never pushes HIS way…. He suffers for me (and all of us) still.  And through my relationship with him, i learn more everyday how to also love, to give, to live for the sake of the other.  To be Christian is to be in love with the beloved;  and allow that love to change myself-  to be borne on the wind, and grow, and learn to give. 

  • Being a Christian means having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and realizing that He died on the cross to take away your sins so you wouldn’t have to go to Hell. He loves you and wants you to be a part of His kingdom. All you have to do is ask Him to come into your heart. If you know Greek, you will know this word—agappe. If you don’t know it, it means, unconditional love. That’s how God loves you right now, and even before you were born. That’s why He sent Jesus to come and die on the cross. Just remember Jesus loves you unconditionally.

  • Follower of Jesus Christ. Simple.

  • Picking up a sword & headed to the holy land to beat some Muslims.

    ^ok, I’m kidding.

  • Of course, being a Christian means accepting that Jesus is the son of God, that he died on the cross to wipe away our sins and that he’s coming again.

    It’s not about a church or a denomination. The bible is God’s word and really the BIBLE….is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

    Having written all that…..for me a Christian shows unconditional love to all!

  • A Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  While reading the Bible, going to church, doing “good things” are all characteristics that you will find in most Christians, they are not pre-requisites to becoming one but rather the result of being one and the work of God in that person’s life.

  • Wow.  You got allot of answers to your question. I liked the simplisticity in the answers of bradwilson and HeavenIsEverywhere.

    I hope you realize that you are already a child of God but as many have said – to be a Christian one must actively accept and follow Christ’s teachings.  It is evident with the many answers to your question that even Christians themselves continue to search for the true meaning as they should because the scripture says… that the way is narrow and only a few will make it through that eye of the needle.  Blessing to you.

  • a follower of Jesus Christ…to reflect the actions of Jesus in word and deed.

  • i agree with Doctor_Nat.

  • hey visit my site to talk about whatever!

  • A Christian is someone who has trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior. However, a true Christian will be marked with a lifestyle that becomes more like Christ with time.

  • Being a believer in Jesus Christ myself, I’ve pondered the term “Christian” much lately.  To me it seems to be too broad of a term.  I would more accurately refer to myself as a Christ follower. 

  • “Christian” was not a name of choice. Followers of Jesus Christ were given that title by others. Christian literally means “little Christ”. It means one who is an imitator. So when we ask “what is a Christian?” we are really asking “what was Christ?” If we know what he did, and what it meant to be who he was, then we know what a Christian is.

    Perhaps the question should be restated: “What made Jesus who he was?”

  • a christian is someone who believes that christ was born of virgin lived a perfect life and shared the word of the father. he was beaten and spit on then mocked and crucified on a cross,but thats not the end, the end still hasnt happened, 3 days after the crucifiction, he rose from the dead and now sits in heaven with the father and the holy spirit making a new place for us.

    I dont think that being a christian means that you HAVE to go church i think it just means that you need to have a close relationship with god, and that believe in him that hes there for you. you can take your faith from there but thats my opinion

  • christian

    the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers
    of Jesus. It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were
    known among themselves were “brethren,” “the faithful,” “elect,” “saints,”
    “believers.” But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name
    “Christian” came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but
    three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16).

  • Being a Christian is a lifestyle. It is one’s devotion to Christ by accepting Him into your heart and choosing to glorify Him through your life. It is having a personal relationship with your creator.

    [ariana]

  • Following Christ’s will, and following in such a plan that honors and pleases Christ. [In essence, "little Christ"]

  • there are no wors to describe what a fucking christian is. clueless would be one if you were to press the question.

  • I believe that you have to believe in Christ and know that the only way to God is through Him.

  • Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord.

    It’s in Romans somewhere

  • me being a confirmed christian, but I still honestly don’t know…i could give him a giant speech, but it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

  • A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. That person has made a decision to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior by faith as an act of their own decision making will. It is not something that can be forced upon someone, and those who are hearing about Jesus cannot be argued into the Kingdom of Heaven. That person must make a decision that is personal, individual and definite in their choice to be a Christ Follower or otherwise known as a Christian. There is no guarantee that life is going to be easy for that person from that point on, in fact, it gets harder because as you chose to follow Jesus, you desire to trust and follow His principles of living because you love Him. And making choices to follow Christ involve making some choices that go against what you would have normally done in life prior to knowing Christ. There is a cross to bear because Jesus said in order to follow Him, we have to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow, and yet when we make that choice to follow and lose our lives, we’ll end up finding our lives, and everything we have been looking for in the area of peace, freedome, blessing forgiveness, grace, job, love, community, , redepmption, resuce, restoration, and reunion. Knowing Jesus aslo provides us with the blessing and restormation of  knowing God personally through Jesus Christ, because it is because of Christ, God will see us as His child through our decision to accept the sacrifice of Christ’s death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, past, present, and future. Once we choose Christ, we are on the way to living a life of significance, purpose, and meaning with a future and a hope with the knowledge that whatever we go through, there will be nothing that will ever separate us from the love of God because of Jesus being in our lives. There is no better decision a person can make, and as Billy Graham would always say, ” Now is the time, and Today is the day. Making that decision to accept Jesus is simply an act of prayer in an expression of faith. Prayer is just simply talking with God, He knows our hearts,and He is not so concerned with our words as He is with the attitude of our hearts. A prayer of something like, “Jesus, I need you, Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, come into my heart and be my Savior and Lord, Thanks for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life, Take control of my life, make me the type of person you want me to be. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

  • Okay.  I’m seeing all the church answers listed on here.  Here’s what it is.  It’s a relationship with God.  That’s accomplished through prayer and reading the Bible and meditation.  It’s really very personal.  It doesn’t depend on church or what others think.  It’s, of course, good to have fellowship with people that can pray for you, but even what they say isn’t “Christianity.”  It may be a way of life, but it’s not anything set other than by the Bible.  Basically, it’s love God and love others.  Church isn’t a requirement, it’s only beneficial. 

  • I have a question for you all who say that you don’t have to ask Jesus into your hearts and ask for forgiveness.. Why did Jesus have to die if there was another way to heaven? Why did He say that in the Bible that no one comes through the father except through me.. and for by grace you were saved through faith, not that of works, least anyone should brag. why did he say this if you can get to Heaven by good deeds?

  • to accept Christ into ur life and heart

  • That you love god/jesus…

  • Since a lot of Christians have no church to attend, no nice clothes to wear if they did attend, and can’t even read to read the Bible, this leaves only the basics:  a faith in Jesus Christ and His power to forgive you of your sins. Basically, this is it.

    Of course, if you are able to read, the Bible will build your faith up to the point where it is strong.  If you can find a church that teaches what the Bible teaches, then attending there will also strengthen you. I must admit, I have been to two churches that started out well, then left Bibical teachings, and ruined the church body there. Left a real bad taste in my mouth.  So, I have also had times when I just didn’t want to attend church, but stayed at home to worship. It was safer.

  • All i gotst to say is that this person probably has a BAZILLION people trying to convert his ass right now. Poor sucka. BUAAAA HA HAA HAA!

  • hmmm…..to be a christian.

    it means many things to many people.

    personally i consider myself a “Christ-Follower”

    i don’t like most churchs

    though i go to one

    churchs tend to make things a bigger deal than they really are.

    simply

    purely

    to follow christ

    is to surrender your life completly to him

    to trust God

    to know that Jesus Christ died and rose again

    to save us

    by his mercy and his grace

    and in his lovingkindness

    i know

    that jesus christ is the only way

    he is the way, the truth, the life

    the only way to heaven is through him.

    to believe in these things

    to model your life after christ

    to give yourself wholly to God

    to pick up your cross daily

    that

    is what it is to be a christian.

    These things i know to be true.

    granted. i am not that old (17)

    but wiser than most, in many areas.

  • I noticeded a kiosk at the local mall recently, that sold christian apparel. How do they determine someone is truely christian, and don’t practice blamshmy by selling it to someone who is not.

    It’s also sad to see how much these shirts look a lot like popular shirts and attempt to pay them homage by not having any originality. It makes me wonder if this company even has the design rights to use nintendo’s mario or other layouts?

  • Killer 8_0 hit it the nail on the head (pg 1 of comments).  It’s all about having a personal relationship with God.  I can approch God and be called a friend by Him!  Wow to be a friend of the creater of the universe!  The whole reason Jesus hung on a cross for nine hours was so that we could experence that relationship with God.  If we don’t have that relationship then Christ’s death for you was useless.

  • The word “Christian” literally means “belonging to Christ”.  A Christian gives themselves to Christ completely and totally, every aspect of it.  Unfortunately, when some people are baptized, they don’t realize this.  Which is why it is extremely important to study before being baptized!!!   And, unfortunately, there are those who are baptized because their friends are, or are baptized but don’t mean it, and continue to live the lifestyle that they had been living before their baptism.  In baptism, your old self is washed away, and a new one comes, one that belongs solely and wholy to Jesus.

    Summer

  • To sickboy86: The question is: has Christ found you? He may be a friend when you need Him.  You WILL find him, that you seek Him. A matter of time. Interested?  Jesus already died for your sins. But He is alive. Seek another Christian, and he will help you, personally, in any way needed to become a “Babe in Christ.”  To bring another to Jesus, I believe, is the most pleasant, exciting, pastime a Christian can persue.  He will enjoy answering your questions, if you have any, after all these posts! It can be done, right now, over the internet. Put me into your buddy list, and IM me when I am online, usually at night: Sande3Mr@aol.com…love, Sandy 

  • “I’ve never accepted Christ as anything other than the Son Of God, and I consider myself a very strong Christian. To think that I (or anybody, for that matter) has the ability to accept Jesus/God is ludicrious. God accepts us, we have nothing to say about it. The only thing that we can do is choose to acknowledge God. That is truly the only say we have in it. To believe otherwise is crazy, in my opinion.” – LarsThunder

    I agree with that, even though I don’t particularly describe myself as a Christian. It seems as though many people have the notion that God must stoop down to them to accept them, when it seems that because God is so great, we have to reach up to him and he has already accepted us because he is so great.

  • argh!

  • the oldest definition of a christian is just “a baptized person.”

    no before you say, “you dont have to be baptized to be saved!” let me point out that by the difinition i gave christians are not neccesarily saved.

  • Being a Christian is not about adhering to a strict code of rules, its someone who loves Jesus so much that they want to be where he is.

  •  I guess being Christian means that you go to church every Sunday, you worship God and Jesus, you pray every night, and you never ever say the Lord’s name in vain. Oh and always remember to capitalize His name. Even when you’re referring to God as Him or He. Always…Or else you’ll get attacked by the Christian ninjas…

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