Are you a Christian?

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Are you a Christian?

I’d like to thank a young woman named Vivian for providing me with the spark to write this book. As I was attending an evening worship service at a local Christian church, she was asked to share the notes she had taken while listening to a message that was delivered by the head pastor at the headquarters of the affiliated ministry earlier that morning. The news was centered on the following verse taken from the Book of John.

John 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

As a corn of wheat needs to fall into the ground and die to bear fruit, so must a Christian learn to die to self to bear fruit. How does a Christian die to self? What is it that causes Christians to continue to think, feel, and act the way they were before they were saved? What is it that can bring about the necessary changes for a Christian to evidence Christ-likeness? Much needs to be said to answer these questions. However, one crucial question constitutes a decision that must be made before any of these questions can be answered. What is it, you ask? Here it is.



Are you a Christian?

Before Christ-likeness can be manifested in a believer’s life, what do you think is needed that would cause them to be able to display the same spiritual qualities (e.g., love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance) that Jesus exhibited when He lived on the earth? The answer to this question can be confusing. Why is this the case?

In many churches today, there’s a misunderstanding about what it means to be a Christian. Some will say that if you were brought up in a Christian home, you’re a Christian. This could be referred to what’s called household salvation. Other churches will say that if you commit minor sins, attend church regularly, are faithful in giving financially, and are engaged in performing good deeds for others, then you’re a Christian. And still, others say if you believe in the Trinity (three persons in one God; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) along with being baptized in water, you’re a Christian. This isn’t said to diminish the doctrine of the Trinity, which is one of the foundational topics of the Christian faith. These examples sound right, don’t they?

Please don’t take what was just said condescendingly. I believed in God from my youth. I was faithful to obeying the church’s tenets that I was brought up in. I believed in the Trinity. But God was far away. I never knew that He could be my best friend. If you’re satisfied with your walk with God that reflects how I tried to approach Him, then nothing more needs to be said. However, if you want an interpersonal relationship with Him, then read on.



So, what does it really mean to be a Christian?

Please turn in your Bibles to the Book of Acts.

Acts 11:25-26

Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

Jesus’ disciples were first called Christians in the church at Antioch. Do you know what the word Christians means? This word means those who are followers of Christ or those who are of Jesus’ party. It’s evident they had adopted the name Christians from [CHRIST, their master,] as the Platonists and Pythagoreans had their [names obtained] from their masters, Plato and Pythagoras. As these people derived their names from those great [masters because they attended their teaching] and credited their [doctrines, the disciples] were called Christians because they took Christ for their teacher, crediting his doctrines and following the rule of life laid down by him.2

This is what many who call themselves Christians would describe as their outlook. But I think you’d agree that if this is what it means to be called a Christian, then there would be no distinction between this faith’s followers or of any other. Right? In other words, you’d choose whoever appeals to you as your teacher, letting their name reveal how you’d like to be recognized by others. You’d give consent to their doctrines and follow what they’d like you to do or not do in your daily life.

If this is how a Christian should follow Christ, then Christianity has no distinctiveness. However, I’ve found whenever I’ve undertaken a study on any biblical topic that there’s always more to it than what meets the eye. Unlike any other faith, two conditions must be satisfied in Christianity for a person to be called a Christian. Both of them are found in the Book of Acts. Please go there.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul had lived in Greece for three months and decided to depart for Jerusalem. He carried with him financial assistance for the poor saints who were living there under persecution. While on his journey, he stopped to reside in Miletus. From there, he sent someone with a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus requesting that they meet up with him, which they did. He told them that when he was with them at a different time, he had kept back nothing that would be profitable (of help). He had taught them in public and on other occasions in the privacy of house churches warning both the Jews and Gentiles that they should repent of their sins to God the Father and believe in his Son Jesus Christ.

So, there you have it. The distinction of the Christian faith is that there’s to be a warning given to both unbelieving Jews and Gentiles to repent (a change of mind about their sin; the denial of ourselves; the displeasing of ourselves) to God the Father. This is a willingness to [acknowledge the] very Being whom we have offended or injured,3 which is to be followed by faith in Christ as to who He is and what He has accomplished. With that said, here’s a pertinent question to consider.



For what purpose does a person repent and believe?

Please go to the Book of John.

John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

We repent and believe so that one of the other members of the Trinity called the Holy Spirit might come inside our body, thus providing us with a new nature. Another way to say this is God comes to live with us. He’s no longer distant. Why is this so important? Because the indwelling Holy Spirit can accomplish in us that for which we’re unable to provide for ourselves, such as:

●Enabling us with divine power and divine perspective.

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

●Giving us a witness of His presence with our human spirit when He carries out in us the effects of His influences.



Here is a list of the elements of character that reside in our spirit and are developed as we grow spiritually:

His love - Self-sacrificial for the benefit of the one loved.

Joy - Inner rejoicing, which doesn’t depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things.

Peace - Tranquility of mind as a result of a right relationship with God; of the restoration of right relationships between people;4 the calm, quiet, and order, which takes place in the justified soul, instead of the doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings (a strong inner feeling or notion of a future misfortune, evil, etc.);5 a peaceful sense of harmony with God and [compliance] in all things with his providential appointments.6

Longsuffering - Remaining quiet when persecuted; patient endurance of wrong under ill-treatment, without anger or thought of revenge.7

Gentleness - Conciliatory to others; unruffled disposition.

Goodness - Gracious giving, no strings attached; to do good to the body and souls of men.

Faith - Faithful to one’s word and promises; faithful to God’s promises.

Meekness - Compliant to the teaching of the word.

Temperance - Being able to say no to one’s passions; mastery of one’s desires and impulses.



Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God:

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

●Interceding to God by praying according to His plan for our lives when we’re immersed in our infirmities (trials and troubles; physical, emotional, and spiritual disabilities; the general weakness of the spiritual life).

Romans 8:26 Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

●Giving us at least one spiritual gift to be used for the benefit (edification) of the church.

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

●Giving us at least one spiritual gift that constitutes our appropriate place in the church.

1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

●Transforming us on the inside which over time will reveal a gradual change on the outside into the image of Christlikeness in coordination with our choosing to meditate upon God’s word.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

●Being the seal, which indicates that we’re owned by God.

Ephesians 1:12-14 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

●Allowing us when we pray or worship to have access to God the Father’s presence, being confident that He’ll minister to us and answer us.

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

●Building us together with the other members of the church by means of a process of construction, growth, and eventual completion for a place where God lives.

Ephesians 2:20-22 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

●Producing divine love in us, which when accompanied by our obedience to the Word of God, will enable us to love others with a self-sacrificial love that is free from all evil thoughts and feelings in a continual manner.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

When I was a baby, I was sprinkled with water, and I learned later that this was when I allegedly became a child of God. This sounded great. We only know what we’re taught. However, was this true ? What this actually meant was that this was the first step on a road of many steps, which, if I followed them to the best of my ability, I’d go to a better place at death. But in the meantime, this God whom I became His child, I never got to know as my Father. Why was that? It was because I really wasn’t His son. I had no relationship with Him.

Here’s an opportunity for you to get to know Him personally as I did many moons ago. The choice is yours. This is no gimmick. God acknowledges our need for a new nature and approves of our belief in the only one, His Son Jesus, who has provided redemption and forgiveness on the cross. If you confess these words, your life will change immediately.

I acknowledge that I’m a sinner who needs a change of heart. I don’t want to continue in my sinful behavior anymore. God, I confess to you these sinful actions (e.g., lying, stealing, slander, fornication, murder, homosexuality, rape, lesbianism, prostitution, worshipping of idols, practicing black magic, drunkenness, jealousies, pedophilia, extortion, gossip, etc.).

I believe in your Son Jesus Christ, who, as God, preexisted time. He came to earth in the form of a man, deity (having a divine nature), was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross. He paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, thus satisfying the demands of the payment for sin that God the Father required. He forgave (wiped away the debt of) all sin and rose from the dead after three days, never to die again. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father.

Upon your acknowledgment and belief, God the Holy Spirit has now entered your life. And now you have indeed become a Christian.

You might be thinking, where do I go from here? This really refers to the question which was asked earlier. What is the Christian life all about? Now that you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you, one of the spiritual things you need to learn is how to walk in the Spirit.



What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

Please turn to the Book of Galatians.

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

To walk in the Spirit means to conduct ourselves under the Spirit’s guidance, impulse, and power. How does the engagement of the Holy Spirit become operational in a believer’s life? This is another million-dollar question.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

There are decisions that every Christian will need to make to fellowship or co-labor with the Spirit that will cause them to be conformed (transformed; an inner change; to express the gradual change in us) to the image (likeness) of God’s Son. What are they? This is what we’ll find out in the upcoming chapters.

The first one has to do with the following question. What should be going on in my church I attend that will benefit me spiritually? Please turn the page, and let’s find out. But before you do, I’d like to leave you with an article that points out the importance of receiving the Holy Spirit.



WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR CHRISTIANS TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?

God is a great gift-giver. No one is as generous as He is. The gifts He gives us- the blessings, the new life, the [breakthroughs,] and the forgiveness- are greater than any other gift anyone else gives to us. But of all the gifts God has given, there is nothing greater than the gift that is Himself. In His love for us, He first gave us Jesus Christ as our means of [redemption, and second,] He gave us the Holy Spirit.

Starting off in the walk of faith, the Holy Spirit actually scared me more than He excited me. I was intimidated by the idea of being overtaken by a [spirit, not of my own,] so I ran away from Baptism by fire. But when I experienced Him one fateful day, my life was never the same again.

Receiving the Holy Spirit [isn’t only possible, it’s] essential for Christ-centered living. We cannot live in and for God apart from the power, [work,] and manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit is God Himself tangibly working in our hearts, [minds,] and sometimes in our bodies to experience God’s grace here on earth as it is in heaven.

It’s through the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit that God works in us to allow us to be regenerated, reconciled, empowered, [guided,] and strengthened for the work God calls us to do. But how does the Holy Spirit work in our life? Understanding this is essential so that we know how to ask God to work in us and so that [we’ll] learn to discern and recognize the Holy Spirit's work in us. Here are just some of the roles the Holy Spirit has in our personal [and] corporate lives.



Counselor

The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit by many names, but one of the most common names are counselor, [comforter,] and advocate. In John 14:26, Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit saying, “But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name...” The Holy Spirit guides us into truth and gives us [the wisdom to live our lives the way we should] and cause us to love God and love others through our thoughts and actions.



Enabler

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t physically or mentally do [something, but somehow,] you were able to do it anyway? It’s likely that the Holy Spirit was working in you. God’s Spirit has been known to enable men and [women, both in the Bible and even today,] to do things they would’ve never been able to do on their own. When Philippians 4:13 tells us that we can “do all things through Christ,” it’s because Christ has bridged us with access to the [Spirit, who now works in us by giving us gifts, abilities,] and promptings that allow us to do greater things for Him.



Change-maker

The Holy Spirit [doesn’t] just transform our spiritual destination, but also transforms us here on earth as well. Acts 1:8 tells us, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...” Being a witness means so much more than just being enabled to speak in front of crowds. It also means being empowered to live lives that glorify God. The Holy Spirit is the one who changes our hearts and attitudes so that we can turn away from sin and turn to Christ.8



Endnotes

2Adam Clarke’s Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5, 2004, 26 January 2015 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

3Barnes’ Notes. Pc Study Bible version 5, 2006, 26 January 2015

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

4UBS New Testament Handbook Series Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005, 28 January 2015 ˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

5Dictionary.com, 28 January 2015

˂http://dictionary.reference.com>.

6Adam Clarke.

7Weust’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005, 29 January 2015

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

8Patrick Mabilog. “Why is it important for Christians to receive the Holy Spirit?” CHRISTIAN TODAY 31 March 2023

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