"Reverend CJ and Reverend DJ: Life, Business, Music & Ministry"

Many of us claim to be Christians. Besides being a title, what does being a Christian entail? Have you ever stopped and actually thought what being a real Christian really means to yourselves and to others that know you confess to be a Christian?

So what is a Christian? The answer is not as easy as you might think. Everything depends on how you define the word. You can’t really tell who is a Christian and who isn’t until you know what the term means. To muddy the waters further, recent polls report that 92% of all Americans believe in God while 83% call themselves Christian. If you went to any major American city and asked, “Are you a Christian?” you would get all sorts of answers.

“Of course I’m a Christian. I was born in America.”

“I was raised in a Christian home.”

“I’m a baptized Catholic.”

“I’m a Methodist.”

“I go to Woodland Park Baptist Church.”

“I read my Bible every day.”

“I walked an aisle, said a prayer, signed a card, and raised my hand.”

The writers of an essay acknowledge the reality that by making the definition so broad, they have virtually emptied it of meaning. You are a Christian if you say you are a Christian. But, they say, since there is no consensus on what the word means, they have no other choice. You’re in even if someone else says you’re out:

“We accept as Christian any individual or group who devoutly, thoughtfully, seriously, and prayerfully regards themselves to be Christian. Included are: the Roman Catholic church; the Eastern Orthodox churches, conservative, mainline, and liberal Christian faith groups; The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons); Jehovah’s Witnesses and a thousand or so other religious organizations that identify themselves as Christian. Also included are those who consider themselves to be Christian even though they do not identify themselves with any particular religious group.”

Here are some interesting facts to consider:

1) The name “Christian” was not invented by early Christians. It was a name given to them by others.

2) Christians called themselves by different names—disciples, believers, brethren, saints, the elect, etc.

3) The term apparently had a negative meaning in the beginning: “those belonging to the Christ party.”

4) It was a term of contempt or derision.

5) We can get a flavor for it if we take the word “Christ” and keep that pronunciation. You “Christ-ians.”

6) It literally means “Christ-followers.”

7) Over time a derogatory term became a positive designation.

8) Occasionally you will hear someone spit the term out in the same way it was used in the beginning. “You Christians think you’re the only ones going to heaven.”

9) There was a sense of suffering and reproach attached to the word in the New Testament.

A Real Christian Is Characterised By Love

John 3:16 (KJV) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:3 (KJV) “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

According to Jesus, when a person believes in Him to the point where they yield their life to Him, they are born again.

That’s talking about a spiritual rebirth – into God’s family.

How do you know when someone is part of a person’s family?

There’s a family likeness.

When a person is born again into God’s family, God becomes their Father, and they begin to take on His characteristics.

That’s why the Bible repeatedly tells us to be godly – like God.

And the primary characteristic of God is love, because God is love.

John 13:34-35 (KJV) “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (35) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

The identifying feature of a believer in Jesus Christ is love.

This is important to understand, because Christians are often accused of all sorts of things.

John 13:35 (KJV) “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

The primary characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is love.

Just because I claim to be a Christian doesn’t make me one either.

But you’ve got to apply the test that Jesus Himself gave.

You can tell the disciples of Jesus by their love.

That doesn’t mean they are perfect, but love is a major feature of their life, and it’s constantly growing.

People who go about committing atrocities, hurting people, lying, deceiving, stealing, are not Christians, no matter what they claim.

Here’s a description of love:

1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (NKJV) “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; (5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;”

Love doesn’t count the cost.

Jesus didn’t count the cost when He went to the cross to pay the price for our sins.

A Real Christian Has Insatiable Desires

But before your imagination runs amuck, a real Christian has an insatiable desire to please God.

They can’t help themselves, because God planted that desire in their hearts when they gave their life to Him.

Even if they mess up, there is this continuing desire to please God.

A real Christian has an insatiable hunger to know God better.

They have an insatiable thirst for truth.

You can imitate Christian values, but that doesn’t make you part of God’s family.

According to the Bible, we could never be good enough through our own efforts – there’s only one way to be part of God’s family.

John 14:6 (KJV) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

In closing, I offer you an opportunity to examine your life and your soul and ask yourself: Are you a real Christian? If you are a real Christian, is there more that you can strive to do to be even more of a real Christian? If you find yourself full of flaws, than I congratulate you. That means you are real and human. We are not ever going to be sinless but we can strive to be less sinful and the only way to do that is to be Christ-like: A REAL CHRISTIAN!

Rev. DJ