Acts 11:26 …So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
What does it mean to be a Christian? The answers people give are varied. Most define the term based on religious-social criteria. They say they are “Christians” because their parents were “Christians” (usually meaning that their parents were part of a church or religious group that accepts the doctrines of Christianity as they are generally defined in society). Others say they are Christians because they are not Muslims or Hindus or atheists. While we respect the various descriptions of the term “Christian”, we want to know the meaning of the term as it is used in the Bible. As a people who follow Christ and honor the Bible as our spiritual guidebook, we want to know the original and true meaning of the word so we can live it out. If being “Christian” is a very important part of our identity before God and people, we do well to learn it and practice its implications. Thankfully the Bible provides a rich mine of truth for us on our quest to live as truly “Christian”. As we look into the Word of God, may our minds be renewed and our hearts stirred to be what God has allowed us to be called. May we continue to go even deeper in our search for understanding on what it means to follow the Lord and to be pleasing to him. Are you a Christian according to the Bible’s description? Are living like Christ in a spiritually and morally dark and confused world? Are you practicing what the original Christians practiced so that they became worthy of being called by the name of Christ? As we journey through this quick study today, we will find some exciting answers that will change our lives if we believe and practice them. May Jesus Christ, the Lord whom we follow, richly bless you and your family and ministry today and in the days to come! Lathur Badoy