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Is it true that every person who claims to be a Christian truly is one? There are some estimates that there are about 33,000 religious organizations under the name of “Christianity.” There are no “hyphenated” Christians or adjectives or other names that need to be added to explain what kind of “Christian” you are.

If I claim to be a Christian, how can that be true if I do not follow the teachings of Christ or honor His Word? Just because someone claims to be a Christian does not mean they meet the standards as set out in the Bible. Who is a Christian?

• John 12:42 — many people believed in Jesus as the Christ but they wouldn’t confess Him because they were afraid to lose their place in society.
• James 2:19 — demons also believe and tremble. Can we say they are Christians? They recognize God and know Him for who He is but they refuse to live in compliance with His will.

A Christian is NOT:

• Just a good, moral person. Cornelius feared God, prayed always and gave (Acts 10:1) but it took a visit from Peter to teach him what he needed to do to be saved (Acts 11:14).
• Just any religious person. There are plenty of religious people who do not believe in Christ. Paul was in the midst of a group of people in Athens who were highly religious (Acts 17:18–23) but they did not know God.
• Someone who follows the Old Law. The whole Bible is the inspired Word of God, including the Old Testament that has been fulfilled. When Jesus came, fulfilled the Law and instituted a New Testament, He took away the Old Law (Colossians 2:11–14). Paul taught the Galatians that the Old Law had served its purpose to bring about the New Law (Galatians 3:24).

Who is A Christian?

A Christian is a person who :

• Has obeyed the Gospel (Romans 1:16).
• Heard the truth (Romans 10:17).
• Has believed (Matthew 7:24–25, John 8:24, Hebrews 11:6). Believing means doing.
• Has repented (Acts 17:30, Acts 3:19). This means turning away from your sin and living a changed life.
• Has confessed Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 10:32–33, Romans 10:10).
• Has been Biblically baptized (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3–4). In every example of conversion we find in the book of Acts, we find baptism.
• Lives under a new standard (Hebrews 4:15–16).
• Is part of “the vine” and lives in Christ (John 15:5–6).
• A member of the One Body (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, Ephesians 4:4).
• A citizen in the Kingdom of God (Colossians 1:13–14, John 4:1–3).

The Bible makes Christians only and only Christians. To become one, you must do what the Bible says and that’s not always easy. Sometimes it means that friends and family will not accept us. But God tells us that He is the standard and that those who disregard that standard will not enter into the rest He has prepared for the Christian. Be a real Christian because you have read and followed your Bible.

Based on a lesson by Robert Moss.

We can help: HighlandCofC.org
1201 Sycamore School Rd
Fort Worth, TX 76134

A son stands on the east side of the Jordan River and asks his father what the stack of stones means. The people had to cross over to the other side of the River. It was the flood season and the waters were high. Yet God told the people to move forward into the water. And God delivered them through to the other side. Now the people have the stones that were taken out of the middle of the river as a memorial for that time of help.

Today, your child may ask, “what does baptism mean?” or “what does the Lord’s Supper mean?” We have these memorials that serve several purposes.

Memorials Tell of God’s Past Authority. They serve as a reminder for us into the future. Joshua 4:21–23 tells of the story of the memorial stones when God dried up the Jordan River so the people could cross. God saw the importance of the memorial so they could look back and remember what God had done for them. The things that were written for us were written so we can learn (Romans 15:4). A reminder of the history of the Israelites is a reminder of our history.

Memorials Tell of the Mighty Power of God. God wants people to remember that God has helped his people in mighty ways (Joshua 4:24). It wasn’t just the Israelites who saw this power. Rahab told the Israelites when they came into her land that it was evident God was with them (Joshua 2:9–11) and as a result, she believed. Do our hearts realize the power of the One we serve? We can look back and think on the mighty works of God in the past but there are things that directly relate the power of God to us

• Baptism (Romans 6:3–4) Reminds us of the power of God over sin.
• The Lord’s Supper (1 Corr 1:26). The Lord’s Supper gives us the opportunity to remember Gods’s power over sin weekly. It reminds us that Spirit became man and that He allowed Himself to be treated brutally and crucified to bear our sins. And we are reminded of the Power that raised Him from the dead on the third day when we partake of the bread and the cup. It’s not merely a nation that God gave us victory over, but our victory is over sin and death.

Memorials Tell That God is to Be Feared Forever. In the Bible, that word “fear” means a literal terror of the Power that can deal with us however He sees fit or it can mean a reverential fear that honors and remembers the Creator. We need the reminder to give God His proper respect, especially in our society. People lack respect for others because they lack respect for God. Memorials help us to respect, fear and honor God. Ecclesiastes 12:13 is probably one of the best well known verses on the matter: “fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”

If you are a Christian, you have been blessed by the power of God because you repented and came back to God. Baptism saves those who are lost (Mark 16:16) and the Lord’s Supper helps us to be grateful every week for the grace God gives us that we have the opportunity to be saved (1 Cor 11:27–30). Let us faithfully continue to observe the memorials that God has asked of us so that they can serve their purposes in our memories.

Based on a lesson by Robert Moss.

We can help: HighlandCofC.org
1201 Sycamore School Rd
Fort Worth, TX 76134