Christians - Are You One?

You may be surprised to find the term 'Christian' isn't found very often in the Bible. You'll only find it three times:

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. Acts 11:26b

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. Acts 26:28

Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. I Peter 4:16

There you have it. All the references using the name 'Christian.' The term means, 'Belonging to Christ.'

A CHRISTIAN IS A DISCIPLE

Out of the three verses above, only one gives something of a definition. It refers to another word, 'disciple' - Acts 11:26b. From this verse we know a Christian is someone who's a disciple of Christ. What then is a disciple? Disciple literally means, 'taught or trained one,' according to Young's Concordance. Jesus gave the command to His disciples, just before He ascended:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:19,20

Discipleship is the life of Christianity. A Christian is the personal property of Jesus and is training to be like Him.

Let's move on to some very pertinent verses about discipleship:

And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. . . . So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27-30,33

First, this verse shows being a disciple cannot just be a matter of words. If we forsake all, then it follows that we're giving Jesus all of us. In effect, we become His personal property.
Second, being His property we don't follow our will, but His. 'Forsaking all' includes our independent will. In fact, it fingers it. What's more, this verse doesn't allow for a person to claim discipleship and say they're not living like one. You either are a disciple and living like one, or you're not living like one and are not a disciple. To not be a disciple is to not be a Christian, as seen from Acts 11:26b.
Let's look at another verse. This verse clearly states a disciple is one who continues to walk according the words of Jesus:

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31,32

Here's another verse that refers to Christ's ownership:

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Galatians 5:24

If we can say we are His, then the death of our own wills and lusts has to have taken place.

THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL

What is this call to be a Christian? This call to be a disciple? This call to be saved from the penalty for our sins? Here we find it in Acts:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord: Acts 3:19

'The times of refreshing' refers to when this old fallen creation shall pass away and we will no longer be dogged by this iniquity pulling at us from all sides. The time when Christ will set up His Kingdom on earth.
'Repent' is the starting point. 'Repent' is to make an abrupt about-face, to head in the opposite direction you were heading. You were walking in the way of sin and then you had a complete change of heart. You turned a complete turn from the sinful life and now pursue holiness.
Turning without the Gospel, however, doesn't go very far, that's where the 'be converted' part comes in. The reason we repent is because we hear about the penalty for our sins. Seeing this we say, 'Oh no, what can we do?!' We then make that about-face and trust in the covering for our sins, which is 'the Gospel of Jesus Christ' and the call to follow Him:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

THE WALK THAT FOLLOWS

The following verses make it clear that a Christian purifies himself of any sin he sees:

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. I John 3:2,3

We're pure by the blood, but we're not perfect in behavior. We sin because of ignorance and stumbling. The Lord works upon us bringing the sins of ignorance to our awareness. We conform to His image as we comprehend Him more and more. If He brings something to our awareness, and we don't seek to purify ourself of this thing, we can't claim to be purifying ourselves as this verse says His own do.
With this flow of thought, we need to consider:

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

'Mammon' is defined in Young's Concordance as 'wealth, riches.' The things that have the pull on us in this world could all fall under this word 'mammon'. The things our flesh crave are the riches of this world. The desirables of this world are its riches, its bounties, its wealth. This could be houses, lands, relationships, entertainments, etc.

CHECK THAT FRUIT!

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. . . . Abide in me, and I in you, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me. . . . If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. . . . Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John 15:2,4,6,8

Boy, I'd say these verses really sum it up. We go through a growth and pruning away of old worthless things. We are conformed to bear the fruit that He would have in us. If we refuse to be pruned, and cease to be fruitful, we become worthless. We are cast off as none of His, to be burned, as it says.
This passage also points out that His disciples are fruitful. The non-fruitful are not His disciples for they are cut off and cast away. Just saying a 'sinner's prayer' yet going the way of the world, doesn't cut it. This is not discipleship. Jesus is not just fire insurance. He isn't just handing out policies. He is calling for disciples.

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:17-23

This brings to my mind the Sunday school teacher that uses God's name in vain. I know of a person who claims to be a Christian, teaches Sunday school, knows God's condemnation on blasphemy yet still blasphemes. If you wonder if a person is a disciple of Christ, then look at the fruit. Is the fruit rotten? Jesus said it very clearly, by this fruit you will be able to identify them as truly being mine or not. Even if they 'claim' the name of Jesus, that is not the way we can tell.

OUR LIVING CONFESSION

In line with the above passage we have these:

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 10:32,33

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. Titus 1:16

Do we (or they) deny Jesus by the way we live, our works? If the answer is yes, then we will not be acknowledged as being a Christian by the only one whose acknowledgment really counts - Jesus.
There are those who really did repent and receive the Gospel, but now are disobedient to Him. Do they have something to have peace in? Ezekiel addressed this:

But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. Ezekiel 18:24 (Ezekiel 18:26-28; Ezekiel 3:20,21)

You'll find the New Testament casts this same light:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. I Corinthians 6:9-10

The warning is so clear. Don't ignore it. God didn't say these things just to waste His breath. He gave them as warnings. Now is the time of repentance. We have no promise of tomorrow and if we won't repent today, the odds are even less likely that we will tomorrow.
There is hope for victory. If you really love God and your standing before Him, He will bring you through as a fruitful Christian. You can bring Him glory and live victoriously for Him.

Here is a scriptural guide. If we strive in the following things, we have a promise:

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. II Peter 1:5-11