Someone recently asked me this and I had no answer. My answer was so mixed up and unclear. Take a minute and TRULY look into your heart and ask this hard question.
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Are YOU a Christian?
So obviously I have been thinking a lot about this, and trying to decide what the right answer is. IS there a "right" answer. Well... I went to the dictionary to see what it had to say and I found the following:
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:
Main Entry: 1Chris·tian Pronunciation: 'kris-ch&n, 'krish-Function: nounEtymology: Latin christianus, adjective & n., from Greek christianos, from Christos1 a : one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ b (1) : DISCIPLE 2 (2) : a member of one of the Churches of Christ separating from the Disciples of Christ in 1906 (3) : a member of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ concluded in 19612 : the hero in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.
Encyclopedia Britannica:
Christian fundamentalism
Conservative Protestant movement that arose out of 19th-century millennialism in the U.S.
It emphasized as fundamental the literal truth of the Bible, the imminent physical Second Coming of Jesus, the virgin birth, resurrection, and atonement. It spread in the 1880s and '90s among Protestants dismayed by labour unrest, Catholic immigration, and biblical criticism. Scholars at Princeton Theological Seminary provided intellectual arguments, published as 12 pamphlets (1910-15). Displeasure over the teaching of evolution, which many believed could not be reconciled with the Bible, and over biblical criticism gave fundamentalism momentum in the 1920s. In the 1930s and '40s, many fundamentalist Bible institutes and colleges were established, and fundamentalist groups within some Baptist and Presbyterian denominations broke away to form new churches. In the later 20th century, fundamentalists made use of television as a medium for evangelizing and became vocal in politics as the Christian right.
Conservative Protestant movement that arose out of 19th-century millennialism in the U.S.
It emphasized as fundamental the literal truth of the Bible, the imminent physical Second Coming of Jesus, the virgin birth, resurrection, and atonement. It spread in the 1880s and '90s among Protestants dismayed by labour unrest, Catholic immigration, and biblical criticism. Scholars at Princeton Theological Seminary provided intellectual arguments, published as 12 pamphlets (1910-15). Displeasure over the teaching of evolution, which many believed could not be reconciled with the Bible, and over biblical criticism gave fundamentalism momentum in the 1920s. In the 1930s and '40s, many fundamentalist Bible institutes and colleges were established, and fundamentalist groups within some Baptist and Presbyterian denominations broke away to form new churches. In the later 20th century, fundamentalists made use of television as a medium for evangelizing and became vocal in politics as the Christian right.
MSN Encarta:
1. believer in Jesus Christ as savior: somebody who believes that Jesus Christ was sent to the world by God to save humanity, and who tries to follow his teachings and example.
"One of the more interesting, and frustrating, features of religion is the variety of meanings given to common terms. Many religious words have multiple -- often mutually exclusive -- meanings. There are also many distinct definitions of the term "Christian" (pronounced 'kristee`ân): Most liberal Christian denominations, secularists, public opinion pollsters, and this web site define "Christian" very broadly as any person or group who sincerely believes themselves to be Christian. Thus, Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox believers, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, United Church members, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists, etc. are all considered Christian. They total about 75% of the North American adult population. At the other extreme, many Fundamentalist and other Evangelical Protestants define "Christian" more narrowly to include only those persons with beliefs like their own. Or they might accept as a "Christian" anyone who has been "born again" regardless of their denomination. They might estimate that about 35% of the North American adult population are real Christians. Different definitions on such a fundamental topic makes dialog and debate among Christian groups very difficult."
I could continue to list site after site after site here... Just go to Google.com and type in Definition of a Christian and you will get 8,220,000 pages with results in 0.05 seconds!
WOW - it seems like there sure are a lot of people out there that believe they know the definition of a Christian. BUT who exactly has the correct answer? After reading for weeks now and trying to wrap my brain around this, I finally decided I just needed to let it go and pray about it. I woke up at 4:15am this morning I thought from Rick snoring but then I kept hearing this loud booming voice in my heart and head. Martha, YOU are a Christian. Me? Me? a Christian? Am I good enough to call myself that I asked? My reply was loud and clear and I HAD to get up and get it all down on "paper".
I AM A CHRISTIAN!
I AM A CHRISTIAN!
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. Only God knows what's in your heart. We are ALL sinful we are all broken. No one is perfect. It's your "connection" with Jesus that truly matters. I believe Jesus Christ is my Savior. I have been given this life by HIM and my life will be taken by Him. My connection with Jesus is so clear now. I am so proud and happy.
THANK YOU FATHER for this INCREDIBLE gift. THANK YOU for giving those around me the tools they needed to guide me into your ever loving arms. Thank you for forgiving my sins and helping me to forgive my own. Thank You for loving me long before I was able to love you or myself. Thank you for being an ever patient and merciful Lord. You are an AMAZING God and I Love you with all that I am. Thank You for this moment, this day, this year, this life! In YOUR name AMEN!
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