Information Related to "What Does the Bible Say About... Who Is a Christian?"
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So what is a Christian? A couple of billion people on the planet all claim to be Christians, but their beliefs, doctrines and practices vary widely. What does being a Christian mean? Let's take a quick look at what the Bible says a Christian is.
The word Christian is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called "Christians" in
Antioch (Acts 11:26) because they believed in Christ and followed His example.
The word was initially used by their detractors in a derogatory sense,
but believers embraced the term as a badge of honor.
While the first-century Christians did follow the teachings, practices and example of Jesus Christ at that time, since then the term has virtually lost its meaning—as it's usually not accompanied by the same way of life and understanding. Today many claim to be Christians yet don't really follow Jesus' teachings.
God's Word is quite clear that one cannot just choose to be a Christian! There is a calling or invitation involved. God is not calling all of mankind at this time (Matthew 22:14; John 6:44), nor the particularly rich, famous or powerful of the world (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).
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God's calling: