Who decides what it means to be a Christian?
The other day I was catching up on some of the Bible-focused folks I follow on social media and as I scrolled a little bit, I kept coming across people from a wide variety of Christian denominations all declaring the benefits of their church, their doctrine, and what it means to be a Christian.
Now, I don’t have a problem with someone promoting their church. I like to tell people about my church in the right context. I’m glad they have found a church home that’s a good fit for them. But the more videos I watched, the more judgmental and divisive they became.
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One denomination claimed to trace themselves all the way back to Jesus with their church leadership. Another church disputed that claim and declared they were the only church that could trace its existence to Jesus and his disciples.
Other churches, which didn’t have such a long history, accused the first two of abandoning the true faith and that they really weren’t really Christian. Each one spoke with just as much authority as the others.
And on and on it went. I lost count of how many different churches were all claiming they were the only true Christian church, each one discrediting other Christian denominations directly or indirectly.
Quit debating about what it means to be a Christian
But they weren’t just arguing about which church was the best, they were actually arguing about the definition of what it means to be a Christian.
Now, there were a few things most of them agreed on, but they disagreed on how to articulate it: that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, and that to be a Christian you must put your trust in and follow Jesus. But that’s where their arguments diverged.
And the interesting thing is, all their arguments for being the true church were based on belief in certain doctrines and theological teachings about what the real Gospel message is: the nature of sin, repentance, faith, and salvation—just to name a few things.
The mistake most people make in defining what it means to be a Christian
But here was the fatal flaw they all made. They were defining Christianity as a set of beliefs and doctrines, with the accompanying ceremonies and rituals. None of the videos I watched had anything at all that talked about what it meant to follow Christ in your daily life, in the way you love God, your neighbor as yourself, and express that love to the people you meet.
Basically, there was no mention of how to practice your faith in daily life, except in regards to church ceremonies like taking communion, or the Eucharist, baptism, and things like that, which of course there were also disagreements about.
I’ll say it again, the mistake they made was to define being a Christian by doctrines and ceremonies instead of following Jesus’s commands on how to live our daily lives.
And in the process, they were all so judgmental of anyone who believed different doctrines than they did.
Several years ago, I did a podcast episode about why there is so much division in the Christian church. The ideas I shared have helped me to understand what’s going on and how to keep focused on following Jesus instead of arguing about theology. Episode 105: Why Isn’t There Unity in the Body of Christ.
To be a Christian…
So let’s come back to the question in the title of this episode: What does it mean to be a Christian?
Several years ago I was talking to a fellow who belonged to a church which had the reputation for believing they were the only true Christians. He asked me what I thought it meant to be a Christian.
I was very slow to answer his question, because I was listening for what to say. Here’s what popped out of my mouth.
I said, “Well, you have your little pat answers and I have mine, and if I don’t say it exactly like you think I should say it, you might not think I’m a Christian. So I’ll try to just talk in normal, everyday language. Please listen to the spirit of what I’m saying.” Well, that got his attention.
I said that to be a Christian meant you realized you had a need for God in your life, that you couldn’t solve all your problems on your own. I said that we needed to repent, which doesn’t just mean to admit the mistakes we’ve made, but to change our perspective of what’s important from a material view of life to a spiritual, eternal view. I said being a Christian included acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, and making a commitment to follow him, in other words, obeying his teachings.
I said it was more about what’s going on in your heart and your daily life, than the doctrines and dogmas in your head.
He was touched by these comments and we had a very heartfelt conversation without any judgment from either of us.
But some people are not so ready to get past their pet phrases and pat answers and listen with their hearts, as this fellow was.
For some, to be a Christian is a set of rules
Years ago when we were homeschooling our kids, there was a Christian homeschooling group that had some really creative programs, but they had a three page, single spaced “Statement of Faith” which we had to agree to before they would let our kids be part of the group. It was a very rigid theological manifesto. It was their definition of what it meant to be Christian and there was absolutely no wiggle room.
Many of the statements were things that weren’t even in the Bible. Needless to say, we did not sign that document and we found other activities for our kids.
So what does it mean to be a Christian?
In some ways, it almost depends on who you’re talking to, there are so many different definitions. And by the way, who gets to decide who is right? Can one group, or another, have the final say about what it means to be a Christian? Who gave them that authority?
How does Jesus describe what it means to be a Christian?
There’s only one real authority on this subject. It’s Jesus himself. So let’s look at some of the things Jesus says about what it means to be one of his followers, one of his disciples.
The very first thing Jesus requires of people when he begins his ministry is repentance.
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17 NIV
As I said just a few minutes ago, to repent doesn’t just mean to admit you did something wrong. It literally means to change the way you think, to think and look from a whole new, spiritual perspective. When you learn to think from the perspective that heaven is at hand, or has come near, you see life differently, than when you’re focused just on what the material world says is important.
Jesus is requiring his followers to get a more spiritual perspective on life before they can make progress.
To be a Christian, follow Jesus
The next demand Jesus makes on someone is the simple command to follow him.
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” Matthew 4:18, 19 NIV
Simon and Andrew couldn’t possibly know everything that would include, to follow Jesus, but they left their nets and took the first steps in that following process. And throughout Jesus’s ministry, they continued to follow him to the best of their ability at the time.
Jesus put a strong emphasis on the idea that being his disciple meant continuing to follow him.
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 KJV
Basically, Jesus is saying it’s not enough just to believe in him, but that we have to continue to follow his teachings and commandments. Then we are truly his disciples.
Let’s come back to those folks who define themselves as Christians by their theology. They can believe with all their hearts their doctrines are true, but if they’re not following Jesus’s commands to love and forgive, and everything else in the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the Gospels, Jesus is saying they are not his true disciples. In fact, he makes this point pretty clear in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus’s own words
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21 NIV
Just because someone believes the theological doctrine that requires them to accept Jesus as Lord, does not mean they are a true follower of Jesus. It’s all about putting into practice Jesus’s teachings. This is how he sums this up at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27 NIV
Jesus defines being one of his disciples or followers, as someone who obeys his teachings. By the way, Jesus never used the term Christian. That word wasn’t used until years later.
To be a Christian, deny self and take up your cross
What else did Jesus have to say about what it meant to be one of his followers?
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NIV
Jesus packed a lot into that one little sentence. We all need to take some time, in fact a lifetime, to unpack it.
There’s nothing in that verse about what doctrine you believe. It’s about devotion, obedience, and setting priorities in life.
And perhaps, one of the things some people need to do when they deny themselves, as Jesus requires of them, is to give up their judgmental and strong opinions about what it means to be a Christian and just focus on taking up the daily discipline themselves of following him.
Accept what Christ gives you
Another aspect of being a disciple of Jesus, to be a Christian, is the willingness to accept the authority to preach and heal he gives his followers
Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. Matthew 10:1 NIV
Then he sent them out to preach.
Now, you may think this verse only applies to the 12 immediate disciples. But what if you had been there as one of the 12 and Jesus had given you this authority? Would you have accepted it or rejected it? Would you have felt worthy or unworthy to follow through with Jesus’s gift?
This applies to you and me today, just as much as it did 2,000 years ago to those 12 men. To be a Christian, a follower of Christ, is to accept what Christ bestows upon you, without hesitation or reservation.
What if we fall short of these high standards?
Now you may be thinking: Hey James, I am not doing too good a job on all these things you’re talking about. I do believe Jesus is the Son of God, but I’m not obeying all his commandments all the time. Does that mean I’m not really a Christian? From what you’re saying, I’m not sure.
I know exactly how you feel. Jesus had pretty high expectations of his followers. And even his disciples didn’t always live up to them. You can tell from some of the questions they asked him that they didn’t always understand him. And they didn’t always obey all his teachings.
So to answer your question, I would say it comes down to your motives and which direction you’re walking. Do you have a deep desire and doing the best you can to obey Jesus’s commandments? Are you striving to understand what Jesus said and did and making an honest effort to follow his example? Then you’re on the right path.
But if you’re just saying the words and quoting Bible verses, but not really imbibing the spirit of Jesus’s love or making an effort to follow his example, then that gives you an idea of what you need to change in your life if you really want to think of yourself as a follower of Jesus.
To be a Christian, you need to keep learning and growing
We all have a lot to learn. We all need to grow spiritually. We need to be more Christlike, and follow Jesus more consistently. So don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s more about being on the path instead of where you are on the path.
And the very word disciple means a learner, a student. That means we’re always learning. Jesus often taught his disciples deep spiritual lessons and they willingly learned from him. They often asked questions to understand something better.
I’ve met people who grew up in churches where they were not allowed to ask questions. By that standard, those churches would not allow the 12 disciples to ask any questions. But asking questions of Christ, I’ll call it spiritual curiosity and a desire to understand, should be one of our superpowers.
To be a true Christian, you need to be humble enough to learn from Jesus’s teachings, which are recorded in the Bible. But you also need to be willing to let the spirit of Christ teach you today of the things of God and the kingdom of heaven.
You can take classes, read books, listen to podcasts, watch videos with all kinds of information about God, about being a Christian and following Jesus. But if you just accept what someone else says about God and Jesus, without hearing and accepting what Christ speaks directly to you, then you’re just copying someone else’s ideas and not learning directly from Christ.
To be a Christian means leaving behind man-made traditions
Another thing that defines true Christians is their willingness to leave behind religious traditions and practices that are not Christlike, even though they are popular with other Christian churches.
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” Mark 7:5 NIV
Jesus gave his disciples a whole new perspective on living a life of faith which went way beyond just a bunch of religious rituals, ceremonies, traditions, and doctrines. This applies to you and me today. Are we putting the new wine of Christ into the old wine skins of man-made traditions and doctrines?
What fruit are you producing?
Another way Jesus defines what it means to be a Christian, or one of his followers, is by the fruit they bear. He says to his disciples,
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8 NIV
Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. Luke 6:44 NIV
Jesus makes it clear his disciples will be known for the fruit they bear, the way they live their lives, the way they practice what he taught them
In fact, Jesus says the greatest fruit of life is love itself.
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35 KJV
All these folks who claim to be the only true Christians need to take a serious look at themselves in the mirror because the way they speak and act toward others is not always that loving. Just claiming that your definition of Christianity is the only valid one does not prove that it is. The fruit you bear, the way you live your life, shows what you are.
To be a Christian means living in the resurrection
A true follower of Jesus accepts his resurrection as true. The eleven remaining disciples, and then others, had to overcome their doubts and fears to acknowledge that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead.
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19, 20 NIV
And after he ascended, the disciples received the Holy Spirit and let it guide them in their ministry. To be a Christian today, the same is required of you and me. We need to be filled with joy over Jesus’s resurrection and ascension.
But it’s not just about believing that Jesus rose from the dead. That would be just another doctrinal belief. It’s participating in and embodying the presence of the resurrection today in your own life and bringing spiritual life and vitality to everything you do.
So much more in the Bible about what it means to be a Christian
There’s so much more Jesus has to say about what it means to be a Christian. Just read the Sermon on the Mount. And Paul elaborates on the topic over and over in his epistles.
But I’ve shared some of the things that have helped me the most to follow Jesus. I am done with all the debates of what it means to be a Christian. My goal now is simply to follow Christ to the best of my ability and rejoice with everyone else who strives to do so, even if we disagree on important theological points.
If you have ever felt condemned by someone speaking with great authority about their version of what it means to be a Christian, you do not need to be intimidated by them or their theological bullying. They’re actually just trying to reassure and justify to themselves that they are right. They don’t have the humility to admit they might not be right.
Your Christianity, your commitment to follow and obey Jesus, is between you and God. God has not given any person on earth today the authority to decide who is a Christian and who isn’t.
What if all those who are debating what it means to be a Christian and condemning all who disagree with them, would instead embrace as brothers and sisters in Christ all who are, in whatever way, striving to follow and obey Jesus, even if in a different way. The body of Christ would be united and the whole world would feel the effects of this unity and be a better place.
God has given you, and everyone else, the ability to know and follow Christ. The more you focus on simply following Christ, and not judging others in the way they do it, the more your light will shine in the world and there will be no debate in earth or heaven that you are a true follower of Jesus.
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Photo Credit: Iryna Muller
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James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and church mentor. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by learning to think, pray, and love like Jesus. Contact him here.
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Bible References
Matthew 4:17 NIV
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 4:18, 19 NIV
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”
John 8:31, 32 KJV
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Matthew 7:21 NIV
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:24-27 NIV
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Luke 9:23 NIV
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Matthew 10:1 NIV
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
Mark 7:5 NIV
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
John 15:8 NIV
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Luke 6:44 NIV
44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.
John 13:35 KJV
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 20:19, 20 NIV
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
