1 Peter 4: 12-16 WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN? 3-19-11
Let me start by saying what the Christian faith is, Christianity has a set of core beliefs that define it from the religions of the world. Christianity has some basic truths and without these basic truths Christianity fails to be truly Christian.
The name "Christian,” implies both the "Founder" and "Perfecter" of the Christian faith.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;--
Jesus is not the Author of some man made religion, only through Jesus Christ is the means of salvation, this world is full of all kind of religion but through this MAN JESUS CHRIST is the only way to get to heaven, all other religions are the ways of death and destruction.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Jesus the Christ: The name "Christ" was a special name given to Jesus of Nazareth that indicated his special relationship with JEHOVAH God. (Christos is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Messiah, which means, "Anointed one.")
As Jesus followers grew into a movement, they were called “the Way” by the unbelievers, even today in Israel the Orthodox Jews refer to Jesus as “THIS MAN”
Acts 9:1-2 1And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem
Possibly a reference to Christ’s statement, “I am the way” John 14:6
For the most part, members of the Way had been Jewish believers to begin with.
So the Antiochians realized that what held these of THE WAY together was CHRIST.
Ø LISTEN: The Latin suffix “ian” means, “belonging to the party of.”** So it was by ridicule and
scorn that some of the pagan citizens of Antioch joined this Latin suffix to the Hebrew name “Christ” and came up with Christ-ian. The name is found only three times in the entire New Testament: Acts 11:26 and 26:28, and in our text 1 Peter 4:16.
"Christian" was a name that was given to the disciples (followers) of Christ in Syrian Antioch (present day Turkey) in the early 40's AD. –So it was at Antioch that the name Christian was first applied to the disciples of Jesus Christ.
Ø Listen as I read today’s text found in:
1 Peter 4:12-19 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. 16Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
The believers in the early church suffered MUCH PERSECUTION because they were Christians.
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Today many people who have never been born again consider themselves to be “Christians” simply because they say they are not “pagans.” After all, they may belong to a church, attend services somewhat regularly, and even occasionally give to the work of the church, and some business people think that it’s good for their business.-, so to them professing to be a Christian is just a front.
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What I believe a Christian is- is the individual trusting in, and believing in ones heart, and receiving Him and then confessing with the mouth if possible Jesus Christ as his or her personal Lord and Savoir.
Romans 10:9-11 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Ø One man said this “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?—that’s a pretty good question.
So today I want to talk for a few minutes about what people need to do become Christians, everyone that say’s that they’re Christians are not, although they may truly believe that they are, some people are brought up from child hood exposed to all kinds of different religions that call them selves Christian, and so their simply following the standards that their traditionally accustom to, some think that because they ----were sprinkled with water when they were an infant and that they have been CONFIRMED to their professed religion that all is well, now all they must do is confess to another sinner their sins and don’t worry about it.
And there are even people in our Baptist churches that have been immersed in water and have their name on the church roll that think they’re saved, but a number of these go down into the water a dry lost sinner and when their raise up out of the water, the only difference is now their a wet lost sinner.
Some think that because they are born in a ‘Christian’ country or have graduated from a Christian’ school or have been going to a Christian church and have adopted Christian principles, that surely their a Christian.
The fact is that we can do all these things and still not be a Christian, for these things are external.
It is possible to be a church member, good, moral and kind, and still not be a Christian. What then is a Christian?
The New Testament Christians are called ‘saints’ about sixty times, ‘believers’ about eighty times, and ‘brothers’ about two hundred times, but they are called ‘Christians’ only three times.
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So our text tells us that these early Christians were some time scorned and made fun of. Therefore if we as Christians are ridiculed and made fun of because of what we believe let’s count it to be a blessing, as the old song goes,” I’d rather be an old time Christian than any thing I know”, as Christians we may be the minority here in this world but where we’re going one day soon Christians is all that’s gonna be there.
Ø An early church historian by the name of Euse-bius
describes a believer named Sanctus from Lyons, France, who was tortured for Jesus. As they tortured him cruelly, they hoped to get him to say something evil or blasphemous. They asked his name, and he would only reply, "I am a Christian." "What nation do you belong to?" He would answer, "I am a Christian." "What city do you live in?" "I am a Christian." His questioners began to get angry: "Are you a slave or a free man?" "I am a Christian" was the only reply. No matter what they asked about him, he would only answer, "I am a Christian." This made his torturers all the more determined to break him, but they could not, and he died with the words "I am a Christian" on his lips. (Eusebius, Church History)
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Some seem to think that becoming a Christian is about like joining a club, you know to get their name on the church roll, their invited down to the front of the church and shake the preachers hand and maybe sign a card or something along that line, and then their led to believe that their Christians.
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But to become a Christian a person must first come to see himself or herself as God sees them, and that is, a lost sinner, a rebel against His authority - an enemy of God; lost, hopeless, unable to deliver themselves and standing justly condemned under God's righteous law; and fully deserving the just punishment of hell, a person will never be saved, never become a Christian, until he realizes he’s a lost condemned sinner, not going to be condemned but is condemned already, the next step for the lost is to take his last breath and find himself in hell faster than you can blink your eye.
Lk. 16:--the rich man died and lift his eyes in hell.
Christians come from all walks of life, some Christians before they were saved were among the biggest scoundrels to walk the earth, they were involved in any and all kinds of sins that you might be able to think of. Paul said in
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 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,**(the queers and lesbians, nothing gay about these Sodomites) 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
I believe the drunk will stop his or her drinking of alcohol or any other vice that people might have been involved in without having to go to some kind of meetings to be weaned off their habit, he won’t stop drinking, he’ll just change wells.
John 7:37 --Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
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Ø Jesus come into this world to save sinners not the righteous.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;--so when the devil reminds you of your passed just remind him of his future. Rev.20:10—he’s cast into the lake of fire.
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The entire human race are natural born sinners, we have inherited a terrible blood decease tainted with sin from our 1st parents Adam and Eve, we are sinners by nature at birth.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: --
Ø David said in
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
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So we’re sinners by nature at birth, but when we reach the age of accountability we’re then sinners by choice. The age of accountability is not the same for ever one, when we first hear a gospel message and realize we’re sinners and need to be saved that’s when we become accountable, Gods grace takes care of people that are mentally incapable of realizing that their lost sinners and must be saved. Reminds us of all the little aborted babies that never was actually birthed into this world, God knows all about them and His grace will take care of these.
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Ø How do we know that the entire human race is sinners?
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;--
Ø There are those that just cannot understand why he or she is a lost sinner.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
John 3:17-18 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Ø So if we want to go to heaven we’ll have to become Christians the Bible way.
Jesus said in
John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Notice, “as the scripture hath said” not as the preacher has said or what the denomination doctrine says.
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Many people have Christian names, my mothers name is “NAOMIE” my Dad’s name was “PAUL”, my son’s name is “JOSEPH” my aunt’s name was “RACHEL” my uncles name is ‘JAMES” my Grandpa’s name was “JOHN” my Grandmas name was “MARY” my wife’s mothers name was EUNICE and I’m sure there’s more that I’m related to that have Christian names, all of these that I just mentioned claimed to be Christians, and I certainly hope they were and are as many have gone on, but just because people have----- Christian names does not make them Christians, just because a person goes to a church does not make them a Christian any more that walking into a garage turns us into a car.
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Ø The Bible teaches that the good works we do cannot make us Christians.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; --
Ø So, a Christian is someone who has been born again by the Holy Spirit of God when the Word of God has been heard and believed.
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Ø A Christian is a person that has put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: --
Ø A true Christian is a person who has put their faith and trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as the only payment for sins and His resurrection on the third day.
John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
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We see people on the news almost every day that die for their man made religion, dear heart the God we serve and believe in does not want us to die for Him if it can be helped, He wants us to live for Him, what can we do for Him after we’re dead?
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
If your not a Christian let me ask you, is your religion good enough to keep you out of hell, is your religion good enough to take you to heaven when it comes your time to die or the rapture should take place while your alive, if your not sure why don’t you lay this kind of religion aside and come to Jesus, ask Him in child like faith to forgive you of your sins and invite Him to come into your life and be your Lord and Saviour, I promise you on the authority of Gods Word He will save you.
