What does it mean to be a Christian?

Question

Describe what you think your life would be like if you were (are) a christian. What does it mean to follow Christ? I'll take all the answers I can get!! Don't hold back from what you think is the Truth on this one.

One thing that I want to add is instead of focusing on HOW to become a Christian answer what life is like/would be like as a Christian. So the answer would fall in two categories:
(A) What your life looks like if you follow Christ
(B) What you think Christian life is like, for those of you that do not follow Christ

Answer 1

My life as a Christian was full of confusion and guilt. That's why I left.

Answer 2

A true Christian will do his/her best to follow Christ's teachings.

We must learn what Jesus is teaching, ALL of it, not just what seems "acceptable" and easy and maybe "logical".
We must follow his teachings ("in His footsteps") and apply them in our lives.

What does Jesus teach again and again and again? We must WANT to act out of compassion: 1. to love God above all things and 2. to love (be kind to) ALL our fellow human beings, even those who don't agree with us or those we don't agree with.

Jesus says those two are the "first and foremost commandments" and are the basis of THE LAW. Any other laws or interpretations of laws that don't align with those two basic laws are invalid.

Just imagine! If all humans would willingly (not because they have been told) act out of compassion toward the "others" there truly would be peace on Earth! Unfortunately we are not perfect and to bear "our cross" often seems too hard (or illogical, or "unscientific). - No, I'm not perfect either!

That's why we have to learn to be honest to ourselves and admit that we have failed, again and again and again, and resolve to (at least try to) do better next time!

Because WE are not perfect we also have to forgive others for offences they may have committed against us.

We can then ask for forgiveness and get "peace of mind" - until the next time.

That's what the live of a Christian SHOULD be like.

As someone put it: " Love (I don't mean SEX!) is the answer - whatever the question".

Try it! You may get to like it!

Answer 3

I think many "Christians" do not "follow Christ." I think Christianity today was not created by Jesus Christ, but by Paul. This is my logic: humans wrote the pieces of the bible; humans found those pieces and chose what was to be included in the bible and what is to be left out; humans translated the bible into various languages, humans interpreted the bible. why would i want to be a Christian after all this? To be honest, I think to say you are Christian, and worry about if what you are doing is good or bad according to the bible is a waste of time. Religion is for people who need someone else to tell them HOW to live. Follow the laws of nature, and you will be fine, I say. Nobody is going to tell me if I'm going to hell or not, or if there is even a hell at all.

Answer 4

Christianity entails the following things:

1. You say you believe in Jesus, then do the exact opposite of what he said to do.
2. You think God put George W. Bush on earth for the purpose of murdering everyone different from you.
3. You hate homosexuals.
4. You hate abortion.
5. You hate evolution.
6. You put a ribbon on your SUV that says you support the troops, then don't support them.
7. You believe America is destined to conquer the world on God's behalf.
8. You want all Muslims, Jews and atheists in America kicked out of the country, and all Muslims, Jews and atheists outside America killed with nuclear bombs.
9. You want religion to own and operate every facet of American society, from the military to the media and education to corrections. Your faith (measured in dollars) determines what class citizen you are and what rights you have.
10. You simper and pander up to those richer than you, because if God made them rich it's because they are better people. You never do anything to help anyone in need in any way at all, ever, because if God made them suffer it's because they are bad people.

And if anyone questions any of these things, you hurt and destroy them.

Answer 5

At the core, it means to believe in a single supreme God, and to accept that an aspect God incarnated once on this world in the body of Jesus of Nazareth. The rest varies by denomination.

The most common beliefs are that faith is important in defining one's relationship to God, and that following the examples set by Jesus the Christ (meaning messiah, or ascended one) are necessary to attaining spiritual purity and harmony with God. Among those are repentence for sins you commit, and the belief that forgiveness and salvation are available for those who truly seek it.

From there, it all comes down to which set of teachings you choose to follow, and what you believe Christ taught. And that debate has led to hundreds of different Christian sects over time.

Answer 6

From someone who doesn't follow "Christ:"

It seems to me that to be a Christian one must have an underdeveloped set of critical thinking skills and a certain amount of gullibility to receive such anecdotal and untestable information as absolute truth. One must become a "sheep" and follow the heard allowing much of their individuality and personal expression to be sheered away at the hands of the Shepherd.

Answer 7

I am a Christian. A christian is someone who accepts Jesus as their savior, repents of their sins, and invites Jesus into their hearts and lives. They give up their old sinful ways and follow Jesus for the rest of their lives. They use their new life to be an example to others who are lost and in search of salvation.

The word Christian means to be Christ like. Life as a Christian is the difference between existing lost in life, and actually living life to iit's fullest. You cant' explain what that life is like with out telling someone how to become one.

When someone leads another person to Christ, it is like a race with a baton in our hands that we pass to the next runner in this race. That baton is the baton of salvation. It is the sharing with others not only the experience of what it is to be a Chrsitian, but most importantly, how to obtain salvation. You can't have one with out the other.

Just like in that race on the track. The race will not be won, unless you pass that baton to the next runner. It is a free gift that is not to be kept for yourself, but to be passed on and shared with others.

Thanks for asking.

Answer 8

I love your question...

To be a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus Christ, not other people.

I read and study the word of God. I follow Jesus and His teachings of His Father in Heaven. I am not a bench warmer on Sunday and Wednesday...I want my daily walk to show that I am set apart by God. I love to praise and worship everyday. It's a part of who I am.

I am in also in ministry...but I will not be going to Heaven for what I do.

My salvation is sealed by the grace and mercy of God / Jesus. It's an amazing gift; that He would seek a relationship with me...but He does, every day!

I will stand before God one day and answer for my life.

I only hope that I will hear from my Father: "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

That is my goal...my journey...and my destination.

I have not arrived, I am a work in progress :o)

Grace to you and God / Jesus Bless!

((I love it when people say that we as Christians are mindless and followers. We can't think for ourselves, etc. What they won't take into account is that, God gave us all free will. A will to make a choice to believe or not to believe. Since they have made a choice not to believe, they must "have it right" and how could we be so gullible...they will then begin the name calling (stupid, gullible, etc) if they can think for themselves and chose not to believe, why are we (as Christians) wrong for believing?

What is so wrong with loving the living God? What is so wrong with making a life changing decision to do what is right in the first place? What is so wrong with loving one another? What is so wrong with defining ourselves by our creator and not by what we have accumulated? What is wrong with learning to love selflessly?

Let's look at Mother Teresa. Would you call her stupid, gullible etc? I think not. She was selfless. She loved people no one else wanted to love. She loved the poor and the sick. If someone gave her something, she would sell it and give the money to the poor. She owned nothing and she owed nothing. What exactly is wrong with that? When you die...you can't take anything you've accumulated while here on earth.

I’m open minded (not enough to let my brains fall out) and have lived the secular lifestyle, I was miserable. When I started attending Church before rededicating my life…I thought I had it right, was a good person, etc. I was wrong, so very wrong.

I figured out quickly what I was missing…It was Jesus in my life; full time. Not just on Sundays or Wednesdays…it’s everyday!

Those of you that don’t want to be believe…don’t have to.

Jesus said we would be persecuted for following him. I can handle it. Jesus wants a personal relationship will all of us. I’ve taken Him up on the extended offer. What about you, where will you go when you die?

Answer 9

It is a great life. Ther are many great reasons, but the best of all is that I am saved by Christ Jesus, and I know where I am going when I die--heaven. God bless!

Answer 10

I am a Christian. A christian is someone who accepts Jesus as their savior, repents of their sins, and invites Jesus into their hearts and lives. They give up their old sinful ways and follow Jesus for the rest of their lives. They set an example by living a good life that Jesus has set before them by being a witness to others. They are nice and kind and treat others how they would want to be treated.
http://family.webshots.com/photo/126465277/1438768145051497771idSstH

Most people today are so-called christians; they don't (Phil.2:21)follow Jesus or his example; I see this in alot in many different religions. However; they do have some Christ like qualities; does this count? I believe it depends; you see only God knows what's in their heart if it's pure or evil. God is testing all of us to see: when we hear the truth if we will act upon it or void it like the plague. There's some (Matt.7:21-23; 28:20; Luke 4:4) guide rules that God set in the Bible for us to follow and most (Matt.7:13)people don't follow them because they don't want to. So as you see there are many religions out there that truly believe they're following Christ, but actually in real life they're not. But in time God will show them their sin through his word "the Bible" or "others".
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As I was growing up; I thought I was a christian too. I had qualities as a christian, but wasn't following Christ. As time went on; I went to several Sunday Churches---I still didn't know much because I wasn't reading the Bible. Eventually down the road; I received a pamplet from a Seventh Day Adventist Church--so I went to the meetings and found out some details of the word that I didn't know before. It opened my eyes to the truth; the (truth about (1Pet.2:21)Jesus and the (Exod.20:8-11; Heb.3:18-19; 4:1-11; Rev.14:7)Sabbath as a few other things.
http://family.webshots.com/photo/126465277/1259466594051497771pTLCEG
This was the first step that I took to get out of First Babylon; Babylon is confusion.
1COR.3:18-19 = "LET NO MAN DECEIVE HIMSELF. IF ANY MAN AMONG YOU SEEMETH TO BE WISE IN THIS WORLD, LET HIM BECOME A FOOL, THAT HE MAY BE WISE. FOR THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS WITH GOD. FOR IT IS WRITTEN, HE TAKETH THE WISE IN THEIR OWN CRAFTINESS."

Although I took the first step out of 1st Babylon; I was in second Babylon and didn't even know it. Second Babylon feeds you with the milk of his word.
1COR.3:2 = "I HAVE FED YOU WITH MILK, AND NOT WITH MEAT: FOR HITHERUNTO YE WERE NOT ABLE TO BEAR IT, NEITHER YET NOW ARE YE ABLE."
Now I was in second babylon for 6-1/2 years; knowing and doing what was required of me without hesitation. I listened and obeyed.
In the end of the 6-1/2 years I read my Bible and asked questions to God. God told me the answers through other people, sermons, or telling me one on one.
JAMES 1:5 = "IF ANY OF YOU LACK WISDOM, LET HIM ASK OF GOD, THAT GIVETH TO ALL MEN LIBERALLY, AND UPBRAIDETH NOT; AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN HIM."
As it was getting to the end of the 6-1/2 years--I seen some changes/contradictions in the church; so I asked God "What do you want me to do?" My testimony in here:
http://family.webshots.com/photo/126465277/1259465643051497771EQPXZl
2THESS.2:3-7 = "LET NO MAN DECEIVE YOU BY ANY MEANS: FOR THAT DAY SHALL NOT COME EXCEPT THERE COME A FALLING AWAY FIRST, AND THAT MAN OF SIN BE REVEALED, THE SON OF PERDITION; WHO OPPOSETH & EXALTETH HIMSELF ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, OR THAT IS WOPRSHIPPED; SO THAT HE AS GOD SITTETH IN THE TEMPLE OF GOD SHEWING HIMSELF THAT HE IS GOD....FOR THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY DOTH ALREADY AT WORK: ONLY HE WHO NOW LETTETH WILL LET, UNTIL HE BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WAY."
So God (2Tim.1:9)called me out of (Rev.18:4)2nd Babylon into his church (Eph.4:4; 5:27; Acts 20:28).
http://family.webshots.com/photo/126465277/1438773248051497771fQPdPo
http://family.webshots.com/photo/126465277/1438775482051497771IZFPyH

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So to me being a faithful christian takes a lot of patience and help through God. You have to pray and study the word , so you can grow! I really hoped I helped you.