I was always taught (by protestants mind you) that a Christian is someone that accepts Jesus Christ as their savior and as God.
Now some of you are telling me that is true but if you kiss rings, ask holy persons to pray for you or believe in an area between heaven and hell it over rides that fact that you believe Jesus is God and He is salvation... right?
2007-08-26 02:56:21 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
(((Father K))) I missed you
2007-08-26 03:02:41 · update #1
A Christian is simply somebody who has been Baptized in the name of the Trinity. "Being a Christian' is NOTHING we can do on our own...it is entirely a work of God's Grace. Even the faith we have is a gift of God.
Thanks, dear one. Good to be back!
2007-08-26 03:01:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 3⤋
Some Christians do the things you mentioned. But the bible says a Christian is someone that accepts Jesus Christ as their lord and savior and believes in God. And this scripture tells you how to spot a Christian. John 13:35: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
2007-08-26 14:03:37 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A true Christian is someone who has been "born again". A person in whom the Holy Spirit of God dwells.
Romans 8:9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
P.S - Father K is a great guy and he knows a lot about what the Bible has to say, however water baptism while a command of Christ is not what makes a person a Christian. It is the baptism of the Spirit which gives a person "newness of life".
1 Corinthians 12:13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Romans 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, ... 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
John 3:3 Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." 4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
2007-08-26 10:20:04 · answer #3 · answered by Martin S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Someone who follows Jesus...duh
The early appostles only said to the new Jewish converts to accept Jesus as their savior because so many Jews were weary about this "prophet" that they had been told was a phony/false messiah. The Jews in general rejected Jesus, but the Christians were told how improtant he was.
You can't be a Christian if you just say that you accept Jesus; you have to live like him.
And why would I have to admit to a false teaching that Jesus and God are the same? Jesus said that he was LIKE God, but that he was "lower" than Him...no-where did he say (in the original Greek) that I am the same as God.
2007-08-26 10:20:11 · answer #4 · answered by Paul S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A Christian believes in Jesus Christ.
2007-08-26 10:08:36 · answer #5 · answered by Soul Shaper 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A Christian is one who is reborn through the Holy Spirit. This is an act of God, and cannot be done by saying a sinner's prayer, signing a card joining a church, baptism in water, merely saying or believing Jesus in Lord, praying to outside sources such as Mary, or about a million other man-made traditions.
Sometimes I feel like Elijah (no, not like a prophet, just like he must of felt after all his warning were ignored) and wonder who has believed the truth.
God answered Elijah telling him He has another seven thousand besides him. Still, seven thousand is not a lot, only a remnant are saved.
2007-08-26 10:22:42 · answer #6 · answered by Notfooled 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
With all the infighting between the different Christian denominations, the word "Christian" has become almost meaningless to me.
I am not a Christian, but I generally accept accept that all the differing denominations that call themselves Christians, fall under the big umbrella called Christianity.
I also think that many individual Christians flip-flop on the definition fo Christianity when ever it suites their purposes. When deciding who is "saved" or not, the definition becomes very narrow.
When discussing America being a "Christian" nation, or weather or not our "founding fathers" were "Christian" or not, then suddenly, anyone who has ever said "God bless you" to a sneeze is a Christian.
2007-08-26 10:11:06 · answer #7 · answered by queenthesbian 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Your first paragraph sounds like a mainstream Protestant view of Christianity; and your second, more Catholic.
Either way, Jesus Christ is THE way, THE truth and THE life. No man goes to the Father except through Him.
I hope you find the way. He is waiting for you. And He will never give up on you.
2007-08-26 10:00:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
A Christian is basically anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and tries to learn His teachings. Catholics and Protestants both have different ways of trying to do this (this is true, no matter how many ways you slice it)
2007-08-26 10:06:40 · answer #9 · answered by Otaku in Need 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Look to history for help on this one. A Christian is anyone who is a disciple of Jesus Christ.
2007-08-26 10:03:37 · answer #10 · answered by man_of_mustard 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
*sighs deeply*
There is only ONE Person Whose opinion about this is important...
And it ain't me.
I would answer you that Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice and He knows them...a stranger's voice they will not follow...
Somehow, I can't see Peter with a ring to kiss, nor can I see John asking any "holy persons" to pray for him, and I don't think Paul believed in any area between heaven and hell...
But then, that is only my opinion, and, as such, doesn't really count for much (see above).
2007-08-26 10:32:42 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋