Christians, who are they?

Question

when you hear the word Christians, who do you think of when you hear that? Catholics, Baptist? Methodist? Lutheran? what???

Answer 1

I don't think of one just one group...I think about them all.

Answer 2

This a complicated question, not because the truth is complicated, but because humans have complicated it.

There is a true Visible Church. This is wherever God's pure means of grace are received: That is wherever God's Word (the Bible: a proper distinction between Law & Gospel) & God's Sacraments (Holy Baptism & Holy Communion per Christ's words) are being administered in their purity. There may be individual congregations where this is happening, but as far as whole denominations that narrows it to the authentic, historical & confessional Lutheran Church (unfortunately the ELCA has as a church body shunned God's means of grace in pursuit of a man-made outward "unity" with other Christian denominations who have also compromised God's Word).

That said, the Invisible Church also exists. There are no doubt individual Christians who don't necessarily belong to the Lutheran Church (i.e. are of other denominations), who are indeed saved by God's grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ (His life, death & resurrection to save a person from sin, death & the power of the devil) alone as written in Scripture alone. And there are entire "Lutheran" congregations as well as individuals who claim to be Lutheran who also shun to their own detriment, God's pure Law & Gospel, Word & Sacrament.

In a wider sense, all Christians who believe & practice the statements made in the Three Ecumenical Creeds (http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=582) are called Christian. Those who adopt in addition, heterodoxical doctrine are heterodox Christians (denominations as well as individuals; e.g. Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, etc.). Those who reject these creeds are heretical & therefore not Christian (e.g. "Jesus Only" denominations, The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc.).

Answer 3

There is two distinct groups that are under the umbrella word of Christian.
There are false Christians and true Christians.

Both of these totally different classes can easily be identified.
How ? - By their teachings and their works.

False religious Christianity is often characterized by teaching pagan unchristian beliefs as being truth , such as the trinity , hellfire , and the immortal soul.
These are what the Bible calls expressions from the mouths of demons.
Additionally , these so called Christians are often at the forefront of the political arena , in an area which Jesus clearly commanded them to be separate from.
They squeeze money from the people and place them under heavy burdens just as the Pharisees and Sadducees did in Jesus' day.

Yes it is this group of unfaithful people that make up a large part of Satan's world empire of false religion , and they have the blood of the prophets on the hands.

This group will soon be destroyed.

Thats false Christians , if you would like to know the identity of who really is serving God in the way that please him well today , feel free to email me for that information.

Answer 4

I think of all those who have trusted in Christ alone for salvation.

No denomination comes to mind when I hear the word Christian. Just because one calls themself a Lutheran or something in no way guarantees them eternal life in heaven.

Answer 5

I think of someone who has repented and trusted Jesus as their Savior.

There are a number of specific people who come to mind as well, who in my view, live a life in line with the standards taught be Jesus.

On the Catholic Church thing detailed above - it's nice to read comments in strong support of a believers denomination, I guess. Staking out your claim as the sole, true church, you need to accept the criticism of the shortcomings found in your church, as found in all churches.

Also, the papal line hasn't shown itself over the past 2,000 years to be the best example of Godly. In fact, it has shown itself to be corrupt at times.

Answer 6

A Christian believes in Christ Jesus crucified, risen and coming again.

All the rest of the jazz is just noise. Keep your eyes on the prize...and on the price He paid for you, for it is by faith that we are justified.

Answer 7

Down through history, God has always set apart and marked those who truly serve Him by keeping His commandments and His LAWS. The Apostle John was inspired to write: "He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a LIAR, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).
The true God does not even hear our prayers unless we keep His commandments! "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS and do those things that are pleasing in His sight" (1 John 3:22).
God further states: "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the DOCTRINE of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the DOCTRINE of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do NOT receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (2 John 9–11).
This true teaching—the matter of OBEDIENCE to the true God and His LAW—is of PARAMOUNT importance in the eyes of God! Even in the final book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, this standard of OBEDIENCE is used as a sign of IDENTITY of God’s true Church down through the ages.
Notice! Speaking of the true Church, which has to flee from the Devil at the time of the end, God says: "And the dragon [Satan the Devil] was enraged with the woman [the true Church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17).
And, at the very END of the Bible, as His final message to YOU, God states: "Blessed are those who do His COMMANDMENTS, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14).
True Christianity then, the Christianity of Christ—is a WAY of life! (It is NOT being a member of an institution filled with statues and pictures of saints, and bowing down to them in total DISREGARD and DISOBEDIENCE to the first and second commandments of God) It involves the Living Jesus Christ living His life within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then we can truly worship God in the way He tells us to. We will be given spiritual LOVE to have the genuine out-flowing concern, the patience, the kindness and the mercy we need toward our fellow human beings.
Through His Spirit, we will "walk with God" on a daily basis—reflecting Jesus Christ in every facet of our lives. We will overcome the downward pull of sin and—through Christ in us— we will SURRENDER to let God form within us His very nature and character. And so God Himself will prepare us and qualify us to RULE with Christ in the coming Kingdom of God soon to be set up on this earth! "And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations; ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’; as I also have received from My Father" (Revelation 2:26–27).
For real Christians are called not just to be "nice" people— NOT just to "roll around heaven" all day with nothing to do. Rather we are called to join with Christ in RULING this world and bringing genuine peace and JOY to the earth when Christ’s Kingdom becomes a glorious reality at His Second Coming. That is the very purpose for those called now to be true Christians.

Answer 8

I don't think of any particular religious "Group"! I think of any "person" that believes in God and the promise of everlasting life in heaven above! Amen! =D

Answer 9

I think of any one who believes in Jesus. I don't think of the groups that make up "religion" ..

Answer 10

Among the Christian churches, only the Catholic Church has existed since the time of Jesus. Every other Christian church is an offshoot of the Catholic Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.) Only the Catholic Church existed in the tenth century, in the fifth century, and in the first century, faithfully teaching the doctrines given by Christ to the apostles, omitting nothing. The line of popes can be traced back, in unbroken succession, to Peter himself. This is unequaled by any institution in history: Even the oldest government is new compared to the papacy. The Catholic Church has existed for nearly 2,000 years, despite constant opposition from the world. This is testimony to the Church’s divine origin: Any merely human organization would have collapsed long ago. The Catholic Church is today the most vigorous church in the world (and the largest, with a billion members: one sixth of the human race), and that is testimony not to the cleverness of the Church’s leaders, but to the protection of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ Church is called catholic ("universal" in Greek) because it is his gift to all people. He told his apostles to go throughout the world and make disciples of "all nations" (Matt. 28:19–20). For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has carried out this mission, preaching the good news that Christ died for all men and that he wants all of us to be members of his universal family (Gal. 3:28). Nowadays the Catholic Church is found in every country of the world and is still sending out missionaries to "make disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:19). The Church Jesus established was known by its most common title, "the Catholic Church," at least as early as the year 107, when Ignatius of Antioch used that title to describe the one Church Jesus founded. The title apparently was old in Ignatius’s time, which means it went all the way back to the time of the apostles.

Answer 11

I think of everyone who follows Jesus and his teachings I don't think of and denomination.