And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 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.
Who is a Christian? How do you recognize a Christian? There are many appellations and labels that people have on bags, cars, houses, doors or T-Shirts with the inscription, “I’m a Christian.” But who really is a Christian? Our society cannot tell us who a Christian is because they don’t make Christians. The Word of God makes Christians, so, the Word alone can tell us who a Christian is. First, a Christian is a believer in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. To be a Christian, you must have faith in God through Jesus Christ. A Christian is someone who believes that Jesus is Lord; he or she believes in the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Romans 10:8-9 shows it clearly: it says “But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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.” This means that every Christian believes that God has raised Jesus from the dead, and confesses Jesus as Lord. This is how true faith in God begins. No one is a Christian simply because he is born by Christian parents, no! A thousand times no! A Christian is one who has been born again; one who has been regenerated, made a new creature in Christ, born of God’s spiritual family, a child of God. Hallelujah!
John 3:6 says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” So, to be a Christian, you must consciously, intentionally, hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and respond to it in the obedience of faith by reposing faith in Jesus Christ as the risen Lord, not as a prophet, not as a priest, or a historical figure that lived an outstanding life in Jerusalem or in Palestine. You have to believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and on the third day, He was raised from the dead according to the scriptures, and this is how you become a Christian – a bona fide child of God. Becoming a Christian or being born again doesn’t come by the works of our own righteousness; it is by grace through faith, which results in the regeneration and washing of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah!
My Solid Front (Confession):
I declare that I have come to repose faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the risen Lord. I know He died for my sins and was raised from the dead for my justification. I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, I am born again, and I am living in the Father’s will. Hallelujah!
Further Meditation:
1 Peter 1:23; Ezekiel 36:26-27