Definition of a Christian

Many mainstream religions claim that “accepting Jesus into your heart” means you are a Christian. Can this really be true? Look at the first use of the word “Christian” in Acts 11:26: “And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” The word itself means “follower of Christ.” Within the same verse, the word “disciple” means a student or pupil. So, just from this verse, we can conclude that a Christian studies and follows Jesus Christ. 

Consider the following: Effective students consistently engage in their learning by communicating with the instructor and studying the subject. It’s ludicrous to imagine that a student becomes a master of a subject by “accepting it into his heart.” The same principle applies to Christianity. Effective Christians consistently engage in their learning (beliefs) by communicating with their instructor (Jesus Christ and God, the Father) and studying the subject (the Bible). Ephesians 4:21-24 takes this concept even further by explaining that accepting Christ means literally “[putting] on the new man.”

Committing your life to being a follower and imitator of Jesus Christ involves a lifetime of effort. However, working to overcome sin and have the mind of Christ also brings about many physical and spiritual blessings. Learn more about how to make this change in your life in our article “What Is a Christian?”