Biblical Q & A: What is a Christian?
Ephesians 2:8 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...”
What is a woman?
During the March 2022 Supreme Court confirmation hearings for then-Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) asked Judge Jackson if she could define the word “woman.”
The exchange went as follows:
Blackburn: “Can you provide a definition for the word 'woman'?”
Jackson: “Can I provide a definition? No, I can't.”
Blackburn: “You can't?”
Jackson: “Not in this context. I'm not a biologist.”
Blackburn: “The meaning of the word women is so unclear and controversial that you can’t give me a definition?”
Jackson: “Senator, in my work as a judge, what I do is I address disputes. If there’s a dispute about a definition, people make arguments, and I look at the law and decide, so I’m not…”
Blackburn: “The fact that you can't give me a straight answer about something as fundamental as what a woman is underscores the dangers of the kind of progressive education that we are hearing about.”
This exchange became widely discussed and debated in the media, with praise and criticism from both sides. It has since been frequently referenced in dialogs about gender issues and judicial philosophy.
As it turns out, many who claim to be women do not fit the biological definition of a woman.
What is a Christian?
Similarly, many who claim to be Christian do not fit the biblical definition of a Christian.
Many don’t know what a Christian is, but the Bible is unequivocal.
Many also won’t like the answer.
Why?
Because not everyone who claims to be a Christian is a Christian; in fact, many will be lost and not saved, even though they and their religious organization claim to be “Christian.”
The decisive verse on this is Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven..many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, … then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
That seems extreme, so let me explain.
One key verse that discusses who is a Christian and thus who will be saved is Ephesians 1:4-5: “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.”
This concept is reinforced in numerous other verses:
2 Timothy 1:9: "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time."
Romans 8:29-30: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified."
1 Peter 1:20: "He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake."
Ephesians 1:4-6 “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will, to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves."
This reveals that being a Christian begins and ends with God’s sovereignty.
Ephesians 2:8-10 explains how this is applied: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
These passages, then, show that a Christian is:
Someone chosen by God before creation (Eph 1:4)
who is saved by grace alone through faith alone (Eph 2:8)
having been given that saving faith as a gift from God (Eph 2:8-9)
and transformed in Christ for good works (Eph 2:10).
Everything about being a Christian—from selection to faith to works—is initiated and accomplished by a Sovereign God.
This definition defines a Christian:
not by what they do
but
by what God has done for and in them.
What about religions that call themselves Christian?
Although the numbers are reportedly declining, a recent Pew report1 claims that 65% of Americans describe themselves as “Christian.”
Unfortunately, many individuals and religious organizations who identify as “Christian” do not conform to the biblical definition of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
False Christianity diverges from true Christianity when it:
Denies Jesus is the Christ - 1 John 2:22-23 - "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also."
Preaches a different gospel - Galatians 1:8-9 - "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed."
Doesn't confess Jesus came in the flesh - 1 John 4:3 - "And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already."
Claims to know God but doesn’t keep His commandments - 1 John 2:4 - "Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
Professes faith but denies it through their actions - Titus 1:16 - "They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work."
Claim to love God while hating others - 1 John 4:20 - "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."
It is essential to state that individual members can genuinely be saved if they have personally trusted in Christ alone for salvation, despite their church’s official identity. The key issue is not the designation “Christian” but whether they completely trust Christ through faith and not their own merit.
Furthermore, many world religions do not identify as Christian at all, and the same caveat applies: that is, those who, despite the title of their religion, personally trust in Christ alone for salvation can indeed be saved.
Why are only Christians saved?
This begs the question, in the entire world of over 8 billion people, are only Christians saved?
According to the Bible, yes!
The definitive verse is John 14:6, where Jesus states: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
This exclusivity is reinforced in:
Acts 4:12: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
1 Timothy 2:5: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
1 John 5:11-12: "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."
Matthew 7:13-14: "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."
Jesus specifically taught that only a minority would be saved, citing Matthew 22:14: “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
This is not due to any limitation in Christ’s power to save but rather is in harmony with God’s sovereign purposes.
It is also important to underscore that those who are not saved actively choose to deny Christ as their Savior - it is their deliberate decision, not God’s.
This concept is vividly illustrated in Revelation 9:20-21 which states, “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols … nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
As depicted, many love their sin.
As an unbeliever, what can I do?
First, realize that you are lost: Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Understand the consequences of sin: Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Recognize God’s only provision for salvation: John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Pray as follows:
Repent: Acts 17:30: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,” and,
Believe: Acts 16:31: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”
One of the most tragic verses in the Bible is Mark 8:36, which warns, “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”
Sadly, many will still chase Satan’s diabolical offer.
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Pew Research Center’s 2019 report “In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace”
Here is a test to help people determine if they are a Christian.
https://www.neverthirsty.org/seeking-god/marks-of-a-christian/self-inventory-test/
Very well said.
It is an uncomfortable truth, but it is the truth. It doesn't help anyone if we water down the truth. Thanks for sharing the truth even if it is unpopular.