Is a Christian someone who goes to church every week?
Can he (or she) be a liberal, or a conservative, or maybe even a moderate?
Just what defines a Christian?
According to the Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the word Christian means (1): one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ. (2): a. of or relating to Christianity. b. professing Christianity. c. commendably decent or generous (has a very ~ concern for others.
The Bible defines Christian as a follower of Christ. I would add to this that a true Christian is one who is totally committed and sold out to Jesus Christ. One who believes totally on Jesus for his eternal well being.
The word “believe” (Greek word "pisteuo"), according to the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, means: to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), credit: by implication to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
The word "pisteuo" comes from the Greek word "pistis" which means: persuasion, i.e., credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstract: constancy in such profession; by extens. the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself.
"Pistis" is most often translated "faith." One can see that the English word "believe," used to translate the Greek word "pisteuo" does not begin to convey the full meaning of the word.
To follow Christ, one must have a conversion from the sinful nature of man to the divine nature of Jesus. This does not only mean to do what He did, but it means to think as He thinks.
This can only come about through being "born from above" or what has so frequently been termed, "born again." This experience cause one to turn around 180 degrees from the sinful direction he is heading to follow in humble submission to Jesus, trusting Him alone for eternal security.
In our "hearts," following Jesus sets us free from the world's system. Although we still live in the world, and relate to it when we have to, our thoughts are not of this world system. Our desire is not for "things" of this world, but of the greater things of the spirit.
Jesus is the author of the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). He whom Christ sets free is free in deed (no longer enslaved to sin, John 8:33-36.)
The original followers of Jesus were called "disciples." Those closest to Him, the twelve that He hand-picked, were called "apostles."
In the book of Acts, Chapter 24, verse 14, the followers of Jesus were called those of this "way." (Not to be confused with a modern group called "The Way.")
Strong's Concordance defines the same word (which is translated "way" in many versions of the Bible), the Greek word "hodos" as "a road: by implication a progress; figuratively: a mode or means."
A well known Interlinear Bible renders Acts 24:14 "But I confess this to thee, that in the way which they call sect, so I serve the ancestral God, believing all things which throughout the law and the prophets have been written, 15. having a hope in God, which also they themselves receive, a resurrection of the dead is about to be, both of just and of unjust."
Acts 11:26, "And the disciples were called Christians (followers of Christ) first in Antioch." So that is the origin of the term "Christian."
It does not appear that a Christian has the freedom to be a liberal, or a moderate, or even a conservative, but is obligated to follow the absolute precepts of Christ. That would make you an "absolutist." Of course we cannot do this perfectly, but we must follow the example of Jesus and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, emulate Him.
