What is a true Christian?
To ask the question, "what is a Christian," might appear very odd to some, because we all know a follower of the Christ would be such. Does merely making the claim that one is one, really make him such? For Billions today make claim to being Christians, but belie that claim by their conduct and actions, and it can be seen they really are not; and their conduct and actions, expose them as false Christions. The Apostle Paul foretold that these types would be on the earth during the period known as the last days, and he went on to describe in exact detail, the shocking conduct, of those with a mere form of Godly devotion, that proved false to its power, and he counseled: "From these turn away." {2 Timothy 3:1-5} Jesus himself had something to say about these with a mere form of worship, and directed us to be on the watch for such ones:
15 "Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to YOU in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits YOU will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit; 18 a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men].
So, just as Paul foretold, those with this mere form, Jesus viewed as rotten Trees producing rotten fruitage, needing to be cut down, and we would recognize them, by this said, rotten fruitage. It would not be difficult, to tell the good Trees from the Bad as we viewed thier fruitage, which would outstandingly mark them as either true or false. Jesus pointed out, that these rotten Trees were on the Broad Road that led off into destruction, and not on the narrow road to life, as we see:
13 "Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.{Matthew 7:13,14 NWT}
25 "So he went off to Tarsus to make a thorough search for Saul 26 and, after he found him, he brought him to Antioch. It thus came about that for a whole year they gathered together with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians." {Acts 11:25,26 NWT}
How do we determine who the first Christian's were, and how they came to be such? Of course it had to be the Twelve Apostles, didn't it? But did they choose their positions of their own accord? They did not! Jesus spent the entire night in prayer to his Father, before choosing the Twelve Apostles. So Jesus actually did not do the choosing of those, his Father did, and revealed to his Son through that prayer filled night, exactly who was to be chosen. Jesus himself could never at any time do that choosing, as Paul showed us in Hebrews 5:1-10.
12"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."{Luke 6:11-18 NWT}
4 "Also, a man takes this honor, not of his own accord, but only when he is called by God, just as Aaron also [was]. 5 So too the Christ did not glorify himself by becoming a high priest, but [was glorified by him] who spoke with reference to him: "You are my son; I, today, I have become your father." 6 Just as he says also in another place: "You are a priest forever according to the manner of Mel·chiz´e·dek." {Hebrews 5:1-10 NWT}
It is very clear! Jehovah, not only chose His Son for High Priest like Mel-chiz'edek, he also chose the Twelve Apostles through his son, Jesus. As well, all of the 144000 chosen for heavenly life. The Twelve were the very first Christian's to follow the Christ, and chosen by Jehovah to do so. They could have never chosen the positions they held of thier own accord. In similar fashion neither can we today! Whether it be the Heavenly High calling of God, or those that will inherit life on this earth, all are directly chosen by Jehovah, and if Jehovah, for some reason does not choose anyone, they will have no hope what-so-ever. None at all!
Without a doubt, all of the first Century Christian's could legitimately bear the title Christian. They had that one identifying characteristic, so sadly lacking in our Worlds Christion's today. That is the following:
"I am giving YOU a new commandment, that YOU love one another; just as I have loved YOU, that YOU also love one another. 35 By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves." {John 13:34,35 NWT}
Can we say, we know this Worlds Christian's are known as Jesus Disciples because of the love they show for one and other? Can they themselves tell us they are followers of the Prince of peace? Can they say they truly love God, and follow the example of the Christ?
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:5-7
5"We truly love God only when we obey him as we should, and then we know that we belong to him. 6 If we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ." {1 John 2:5-7 CEV}
Were they following the example of Christ, the Prince of peace, during World War One and Two? When 100 Million were sent to their graves by these Oh! So loving Christian's? Were they following the example of the Prince of Peace during those two Bloody conflicts? Were they following the example of the Prince of Peace when they Atom - Bombed two Japanese Cities almost into oblivion, and God knows how many were evaporated into thin air? You would have me believe all of that insane slaughter was a display of Christian Love was it? Would You? It occured as Jesus had warned them it would, didn't it?
52"Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." {Matthew 26:52 AB} Die they did! 100 Million died! Why? They refused to follow the command of the one they said they followed: "Put your Sword back in its place." "Show them all, that you're all my disciples by the love you show for each other, and for my Father and I? By obeying my Fathers commandments. {1 John 5:2,3}
"By this we gain the knowledge that we are loving the children of God, when we are loving God and doing his commandments. 3 For this is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome, 4 because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith."{1 John 5:2,3 NWT}
Faithless Religious Christendom, like Cain who, slaughtered his Brother Abel; whose Blood was crying out from the ground, has sent a cry up to Jehovah's ears that must, by now, be a deafening roar, in his ears, crying out for vengeance from the ground, and Religious Christendom has incurred heavy Blood-Guilt that Jehovah will require an accounting for. Jehovah said to Cain: "What have you done? Listen! "Your Brothers Blood is crying out to me from the ground." {Genesis 4:9-15 NWT} Do they all believe they'll do any better than Cain?
Now, today, we wish to follow the scriptural procedure set out so that we today, will be, like all the early Christian's; genuine followers of the Christ as all of them were. What is that procedure? The followings words of Jesus will put us on track:
Jesus said to him: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." {John 14:6 NWT}
Jesus has here told us, there's only ONE WAY to gain access to his Father. That is, only through him. No other way than that!
The reason being, Jesus is the ONE mediator between God and Man. {2 Timothy 2:5}
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all—[this is] what is to be witnessed to at its own particular times." {1 Timothy 2:5 NWT} If anyone feels they can approach the Father in any other way than that, forget it! It can't be done any other way, than through the Christ.
Now, the hurdle we must get over is; 'how do we gain access to the Christ?' To enable us to approach the Father? Is that decision in our own hands to make? As might be expected: No! It isn't! How then, is that done?
"No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him; and I will resurrect him in the last day." {John 6:44NWT}
Now, if we wish to approach the Christ to be enabled to approach his Father, his Father plays the major roll himself. For it is he himself who must draw us to his Son. Was he to refuse to draw any individual at all, for whatever reason that may be, we would, of course be eternally lost, and eventually destroyed at Armagedon. Now our own repentence over past wrongs, must be dealt with, for without any repentence, no foregiveness can be offered, hence, never any approach to the Father, through the Son. Past wrongs must be set straight first, to the best of our ability. Then a willingness to work at a continued changeover of our old personalities. Jehovah can read the hearts of all trying to approach, and he knows if heart sincerity is there or or not. On the basis of what he reads in the heart, on that basis one will be drawn to his Son, or not drawn; depending on what he reads in the heart. {Ephesians 4:22-24} {Colossians 3:5-10} {2 Corinthians 7:11} {Acts 3:19;26:20} {2 Corinthians 7:1} {Romans 12:2 NWT}
"But Jehovah said to Samuel: "Do not look at his appearance and at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For not the way man sees [is the way God sees], because mere man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is." {1 SAmuel 16:7 NWT}
When one is drawn by Jehovah to His Son, those ones then will be granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of God, he/she will have their minds fully opened to grasp the meaning of the scriptures, and will then be enabled to take in knowledge of Jehovah and his Son, which will put them on the road to everlasting life. Was one not be granted to understand or have their minds fully opened they would never, try as hard as they may be able to take in accurate knowledge of the Bible. At best they would merely gain surface knowledge which could never be sufficient to gain life through. All of this comes only when one is allowed to approach the Christ, and to that end has been drawn by Jehovah. So, as I said, it's all in Jehovah's hands. His decisaion to draw or not to draw will determine whether we will ever properly bear the designation Chrsitian. We may call ourselves one, but that has little meaning to Jehovah or his Son, if one is really not, but merely thinks he/she is. May it turn out that we may just find ourselves listening to these following words of Jesus, as he makes decision as to who is, and who isn't, a Christian:
21 "Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I NEVER knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness. {Matthew 7:21-23 NWT} {Matthew 13:11} {Luke 24:45} {John 17:3}
What is a Christian? The one doing the will of the Father in heaven. Will we be found among those doing the will of the Father, or among the many who will hear the words: "I never knew YOU! Get away from me you workers of lawlessness."
It was not without meaning, or purpose, Jesus uttered these following words to us all:
He said to them: 24 "Exert yourselves vigorously to get in through the narrow door, because many, I tell YOU, will seek to get in butwill not be able, 25 when once the householder has got up and locked the door, and YOU start to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Sir, open to us.’ But in answer he will say to YOU, ‘I do not know where YOU are from.’ 26 Then YOU will start saying, ‘We ate and drank in front of you, and you taught in our broad ways.’ 27 But he will speak and say to YOU, ‘I do not know where YOU are from. Get away from me, all YOU workers of unrighteousness!’ 28 There is where [YOUR] weeping and the gnashing of [YOUR] teeth will be, when YOU see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside {Luke 13:24-28 NWT}
Are we absolutely and positively certain we are CHRISTIAN'S?
In view of the words of the Apostle Paul, we all must do a close examination of ouselves, so as to be certain Jehovah and his Son will view us all as Christian's! How we view ourselves in this matter, makes little or no difference; we strive to be, of course, but striving to be something, and actually being it, are two different things altogether.
12 "Now what I am doing I will still do, that I may cut off the pretext from those who are wanting a pretext for being found equal to us in the office of which they boast. 13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. 15 It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works."{2 Corinthians 11:12-15 NWT}
In view of those words, perhaps we should wait, until Jehovah and his Son show us what a true Christian really is! Not identify ourselves as such, because it may well turn out, we're really not viewed by Jehovah and his Son as a Christian at all. Merely people masquerading as such.
I think in view of what is written at Zephaniah 1:14-18 that is an excellent idea, don't you? You could call it a Race! No one gets the prize until they cross the finish line. Just keep on running! Don't ever stop for anything- Keep your eyes fixed on the prize, of someday being viewed by Jehovah and his Son, as a Christian. That will be the time we'll all know for certain exactly what a true Christian is. Wannabe
So, we see, even though one may make claim he is a Christian that claim alone doesn't make him such, for his/her conduct may show, they are really on that broad road to destruction, and not on that narrow road to life at all.
How, though, did the Title Christian first come into being. We learn that next: