What Is a Christian?

When I lived in New York, a Yankee was someone from New England. In the South, I discovered, a Yankee is anyone from the North. Later, when I was in Europe, I discovered a Yankee is anyone from the United States.


The designation of “Christian” is much like that. To many, anybody that does not belong to an obviously non-Christian religion is a Christian. Others believe that a Christian is one who belongs to or is associated with a Christian church, whether it be Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox. Some, being of narrower thinking, would limit the designation only to those who belong to their particular church, sect, or denomination.


The followers of Jesus Christ were first called Christians (Acts 11:26) because they were mimickers of him. They were devoted — body, soul, and spirit — to Jesus. People outside their ranks knew where they stood and what they stood for.


In the United States, according to a Barna poll taken a few years ago, a full 74% of the population claims to have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. That means that almost three-quarters of the country believe they are Christians. If that many Americans are “mimickers of Christ,” why is this country in the mess that it is in?


Do you consider yourself to be a Christian? What difference has that made in your own life? How has that affected your family life? How has that affected the society in which you live?

Being a Christian is more than belonging to a church. Being a Christian is more than being baptized and confirmed. Being a Christian is more than being faithful to the services of the church. Being a Christian is even more than just believing in Jesus Christ. Although a part of Christianity, none of these things can make you a Christian.

What then is a Christian and how do I become one?

A Christian is one who has been given spiritual life by the Holy Spirit resulting in a full acceptance of all that Jesus Christ is and claims to be along with a complete submission to the will of God in all areas of one’s life. This new life is entered into through the new, or second, birth and matures the Christian over the years as he learns more of God’s will and Word. In the Christian, God the Holy Spirit is performing a life-changing feat which will eventually result in the believer’s becoming more and more like Jesus Christ himself.

Is this your experience? Do you more and more hate those things that God hates and more and more love that which he loves? This is the experience of the true Christian. This is the experience that will effect changes in our society. This experience and this life can be yours for the taking. It comes simply by believing. “He that believes on the Son has everlasting life,” John 3:36.

Spiritual Gifts No Assurance of Salvation

He was a man’s man. Head and shoulders he stood above his countrymen. No self-seeking politician or glory-seeking entertainer was he. With his good looks and manly stature he could have, in today’s world, been either one.

This young man was, as one writer put it, “one in a thousand.” By outward appearance he was “the man.”

One day God sent an emissary to him in the person of the prophet Samuel. From this day forward his life would be changed. The farm boy was to be the inaugural king of his nation, the nation of Israel.

It came about that his dad sent the young man and a servant off to look for some missing donkeys. They searched high and low for the donkeys and were gone so long that Saul, for that was his name, began to worry that his father would worry about his welfare. Just before they headed back the servant told Saul that there was a seer in the city where they were. It was not long before Saul stood before Samuel and enquired of the lost donkeys. Samuel invited Saul to be the guest of honor at a feast and then put him up for the night.

The next morning as Saul was leaving the city accompanied by Samuel, Samuel revealed to him that God had anointed him to be king over Israel. This incident is related in 1 Samuel 9 and 10.

On his way home, in accord with Samuel’s prophecy three things happened: the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, God gave him another heart, and he prophesied.

On another occasion (1 Samuel 19) Saul prophesied again after the Spirit came upon him.

On the first occasion, Saul was an unknown. He was not a leader, not famous, and not tried. On the latter occasion he was king, had turned against God and was in pursuit of David.

There is a tendency to characterize gifted people as spiritual. Some may be. All are not. In both cases Saul’s behavior as a prophet was out of character and so amazed those that knew him that they questioned, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Samuel 10:12)

In the New Testament Jesus calls twelve men to be his apostles. “Jesus answered them, ‘Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?’” (John 6:70). That devil apparently was as gifted as the other eleven apostles. Matthew relates in his Gospel (chapter 10, verses 1-8) how Jesus chose them and commissioned, or ordained, them to not only go and preach but to heal, raise the dead, and cast out demons.

Some look to their gifts, talents, and exploits as confirming proof that they are Christians. This is most dangerous. How terrible are those words which our Savior shall speak to some who will cry out to him, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works?” And what was that response from the Master? “I never knew you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity,” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Workers of iniquity? Jesus called these miracle workers, these spiritually gifted individuals workers of iniquity.

The problem here is that all of the outward manifestations of Christianity can be and are duplicated by peoples of other religions. And, as we have seen, it is possible for an unbeliever to have been gifted by God himself.

Saul was gifted, but was no friend of God. Judas Iscariot was gifted, but was no friend of God. They sometimes looked good on the outside, but there was no heart change. How sad.

A fuller treatment of this subject may be found in Charity and Its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards.

Adjusting to the New President

Barack Hussein Obama II was elected the 44th President of the United States this past Tuesday, winning both the popular vote and the electoral college.

Many Christians are in a tail spin over his election. It is true that the President-elect professes to be a Christian but many of his ideas and positions are contrary to the Word of God. His proposals for a changed America are often in conflict with the Kingdom of God. Many true believers are fearful of what the next four years will bring.

God has given us direction for living our lives not only when the political arena is tolerably friendly to the Church but also when it is antagonistic towards us.

We must, first of all, recognize that no one rules whom God has not put into office. “For promotion comes neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he puts down one, and sets up another,” (Psalms 75:6-7). Any dissatisfaction with the results of the election must be tempered with an active submission to the will of God.

Secondly, we must remember that those whom God appoints to rule over us rule in his stead, for him. Paul tells us this in Romans 13. Be mindful then that “Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God, (Romans 13:1 HCSB).

God has given specific instructions to us with respect to our leaders, whether they be mayors, governors, or presidents.

Of highest importance is our duty to pray for our leaders. “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, (1 Timothy 2:1-3 HCSB). Our prayers may be used of God to change the hearts of our leaders for good.

The Apostle Paul got a little testy and responded to the High Priest in an insulting way. When it was pointed out to him that he was addressing the High Priest Paul said, “I did not know, brothers," Paul said, "that it was the high priest. For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people,” (Acts 23:5 HCSB). He was referring to Exodus 22:28. We must be careful of how we speak of our rulers because they stand in the place of God by the will of God.

“Do all you have to do without grumbling or arguing, so that you may be God's children, blameless, sincere and wholesome, living in a warped and diseased world, and shining there like lights in a dark place,” (Philippians 2:14,15 Phillips).
How we behave under adverse conditions or how we behave when averse to unreasonable or burdensome laws and regulations may open or close the doors to winning others for Christ and will affect how unbelievers glorify God.

Our national Constitution gives us a right not afforded to believers under the Caesars. That right is the right to petition our government. We can petition our government formally by presenting a petition with many signatures or by writing a short letter asking them for their support in a certain area. Keep a close eye on
proposed legislation and write your Representative, your Senators, and even the President and ask them to vote the way you would like them to. A short, polite explanation and a sincere thank you for their considering your request will gain you a fair hearing.

Then too, don’t be afraid to send letters of thanks, congratulations, or appreciation for the good things they do. Our leaders are people, too, and appreciate hearing more than complaints.

Popcorn prayers

“Let’s all pray popcorn prayers,” the preacher said at prayer meeting one evening. That was the first time I had ever heard that expression so I asked, “What are popcorn prayers?” He politely responded that popcorn prayers are when you go around the room and everybody prays a sentence prayer. I immediately made the connection: small and without substance.

Later I asked why he chosen to pray these non-prayers. I was told it was because we had a number of new believers who did not know how to pray and he did not want them to be overwhelmed or intimidated by people praying longer prayers.

Like so many things we do, that sentiment sounds good but has disastrous results: we end up with people addicted to popcorn. In church after church across America we have people who claim to have been Christians for years who could not pray their way out of a paper bag.

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’ And he said unto them, ‘When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.’” (Luke 11:1-2). Today's churchmen would do well to follow Jesus’ example. Instead, when their disciples come to them wanting to learn how to pray they say, “Just pray a popcorn prayer.”

Popcorn prayers are not prayers at all. They are brainless mutterings. They go against the whole nature of prayer, which is to pour your heart out to God. Now, I have nothing against short prayers. The shortest prayer recorded in the Bible was only three words long, both in the Greek and in English. That prayer was Peter’s cry to Jesus after Jesus had commanded Peter to come to him on the water: “Lord, save me.” That was a real prayer. It was from the heart. It was sincere. It had pathos. It was direct. It was a cry of distress to God.

Enter the average American church today and listen to the praying. It is weak and anemic. It is often inane and wandering, little more than pious words strung together with no thought of what is coming next. If we talked to our Congressman like that we would get ushered out of his office hastily, yet we come before the Sovereign Lord of all the universe and blather.

The way to teach new and immature believers how to pray is not using popcorn prayers. The way to teach new and immature believers how to pray is to follow the example of the Master pray-er. But before we can teach others how to pray we must first learn at the Master’s feet ourselves. Weak prayers come from weak pray-ers. Weak prayers are symptomatic of a careless and distant walk with God.

Sure, new believers may feel uncomfortable praying and should not be forced to run before they learn to walk. New believers need mature examples to follow. This is no less true in the school of prayer than in any other discipline. Pastors: give them meat, not popcorn.

God Won't Make You Do What You Don't Want to Do

“God is a gentleman and won’t make you do anything you do not want to do.” This is the quote I mentioned in yesterday’s blog post. I considered in that post the first portion of the quote,; viz, God is a gentleman. Today I want to address the latter clause: “and won’t make you do anything you do not want to do.”

Again, we must examine the statement in the light of the Scriptures. What does the Bible have to say about that? Does the Bible make any direct statements supporting that quote? Does it allude to the possibility of it being true? Does it make any direct statements to the contrary? Does it allude to the possibility of it being false?

In yesterday’s blog I presented evidence that God is not a gentleman and, more than that, not always gentle. Today I will show that the second part of the quote is just as false.

Let us start with the book of beginnings, Genesis. In the first chapter of Genesis God created Adam and Eve. Did He consult with them and get their permission to bring them into existence? Did God consult with you and ask if you wished to be born? When Adam sinned and fell from grace, did God commiserate with him about leaving the Garden? Did He not summarily expel them? Did He ask Eve if she would like to endure agony during childbirth? Did He ask Adam if he’d like to pull weeds the rest of his life?

We look a little farther in Scripture and we come across the prophet Jonah. “Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me,” (Jonah 1:1-2)
Did God make Jonah go to Ninevah? You may answer, “No,” and you would be correct. God expects His people to obey Him. Did Jonah go? Sure, after God made him willing to go. Did Jonah do what he did not want to do? He sure did.

Now, let’s go to our day and age to people like you and me. Does God make us do things we do not want to do? He certainly does. Does anyone you know want to go through the torture of cancer? No one in their right mind would. Yet how many people experience the debilitating diseases of cancer? This is done against our will.

And how about death? All of us are bound to die. Just the other day a young man of my acquaintance died. He was having fun, living life to the fullest. His recreation was innocent enough yet it led to his demise. He had no desire to die. He had no anticipation of death. He did not know that his life would be required of him. He left behind a beautiful wife and an infant son. This was not what he wanted. God made him do what he did not want to do.

We forget that God is sovereign. He owns us. “Look, every life belongs to Me,” God says to the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:4). God owns us because He made us; He is our Creator. As our Sovereign, God can and often does make us do what we do not want to do. Sometimes God gives us the option of disobeying Him, as He did with Jonah, but makes us pay through the nose (or the whale’s belly) for our disobedience. In the end, God will have the final say, rewarding us for what we have done whether good or evil.

God Is a Gentleman — or Is He?

I cannot count the number of times I have heard preachers, Bible teachers, and others say, “God is a gentleman and he will never force you to do what you do not want to do.” Like so many errors, repeat it often enough and people will believe it.

Perhaps you believe this is true. Support your view with Scripture. Can you find one verse — or even one sentence in the entire Bible that will back you up?

Is God a gentleman? Let's see what He says about that. I think it goes without saying that a gentleman is first, foremost, and always a man. A gentleman is a gentle man or perhaps, a gentry man (gentry being derived from Old French for gentleman).

Before we can determine if God is a gentleman, we must first ascertain if he is a man. That answer is specifically answered in God's word, the Bible. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Do you see that? “God is not a man.”

In case there is any doubt, or if you reason that that is just one verse, here is another: “And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.” (1 Samuel 15:29).

The Scriptures are clear: God is not a man. If God is not a man, how then could He be a gentleman? To call God a gentleman is to dishonor Him, putting Him on a level with His creation.

We must think of God as He is or we are guilty of mental-image idolatry. We must worship God in truth. We do not have the liberty to misrepresent Him or to portray Him as He is not.

God is God. Is that to say that God is not gentle? No. God is often quite the opposite: “With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavory,” (2 Samuel 22:27). Was God a gentleman when he chased the Canaanites out of their cities with hornets (Exodus 23:28)? Was God a gentleman when he killed in a mass slaughter all the firstborn sons in Egypt on the night of the first Passover? Was God a gentleman when he drowned Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea?

Will God be a gentleman when he comes back in the person of Jesus Christ “In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,” (2 Thessalonians 1:8)? There is nothing in the Bible to warrant calling God a gentleman.

Thankfully, God is a merciful and a gracious God and acts kindly toward all those that seek His face and desire to do His will. To those whose hearts are bent toward honoring God, God is gentle, kind, and compassionate. To those whose hearts are contrary to God, God will show Himself contrary.

“Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (5) But after your hardness and impenitent heart you treasure up unto yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; (6) Who will render to every man according to his deeds: (7) To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: (8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, (9) Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile,” (Romans 2:4-9).

Binding Satan

I received a prayer request via email the other day that asked me to pray that Satan would be bound with reference to a particular situation. That brought to memory a former missionary to Brazil who used the expression "binding Satan" with some regularity when I knew her some years ago.

Where does the idea of binding Satan come from? Is it suggested by the Bible? Is it a normative Christian practice?

I have searched my Bible from cover to cover and find only one reference to binding Satan: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years," Revelation 20:1-2. I found no reference, even obliquely, to such a practice in the book of the Acts of the Apostles — the place one would most expect to see it. So where did the notion come from?

It is most probable that some have believed in this false doctrine which is nothing more than a superstitious rite for many years. However, it gained some advance with the advent of the charismatic branch of Pentecostalism and the so-called word-faith movement. It spread to evangelical churches through the fantastical writings of Frank Peretti, gobbled up and imbibed by Christians bereft of good sense and sound teaching.

The notion that we can bind Satan who, according to our Lord Jesus Christ, is already bound (Mark 3:27) is pure superstition. Superstition enters when sound doctrinal teaching exits. Pastors, teachers, and evangelists need to put their noses to the grindstone and study the Word of God and then teach that to their hearers. Hearers must listen and read with holy skepticism and search the Scriptures to see if what they are being taught is truly true (Acts 17:11)

What are they talking about?

Church readerboard signs don't come cheap. One like that pictured above will cost well over $5000.00 these days. Church readerboards are an investment and should be used wisely.

A church nearby to where I live has the trite saying pictured above on its sign. The sign is on a busy thoroughfare and could be used to cause people to think, to consider the gravity of their present situation, to encourage, to uplift, and a dozen other useful things. But this sign is just plain stupid!

In the first place it is bad theology. It is almost — perhaps it is — blasphemous. Jesus is an investment? Who came up with that one? Jesus is the Lord of all mankind, not an investment. Jesus is not something to be used, not something to be banked on, not a subject of commerce and trading.

Secondly, Jesus doesn't pay interest. He has value, to be sure. That value rests within himself. He doesn't have a percent sign attached to him. Or does it mean he will never be bored?

If you have a readerboard, use it wisely. Put something on it that at least makes sense. Don't use it for frivolous and nonsensical sayings. Make sure what you do put on it is the truth and can be supported with Scripture or biblical principles. A statement such as "Jesus is Lord of all" would be of much more value than the inane statement on this sign.

The best things you can put on your readerboard are quotes from the Bible — like, "God commands men everywhere to repent. Acts 17.30"; or "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. Psalm 24:1." I could give you a page full of other excerpts from the Bible that would be thought-provoking or edifying.

These are perilous times. Let's not give people an excuse to turn away from God because of our mindlessness.

One God — or many?

The Bible, which is the word of God and the only authoritative and authentic revelation which we have of God, affirms from beginning to end that there is only one God. This one God eternally exists in three persons. This, too, is taught throughout the Bible.

In the creation narrative (Genesis, chapter 1) God is called Elohim. Elohim is the plural form of El, a generic name for God or a god. Elohim is always translated in the singular, as God, when referring to the Creator. This is necessitated by the singular verb.

Deuteronomy 6:4 is recited by every practicing Jew. It says, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God is one LORD. Literally translated it reads: "Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our Gods is one Jehovah. Notice that the name Jehovah and the verb "is" are both singular while "Gods" is plural.

Some use the creation account to promote a theory of many gods. Others, citing Deuteronomy 6:4, say there is but one God. Who is right?

One axiom is always true: Scripture does not contradict scripture. Truth is not self-contradictory. Therefore, when an apparent contradiction appears, one must dig a little deeper and compare scripture with scripture.

Many passages can be cited wherein God says he alone is God. In Isaiah 45:5 God says, "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God besides me." There is but one God. Those that believe there are many gods, those that believe they are a god, and those that believe they may become a god are mistaken.

That this one God exists in a plurality of persons is also true. Both the creation story and Deuteronomy 6:4 indicate that. Biblical revelation is progressive and it is not until the New Testament era that this truth is made clearer. Limited space prevents a thorough presentation of the Trinitarian belief at this time.

The Bible teaches that God is one. The Bible teaches that God the Father is God. The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God. The Bible teaches that God the Holy Spirit is God. This is a mystery and we cannot fully comprehend it. But lack of understanding does not negate truth. As God grants us opportunity, we shall develop these statements in the future.

When Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River (Matthew 3), the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove. He also heard a voice from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  In this scene God the Father speaks to God the Son while God the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, lights upon Him. Here, the Trinity is present: the One God, the three Persons.

How May We Know There Is a God?

Many claim there is no God. Others say there is a God but he is unknowable. Some will go only as far as saying there may be a God. Some think there are a myriad of gods and that we mortals can become gods. There are theists, deists, pantheists, polytheists, atheists, monotheists, agnostics, and the confused, who honestly don't know what to believe.

The Bible is the written revelation of God. It is god's letter to the human race. The Bible tells us about God. It does not tell us all about him, but it tells us enough to authenticate the fact that there is a God. Some things about God can be known through nature, as well. The Apostle Paul informs us that through nature we may ascertain the divinity of God because we can see his power and his handiwork.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” Romans 1:18-20

The Bible is the only book which God himself has given to mankind. It contains all that is necessary for us to know concerning salvation, life after death, how to live a life pleasing to God, and about God himself.

Other faiths and religions have their own holy books. None of them is self-authenticating. All of them disagree with and fall short of the Bible in expression, in morals, in ethics. None of them faithfully reveals the one transcendent and immanent God of the Bible.

There are those who raise objections to the Christian view of the Bible. One group, for instance, says, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly." However, they don't seem able to point out the incorrectly translated parts.

Is the Bible translated incorrectly? Dr. Richard Lloyd Anderson of Brigham Young University says: “It is easy to get lost in debate on details and fail to see the overwhelming agreement of all manuscripts to the historical record of the New Testament gives every reason to assume a fairly stable transmission of the documents we possess. Similarly, we can state the same for the Old Testament.”

The United Bible Societies has documented every difference between the extant Greek manuscripts. The oldest extant text of the entire Hebrew scriptures is the Leningrad manuscript, dating back to A.D. 1009 or 1008. The accuracy of this manuscript has been confirmed by comparing it with portions of the Hebrew scriptures, especially the prophecy of Isaiah, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Among all the variants there are no substantial differences nor any changes affecting the Christian faith. We may safely conclude, based on objective evidence, the Holy Bible is a reliable revelation pointing us to Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe.

The Five-Fingered Prayer

The following was sent to me in an email about a year and a half ago. I do not know who the author is, but it is worthy of promulgation.

1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”

2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.

3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the President, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance.

4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.

5. And lastly comes our little finger - the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.