What is a Christian?

 I have to confess. I am writing this out of a high level of frustration. There is nothing that makes me more upset than someone speaking as if they know something and being entirely wrong. Just being WRONG and acting as if they're right or that what they're prefacing an entire conversation on, is not rooted in fact. That to me upsets me. Whether it be journalism, intellectual, or even casual conversation. I think it is what some would say is a pet peeve. It more than likely rooted from my own sense of doing the exact same thing when I was a kid. Growing disgusted with myself to a point I decided to stop talking about things when I truly don't definitively know, or better yet simply asking questions. Which brings us to our topic today.

What is a Christian? I think in modern America, everyone can kind of guess or make the assumption that they know what a Christian is: Someone who goes to church and believes in God. I want to be perfectly clear, going to church doesn't make you a Christian, and even simply "believing" in God does not make you a Christian either. That might come to a shock to some of you. And that is 100% OKAY. There is nothing wrong with the shock value in that. If anything, it shows that the people in your life who are Christian, have done a poor job of communicating what they actually believe. If you went to church growing up, then even the people in that church did a poor job of communicating what they believe. 

I was looking up some quotes the other day to edit Awaken's website and stumbled upon this article "Why I am Not a Christian"(1927) by Bertrand Russell. I fully admit that prior to ever clicking on this article I have 0 clue to who this man is/was. But I felt intrigued enough to start reading the article because I think I am always curios to figure out why people reject Christ or things of that nature.

I get to about the third paragraph and then come full stop when I read: "I think you must have at the very lowest the belief that Christ was, if not divine, at least the best and wisest of men. If you are not going to believe that much about Christ, I do not think you have any right to call yourself a Christian."

"Chrissian, why are you so upset, the man said he thinks. Well... that is where my problem lies reader. If the man can confidently declare why he is not a Christian, shouldn't he be able to definitively define what it is he is saying he isn't?

For instance, I am not going to pretend I know a lot of things about Islam and go into their theology and declare that I am not Muslim. I will simply say I am not Muslim because I am a Christian. I know already what I am, that is why I can have a definiteness in my answer to refute other things.

Before I continue on that rant I want to make it abundantly clear why I am upset. Because it is something I run into a lot being someone who works in ministry (more particularly in my conversations with people who believe they are Christian). The very first belief of Christianity, legit the very core of Christology (theology based on Jesus of Nazareth), is the divinity of Christ. The profession of Christ as God, as Lord, as Savior is the fundamental core of what it is to be Christian. 

This is imperative to understand because WHO Christ is, begins to shape everything else in life from your view point. I base every single other religion as wrong because I believe Christ is Lord. I want to know more about Christ, the Father, and Holy Spirit so I read the incarnate word (The Bible). When I sin and fall short, I seek forgiveness and accountability. I worship with my tongue and actions Jesus Christ and that through His life, death, burial, resurrection, and accession that I have eternal life with Him.

The whole distinction of Christianity is on who Jesus is. I share this frustration with you today because in a "nation under God" I feel as modern day Americans we should be able to articulate this. Christians do not worship Jesus for the man that He was but the God that He is. 

It is important when speaking of identifiers to be quite clear so there is not lack of clarity. I think it is important that people know this distinctive while living in a nation that considers themselves "Christian."

That is why, personally, my favorite theological statement is simply, "Jesus is God." I encourage you to consider who Jesus is...