What Is A Christian?
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Acts 11:26
Acts 11:26
There are many answers to the question: what is a Christian? Yet, there’s really only one answer, and that is, “One who is like Christ.” But before we had the term “Christian,” we had the commandments to be like Christ. Indeed, in one of his letters, Peter quotes Leviticus 11:44-45 when he said, “Be ye holy, for I [the Lord] am holy.” Furthermore, Jesus said in Matthew 5:48 “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
There are those who say that we who are believers in Christ are already made perfect. They may say we cannot sin, or that the blood of Jesus has made it impossible for us to sin. Although that should be our desire and our goal, we do not have it locked down simply by being a believer. Even being filled with the Holy Ghost, we still can be in error sometimes.
A primary example of this is that the Jewish disciples in Jerusalem were guilty of showing partiality, or prejudice, towards the Gentiles.
We know that partiality is a sin because God is not a practitioner of it. Romans 2:11 says “For God shows no partiality.” Furthermore, Jesus’ own brother, James, admonished the believers to not respect one group of people over another, or even individuals.
Turn to James 2:1-4
Turn to James 2:1-4
1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?
Essentially, if the president of the United States were to visit one of our church services, would we invite him to sit on the front row and ask those who are already there to sit in the back? No! In fact, I wish everyone would sit up front! But the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ does not show favoritism.
Read Acts 11:1-17
So what these believers in Jerusalem did was sin by criticizing Peter for residing in a house and eating at the table of uncircumcised men. Now it is hard for the western, modern mind to understand just why that was so offensive to the ancient Jew, but this practice of circumcision and holiness being hand-in-hand dates back to the days of Abraham. It was a command of God that all males be set aside and made part of the covenant with Yahweh by the ritual of circumcision. But the traditions of men had made it so even sharing a meal or entering the home of an uncircumcised man (usually a Gentile) was offensive at best.
The disciples in Jerusalem were completely Jewish. So imagine how they felt when newcomers (strangers) enter covenant with Christ, but never having gone through all the Jewish rituals they themselves had endured: the circumcision, the washings, the sacrifices, the scripture studying and memorizing, the feasts, the separation from the world, etc. In other words, they hadn’t “put in the work,” yet were receiving he same inheritance. Had Peter not stepped up here, the church was in danger of having a class system consisting of the first-class Christians and a second-class. But that would have been an affront to Jesus!
Although we have no examples of Jesus dining with Gentiles, He did on more than one occasion mingle with and eat at the table of others who were rejected by society or considered second- or third-class citizens: publicans (tax collectors), prostitutes, etc. In fact, one of His apostles was a tax collector, and at least one of His followers was a former prostitute. But make no mistake, Jesus did not condone or promote their lifestyles: He changed their hearts and made them regenerate!
So Peter explained to the Jerusalem church the vision that he had received of the sheet being lowered from heaven, filled with all manner of animals. He told them of the voice that said to call nothing common that the Lord has called clean. He recalled how once he went downstairs, he was met by men who compelled him to go to Caesarea and meet Cornelius, who told him of the vision he had received that said to call Peter to him. And finally, Peter told the Jews that Cornelius and his household had received the Holy Spirit just as they had, and then he said in verse 17, “Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
They realized the error of their thinking and gave the glory to God
Application
Application
The Jewish and Gentile disciples had more in common than differences. While it was undeniable they had different ancestry, traditions, and cultures, they shared a commonality in Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they each had received the Holy Spirit with the same signs. While the Lord was using Paul to reach the Gentiles, He was using Peter to bridge the gap between Jew and Gentile so they would be united as one church.
Whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, famous or unknown, all people must come to Christ the exact same way: in repentance and belief.
But you cannot repent unless you have been granted the ability to repent. Notice the words of the Jews when they have this sort of epiphany. They realize the door is open to the Gentiles and they say, “God has granted repentance unto life to the Gentiles!” But this means the ability to repent must be granted by God, so if you today are feeling the call to repent, do not hesitate! Do not assume because it has been granted for today that it will be granted tomorrow!
He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart
Read verses 19-26
Read verses 19-26
Why were the disciples at Antioch the first to be called “Christian?”
First, we understand it was a moniker given to them by those who observed their actions. They did not go around said, “we are being Christ-like.” Rather, they were preaching about Christ, and then living up to the words of Christ. They were acting like Christ said to act and saying the things that Christ said to say. Secondly, it was not intended to be a compliment. Remember, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1:23 “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness” The Gentiles saw the admiration and emulation of a failed prophet who had been humiliated and crucified by the Romans to be an extreme folly, so to call the believers “christian” was a mockery. But the believers grew to embrace the name as an honorable one.
But the fact remains, they were so much like Christ, and showed His love to everyone that even their enemies recognized it. So that begs the question, how do we look and sound around those who are enemies of Christ? What about to each other, who are in the body of Christ?
Obey the Commandments
Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
although Jesus said a lot of things, He made it clear that all of the commandments, from the Mosaic Law to the words of the Prophets, hang on two simple commandments
36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Show mercy and grace to others
when we do good things for others because of our love for Jesus and for our neighbor, we are doing it to Jesus as well
Jesus gave this truth in very clear terms in Matthew 25:34-40
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Love for the brethren
lest we get caught up in loving the Lord and the stranger, let us not forget to love the brethren
1 Peter 1:22 “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,”
indeed, if we say we love the Lord but do not love each other, we are lying to ourselves
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Have a genuine love for our enemies
few of us may have actual enemies who truly hate us or wish ill on us, but this was not true for the disciples of Christ in the 1st Century, no matter where they were geographically
everywhere they went, people were first indifferent, then curious, then amazed, then alarmed, then threatened, then enraged.
Christ Himself experienced these same reactions, yet what did He say to His disciples?
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
Everything we need to know about how to be a Christian is found within the pages of the New Testament. The Holy Spirit guides and shapes the heart of the believer as He completes His work within us, but there is still a great need to study the Scriptures. I’ve shared a lot of scripture with you today, but that only scratches the surface of what the Lord has to say. Indeed, all Scripture is given to us to help us grow in the Lord, and no single preacher or sermon is enough to guide you in that way. You must pick up that sacred book that you hold in your hand, and open it and study the life of Christ. Look at the changes He made in the lives of all who came into contact with Him. See what happened when the impulsive and headstrong Peter received the Holy Spirit. Look at the change He made in the heart of Saul the persecutor. Examine the transformation of Mary Magdalene, who had been possessed by 7 demons. Look at the disciples of Jesus in Antioch, who were once pagan Gentiles who had received the words of life from the dispersed disciples (thanks to the persecution by Saul). They were caught in the middle between the Greeks who thought they were foolish and the Jews who thought they were unclean. With enemies on both sides, and serving the Lord alone in their city, they began to make such a difference that even their detractors said, “They are just like their Christ. They are ‘little christs.’”
How are we doing? Are we giving all of our love to Jesus Christ by obeying His commandments, loving the Father and our enemies, each other, and the strangers?
