Jesus Centered Bible – questions and answers category goes through the questions given throughout the New Testament of the Bible I use and I give my answers and thoughts. Always, feel free to comment your thoughts and your own answers to these questions!
The question
Do you prefer being called a “Christian” or a “Christ follower”? Why? And what’s the difference? Referenced in Acts 26:28.
The answer
This is probably one of my favorites to answer thus far.
“Christian”
Notice how it’s an adjective or a noun? That’s literally how it is. Some people profess to be “Christian” but their lives give no indication of the Christian faith – the real one that’s found through a path with Christ and found in the Bible.
Have you ever thought about how many people who are baptized don’t actually seem any different from before they were baptized or maybe they’re even worse?
I was like that. Baptized at age 10, I didn’t have a huge change in myself until the end of high school probably. I’ve become the person I know I was meant to be – gentle, patient, kind – just like the Bible says we should be. This is all the Holy Spirit within me! I could never achieve these attributes alone. I was not these things for so much of my life. I was quiet but I was never a kind person by my own standards even.
The past few years have included me growing and immersing myself in the Word of God, to grow closer to God so that He can shape me continuously and further with His GOODNESS. Who wouldn’t want a relationship with The Father???
I’ve noticed this trend though – the baptism to show the world they belong to Christ but it’s for appearances. They’re not convicted, they’re not repenting. What happens to these Christians when they’re not actually walking with the Lord and troubles fall on them? They, too, fall away from Christian values even further and become lost in the WORLD rather than being found in God’s KINGDOM.
“Christ follower”
The term Christian is far too much of a descriptive word rather than being who someone is, inside and out. I identify as a CHRIST FOLLOWER because of the relationship I hold, the Spirit within me.
Christ follower is more of what I consistently am. I’m following Christ. No one does this perfectly, but that is definitely my goal when I wake up each morning. Christ followers should be continuously growing and learning to be more like Jesus. No one is going to BE Jesus, no one is going to replace Jesus and no one will be perfect, that’s just (yeah, unfortunately) how it is. If we lived in a perfect world, things would not be the way they are and we wouldn’t need a perfect sacrifice.
Our effort and true faith in Jesus determines where others see us. Our heart comes out in our words and in our actions. If we have the word in our heart, it’s going to come out in all we do as Christ followers.
What are your thoughts?