Beth-El Baptist Church

12/04/2011

Greg Tomlinson


What is a Christian?


Asking people who or what a Christian is or whether they consider themselves to be a Christian and you will get a wide range of answers. To some a Christian is someone who celebrates Christmas or lives in a particular country or has parents and/or grandparents who identified themselves as being a Christian.


  1. How does scripture define a Christian?

Acts 11:26 Colossians 3:1-5

Matthew 10:24-25 Luke 6:40


A Christian is specifically defined in scripture as a “disciple” of Jesus Christ. In Greek the term is a “mathetes”, which describes a relationship between the master (teacher or rabbi) and the student as being much more than a follower. A “mathetes” is someone who is to so closely follow his teacher that the student disappears and the teacher emerges in and through the student. He is to become exactly what the teacher is.


  1. How should a Christian view himself?

Luke 17:7-10 2 Corinthians 5:20

Philippians 2:5-8 Romans 1:1; 14:18-19

1 Corinthians 6:19-20


A Christian is to understand himself as a servant of Christ but a servant who is only doing what the master (Christ) has told him to do. He has nothing to offer his master but all that he is and all that he has. Furthermore, the Christian is an “ambassador” or representative of Jesus Christ. Every word he speaks and every action he takes is to be understood as being representative of Jesus Christ. This picture goes back to Genesis 1:26-27 in that mankind was created in the image and likeness of God indicating that he is to function as God would function. As a Christian, he is to be unconcerned about attempting to make a name for himself and to become popular in the eyes of others apart from being a servant and representative of God in Christ. The Christian life is to be a life of dedicated obedience to the person, work, and commands of Christ. The life of the Christian is not his life to live as he desires but is a life to live as Christ desires.


  1. How should being a Christian affect his daily life?

Matthew 16:24-26 Luke 9:23-26

Romans 7:25 1 John 5:3

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 1 Peter 3:15-16; 4:11

Proverbs 3:5-6 Romans 8:29-30


The life of the Christian ought to be lived out as being obedient to Christ in all things. Every thought and action are to be lived in order to exalt the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. All of his communication ought to be permeated with the “oracles of God”. His life is defined by what God has said and done. The end goal of the life of every Christian is to become more like Jesus Christ.


  1. How should being a Christian impact others around you?

Luke 6:22-23, 26-28 1 Peter 2:12; 3:1-2, 16; 4:3-5

Matthew 28:19-20


Being a faithful Christian can result in people hating you for the sake of Jesus Christ. The unbelieving world hates God and Jesus Christ and as a result they will hate those who follow in His steps and doctrine. At the same time, the life of the Christian is to be lived so that he might be able to persuade some just by the way he lives his life. Ultimately the life of the Christian is to be a life that seeks the development of other disciples of Jesus Christ.