Hilltop Community Church of Richmond, California

What is Christianity

There are many false beliefs and misconceptions when it comes to Christianity both among those who are Christians and those who are not. These errors range from views about what Christians believe to understanding what is the very essence of Christianity.

There are undoubtedly many reasons for this. It is partly due to the fact that there are many different denominational groups of Christians and false Christian groups that vary greatly in belief and practice. It is also simply due to ignorance by both Christians and non-Christians. And of course it is due to the fact that sin darkens the mind’s ability to understand and receive truth.

It goes without saying that a Christian is a person who is a part of Christianity so we would do well to define Christianity in order to know more about the individual Christian. It is not sufficient to define Christianity as a religion in the broad sense of the word. Religion is simply the belief in a higher power and the belief that the higher power is responsible for providing for the well being of our lives. Christianity is not a belief in a higher power, but it is the belief in the highest, in fact the only power – God. Religion was instituted by man. Christianity was instituted by God. Religion is man’s way of attempting to provide the answers for his own spiritual needs, while Christianity is God’s revelation of how our spiritual needs can only be met by Jesus Christ. Christianity is not just another religion among the many. It is the one true path that leads us through this life and safely into the next.

The book of Christianity is the Holy Bible. There are many books in the world but only one of them is Holy. Only one book has God as its author – the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word and it reveals His plan for all of His creation and for mankind. The beliefs of a true Christian are based on what the Bible says (thus on what God says) not on his own opinions, personal feelings, or those of others.

Even the term Christian was not created by those who bear that name. Acts 11:26: “…And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Here we see that the disciples or followers of Jesus were called by this name for the first time while gathered together in Antioch. This name was given to those who were followers of Christ. So ever since the term was first used it has been used to refer to those who follow Jesus Christ and His teachings.

There are three places that the word Christian is used in the Bible. The second place is in Acts 26:22-23: 27-28 “Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles…King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

Paul was taking the opportunity to tell this king of what the Bible said about Jesus in the hope that he would believe in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world. Christians have always been those that not only follow Jesus and His teachings, but those that have believed on Him and trusted in Him to be saved from the eternal consequences of sin in hell.

1 Peter 4:16 is the third reference where the term Christian is used. Here it is speaking of the trials and sufferings that Christians go through because they stand against sin, just as Jesus suffered and died for this sins of the world.

According to the account of history and the Bible, we can see that a Christian is an individual who has believed upon Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior, and has personally trusted in Christ for salvation, and continues to believe in Him and follow Him on a daily basis. Christians have not titled themselves as such but have been given this name because of their position in Christ. Sadly there are many in Christianity that would rather confer upon themselves some other title or name out of pride in order to be honored. In fact some would rather be called Baptist, fundamentalist, or reverend, or some other term as opposed to just simply being a Christian. At times these terms can help to present to others in one word what we believe in comparison to others or even reveal what our vocation is, but we should never seek man-made titles for ourselves out of foolish pride.

We can also take a look at some of the other names that the Bible gives to Jesus’ followers in order to answer the question: what is a Christian? These names help to give understanding to either our relationship to God, to ourselves, or to the world. The following are some names that shed light on our relationship to God as Christians:

Gal 4:4-7"...servants, sons (and daughters), heir of God through Christ.”

Titus 2:11-14 "...a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”

1 Peter 2:9-10 “... a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; people of God.."

John 10:14 “...my sheep..”

1 Cor 12:27 “...ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.”

John 8:31 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;”

1 John 4:7 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”

These are some of the names that reveal information about our position as Christians:

1 Cor 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 Cor 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”

Rom 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Rom 16:17 “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”

And these are some of the names that give information about our relationship to others:

1 Cor 4:1 “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Rev 1:4-6 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Matt 5:13-14 “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”

We should also point out some things that a Christian is not; in order to understand what he truly is.

Christians are not just church members or people who go to church services on a regular basis. There are a couple of reasons for this truth. First of all the church is not a place or a building. The church is the term that applies to all of those who have believed upon Jesus. Local believers gather together to encourage each other and to worship God together, however the place they gather is not the church and the only reason God is present in that place is because His people are there. Second there are oftentimes many who attend the meetings and services of the church that have never believed in Jesus and trusted Him to save them from their sins, thus they are not Christians. It is good that those who have not been saved are able to attend the services because they are given the opportunity to hear the truth from the Bible of how they can be saved. Nevertheless, no one is saved just because they attend Christian church services.

Along the same lines no one can be a Christian by association. In other words someone who has Christian friends, a Christian family, or believes that being a Christian is synonymous with being an American, is not a Christian just by means of those facts. No one is born a Christian, but Christians are those who have been born again the second time spiritually because they have personally accepted God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.

One of the most widespread errors regarding Christians is that a Christian is just a person that follows a set of morals and standards or more specifically the morals and standards of the Bible. This cannot be so. Again, a Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught that we must believe in Him in order to be His disciples and in order to be saved. After we have believed on Christ it is then and only then that we have the ability to obey God and to do what is right. Christians should live according to what God commands and instructs in His Word, and that is a part of the everyday Christian life, the Journey. However, being moral and having standards does not make one a Christian, nor will it grant anyone entrance into heaven.

Acts 15:11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved,…”

How to be saved?