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Sometimes I watch videos of people doing street surveys (because who doesn’t love those, right?) Occasionally I come across a few asking about religion or spirituality. I’ve noticed that lots of people identify as Christian even though they reveal after further questioning that they don’t fully understand what Christianity is about or practice it. It’s more like a label to them but doesn’t really impact their lives.

In this chat, let’s tackle some popular misunderstandings of what it means to be a Christian and find out the truth.

What Being A Christian Is Not

Being a Christian isn’t cultural.

By cultural I mean that you are not a Christian because the region or nation you live in is heavily influenced by Christianity. Living in the Bible belt doesn’t make you a Christian. You may be familiar with Christianity or experience ways the culture of your city or state is shaped by Christian beliefs (or by perceived Christians beliefs, but that’s another conversation), but no one is Christian by association. Becoming a Christian is a matter of personal decision.

Being a Christian isn’t inherited from family.

You are not a Christian because your parents are or because you were raised that way.

For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision.  No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit… 

(Romans 2:28-29)

This passage in Romans 2 speaks of Jewish people having genuine faith in God because God chose the Jewish people to be the first to know Him and then to share His message of salvation with the rest of the world. The principle applies to all of us who would believe, though, because it was always God’s plan for all people to know Him.

Christian parents are right to raise their children in the ways of God; they’re instructed in the Bible to do so. Even with that foundation, though, each person has to make a decision to believe in and follow Christ for himself.

Being a Christian isn’t about being a good person.

You don’t need Christianity to be a good person.

I know that will be tough for some of my Christian friends to read but it’s true. There are plenty of people who aren’t professed Christians who are good people. They’re kind and generous. They’re quick to help others in need. They love their friends and family well. They’re fun to be around. All of that is beautiful, right and meaningful. There’s a catch though.

The point of Christianity is that being a good person is not enough to repair your broken relationship with God and spare you the eternal consequence of your sin. (Ephesians 2:8-9 // Romans 3:10-12) Our good is not good enough to save us. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done. It is a gift God offers us because of His grace.

Even using the teachings of Christianity as a philosophy of good moral principles to live by isn’t sufficient. Christianity isn’t a list of good suggestions and principles to help you live a better life. Following the Bible will certainly help you to live a better life. However, Christ’s teachings were never meant to be separated from genuine, personal belief in Him as the Son of God and a life surrendered to following Him.

The desire to be moral and to be good to others comes from God, but if you don’t understand that in the context of the Good News of Jesus it will lead you to a false sense of security. Following Jesus is so much more than just trying to have good motivations and do good deeds on our own terms in our own strength.

Being a Christian isn’t about going to church.

Going to church is something you do because you’re a Christian not something that makes you a Christian. Going to church can express your faith in God and help you grow in faith in God alongside others. It can even help you discover faith in God, but church attendance in and of itself won’t put you in right relationship with God if you are not already.

Being a Christian isn’t about simply believing in God.

Many people believe that God exists. The Bible even tells us that demons, evil spirits devoted to opposing God’s people and God’s work in the world, believe that God exists. (James 2:19-20) Believing in God is a great place to start. Hebrews 11:6 even tells us that in order to have faith in God we must first believe that He exists. Makes sense, right?

There are questions to ask yourself beyond simply affirming belief in the existence of God. Do you believe the Bible’s message about Jesus and have you given your life to Him as a result? Have you personally trusted Jesus to forgive your sins and reconcile your broken relationship with God?

What Being A Christian Is

Now that we talked about what being a Christian isn’t, let’s talk about what being a Christian is. A Christian is someone who has put their faith in Jesus for to save them from their sins and surrendered their life to following Him.

Each of us has sinned and rebelled against God, which means we’re deserving of God’s eternal judgment. God isn’t eager to judge or punish anyone, but as a perfectly righteous God He cannot allow sin to go unaccounted for.

God is also merciful and He loves humanity–that includes you and me–so much more than we could ever fathom (John 3:16-17). He sent His Son Jesus, God in human form, to live a life of perfect obedience to God’s standards and then offer His life as the payment for our sin.

Jesus was crucified on a cross and rose from the dead three days later, taking upon Himself the penalty of our sin, so that whoever puts their faith in Him and His sacrifice could be forgiven, have a personal relationship with God and spend eternity with Him.  (Romans 5:6-11) All of this is a free gift God offers because of His kindness and love for us.

How To Become A Christian

Jesus’ call to salvation has always included three things:

“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

(Mark 1:15)

1. Believe

The gospel or good news is the message of who Jesus is and how He saves people from sin. It’s what we discussed in the previous section. When you hear the message of Jesus, do you believe in your heart that it’s true? The first step to becoming a Christian is placing your faith in Christ.

2. Repent

Repent simply means to turn, to change direction or mindset. Jesus calls everyone to turn away from living for sin and for themselves and turn to Him with their lives instead. (Acts 17:30-31)

Repentance isn’t about becoming instantaneously perfect. It’s acknowledging your sin before God, asking His forgiveness and turning the trajectory of your life toward pursuing Jesus so He can save you and transform you.

3. Follow

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

(Luke 9:23)

Being a Christian isn’t a one-time experience in which you pray a quick prayer as eternal judgment insurance. It doesn’t work that way. Jesus said those who want to be His followers should take up their cross daily and follow Him.

Sincerely giving your life to Jesus means that your life becomes a daily relationship and journey of following Him. It means you spend each day learning His ways and obeying them, getting to know Him and growing in love for Him, becoming more like Him as He helps you grow.

You and I were made to know Jesus personally. It’s the only thing that will truly bring joy and satisfy. Following Him is the greatest decision you’ll ever make in your life. When you repent, believe in Jesus and surrender your life to following Him, your sins are wiped away. (Acts 3:19) You have access to personal relationship with Jesus in this life and in eternity.  That’s what being a Christian is about and that’s good news.

What Next:

If you this is new information for you or you want to chat more about this, feel free to contact me. Harvest Christian Fellowship also some great resources explaining the message of Jesus, how to start a relationship with Him, and how to take the first steps of faith. They even have a simple prayer you can pray to declare your new faith in Jesus and give your life to Him.

Let’s Talk: Did this post affirm or challenge your understanding of what it means to be a Christian? How so? Discuss this post in the comments below.

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