What is a Christian?  2015- 79  

Christian, what is one?

The easy answer is one who believes in Jesus Christ and practices the faith of a believer of Jesus. A Christian is a person that is a follower of the world’s largest religion with about 2.4 billion adherents.  Christians believe that a man named Jesus is the Son of God, and was fully divine and fully human and became the savior of humanity. His coming as Christ or the Messiah was prophesied in the Old Testament of the Bible. To my non-Christian followers, let me expound on this subject for a moment.

“Christian theology is expressed in ecumenical creeds. These professions of faith state that Jesus suffered, died, was buried, and was resurrected from the dead in order to grant eternal life to those who believe in him and trust in him for the remission of their sins. The creeds further maintain that Jesus bodily ascended into heaven, where he reigns with God the Father, and that he will return to judge the living and dead and grant eternal life to his followers. His ministry, crucifixion and resurrection are often referred to as “the gospel“, meaning “good news” (Greek: εὐαγγέλιον euangélion). The term gospel also refers to written accounts of Jesus’s life and teaching, four of which—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are considered canonical and included in Christian Bibles.”   This per Wikipedia Click on blue words for more info on it.

Many people say they are a Christian without really knowing what a Christian is and the history of the religion. The Bible New Testament was compiled from writings and sayings of those that lived after the man Jesus died. Jesus is quoted from what is believed He said to them at the time. Most Christians have not read the Bible in its entirety, or usually read portions of it as deemed fit at the time. Some of the Christian thoughts have come from those sayings in the Bible and the Bible is used to make certain points or so in daily life.

The feeling of how Jesus relates as the Son of God, in relation to God and the Holy Spirit is not easy to fathom for some. This concept is sometimes hard to understand and to some, to accept. Other religions do NOT see this concept, as a fact and deny the Christian beliefs as not worthy of respect and these differences of opinion have created much discord in the world today.

“The central tenet of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah (Christ). Christians believe that Jesus, as the Messiah, was anointed by God as savior of humanity, and hold that Jesus’ coming was the fulfillment of messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian concept of the Messiah differs significantly from the contemporary Jewish concept. The core Christian belief is that through belief in and acceptance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life.

While there have been many theological disputes over the nature of Jesus over the earliest centuries of Christian history, generally Christians believe that Jesus is God incarnate and “true God and true man” (or both fully divine and fully human). Jesus, having become fully human, suffered the pains and temptations of a mortal man, but did not sin. As fully God, he rose to life again. According to the Bible, “God raised him from the dead”, he ascended to heaven, is “seated at the right hand of the Father” and will ultimately return  to fulfill the rest of Messianic prophecy such as the Resurrection of the dead, the Last Judgment and final establishment of the Kingdom of God.”  Per Wikipedia

I cannot add to what I have shown above, but as a self-admitted Christian, I believe in what I have written. To those of other faiths, I do not care what you believe or do not believe. This is not a cruel thought, just a fact. We all have beliefs! Some people do not have a belief in God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit and that is a belief in that way of thinking. So be it if that is the case. Others of different faiths believe in a different God or many God’s and if so, that is your belief. When we can get together, talk, discuss and acknowledge our differences without discord we will be on a path of understanding that will go beyond belief; and that will be great.

Den Betts