By Harold Kemp, Compass Distributors
Acts 11:26 records that the first time the word "Christian" was used in relation to the disciples in Antioch. Today, unfortunately, the word "Christian" is given so many different meanings by various people and religious groups that the word has become "meaningless".
I no longer call myself a "Christian" for this reason. Rather, I call myself a "follower of Jesus Christ".
To illustrate what I mean by the fact that the word "Christian" has so many meanings that it has become meaningless, consider the following examples:
The Jehovah's Witnesses call themselves "Christian", but they believe that Jesus Christ is Michael the Archangel, not the only begotten Son of God.
So-called "Christian" Science believes that sin is an illusion and that Jesus Christ is a "part of God", and that all other men are also a "part of God", no better or worse than Him.
Others, that claim to be "Christian", believe that Jesus Christ was the illegitimate son of Mary and some unknown man.
Certain churches, while correctly stating that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, are not really followers of Jesus Christ in the Biblical sense, because they do not preach that a person obtains eternal life by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ. This is not to say that there are no Christians in these denominations, just that they are Christians in spite of the teaching rather than because of it.
Some preach that you become a Christian by being baptized (Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church, for example).
Many others preach that you become a Christian when you "accept Christ as your Savior". And here arises another problem. The expression "accept Christ as your Savior" does not appear anywhere in the Bible; and this expression has so many different meanings that it is "meaningless." I have no argument with the use of this phrase if it is made clear that the expression "accept Christ" means to repent and believe in Him. However, in most cases where I have heard it used, repentance is not considered part of the salvation message.
Some claim that this expression means "admit that you are a sinner and accept the fact that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins" (no mention of repentance).
Others claim that it means "let Jesus come into your heart"; in other words, have an emotional experience. (Again no mention of repentance).
Still others claim that it means "make a decision for Christ". This would be fine if repentance was mentioned, but most times you hear this phrase, exactly what you decide is unclear and there is no mention of repentance.
Finally, I would like to point out that the title you give yourself is not really important. The important thing is to understand that the only way to obtain eternal life is to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. And to "repent" means to regret your sin, and with God's help, turn away from sin, and continue to "do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:20b)
Biblical Words That Have Lost Their Meaning is Copyright © 1997
by Compass Distributors
Scripture taken from the The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.