Who
Then is a Christian?
By Warren Litzman
Defining
Christianity is not an easy task these days. It has become so polluted
with false doctrine and anti-biblical truth that anybody with anything
on their mind religious uses the name. What is most critical about
this is the world and even people in Christian churches do not know
what Christianity is. To make it very simple, my definition is that
Christianity is Christ. Nothing else
-
nothing else added to it and nothing else needed
- just
Christ. However, Christians without the knowledge that Christ is their
life have become promoters and advertisers of their special brand of
Christianity, or their denominational rules or their doctrines.
This means
there is hardly to be found anywhere a pure or even near pure
Scriptural Christianity. The term “Christian” was formed at Antioch by
Paul and Barnabas when they were teaching there (Acts 11:26). There
are many that teach the early Pentecostal church was a truly Christian
church. But this is not so. The early church was a kingdom church
(Joel 2:28, Acts 2:16) that had never heard the full gospel of grace
and had never come into Paul’s gospel of Christ in you. It is my
conclusion that no one can be Biblical Christians without a revelation
of Christ as his life (Gal. 2:20).
1)
Christianity is not just about the historical Christ. The historical
record in the four gospels tell you all about Him and there are
thousands of historical books that tell about Him. It is only when
you get into Paul’s Epistles that He
-
Christ -
ever
becomes the life of the believer. A Christian is one in whom Christ
lives. It is not that Christ gives something to the believer, but
rather Christ is the life of the believer and His only life to the
Father that birthed him.
2)
Christianity is 4th dimensional. It is a mystery (Col. 1:26-27). It
is the birthing of a new creation
- a
person that has never lived before
- a
person that will never die
-
because he has eternal life
-
Christ-life
- in
him.
3)
Christianity demands nothing from an adherent other than to believe
on Jesus Christ as his Savior. The denomination, the church
doctrines and the religious programs can add nothing to salvation.
Therefore, to put it bluntly, Baptist are not Christians. Methodist
are not Christians. Pentecostals are not Christians. Catholics are
not Christians. But because of the personal work of the Holy Spirit
in a believer’s life, some Christians are Baptist, some Christians
are Methodist, some Christians are Pentecostal and some Christians
are Catholic. When Christianity becomes a tool of some group to
promote their doctrine and ignore Paul’s message of grace then they
are not Christians.
4)
Christianity demands that a believer be willing to give up his old
life (Rom. 6:6) and cease to serve sin. This is the message and
essence of the cross and Christianity without the cross is life-less
and Christ-less (II Cor. 2:2). Christianity is not our works for the
Lord but rather His work in us and through us.
