What is a Christian?

What does it mean to be a Christian man or woman? In the dictionary it is defined as an adjective meaning "of Jesus Christ
or His teaching, adhering to the religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. So what does it mean of Jesus Christ? The little word "of" has many definitions but the one that fits best here is belonging to. Therefore, we can say that Christians belong to Jesus Christ or to His teachings, like someone belonging to a club or a society. This membership gives one a sense of identity and purpose.

The word Christian is not used very often in the Bible; in fact, it is only used three times. The first place it is used is in the book of Acts. In chapter 11:26, it states that it was the first time the term was used was in Antioch. The second time it is used is also in Acts, in chapter 26:28, where King Agrippa tells Paul after his testimony that he was almost persuaded to become a Christian. The last place it is used in 1Peter 4:16. It speaks about how as a Christian you suffer then you should not be ashamed but give glory to God. Paul and the other apostles knew what it was to suffer, and many of them died a horrific death, yet they would not renounce their faith. These men stayed true to their beliefs till the end because they had perfect love.

Christianity is more than a religion; it is a relationship, one of love beyond this world. It's the perfect love story. It is about sacrifice, giving, and unselfishness; of someone paying the price for your iniquities, shortcomings and mistakes. It is about being loved and loving. When you love someone, you want to be around them, get to know them better, do things for them to make them happy and many times you think about them above yourself. When we love Jesus Christ, we want these same things. Furthermore, when we realize that He loves us perfectly, no matter what we do, it is easy to love Him back.

Being a Christian is not like anything else in the world, it is about being accepted for who you are, being forgiving no matter what you do, and being loved with a perfect love that sets you free to be you. It is also a spiritual journey, an adventure of learning what our purpose is here on this earth. It's being a part of something bigger then our self and it is being in the most wonderful relationship possible.