Who is a Christian?
HEAVEN’S BEST GIFT - THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD?
Have you come to know/love Him, who created you to be His very own beloved child, and to be loved and led by His Holy Spirit?
The disciples (i.e. the students and followers) of Jesus were called Christian, (i.e. like Christ), in Antioch … almost 2000 years ago … And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)
But who is this promised Christ they trusted in for salvation, and so followed, being led by His Spirit - the very Holy Spirit of God? Here is what the Apostle John, who was there with Jesus, was inspired, by the Holy Spirit given to him of God, to write for us … in John’s Gospel, (i.e. The Good-News of Jesus), Chapter 1 …
1 In the beginning was the Word [i.e. the Eternal Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
…
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word [i.e. the Eternal Logos] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
(Please note in the above, that those who take Jesus as their Saviour and Lord ARE those who were [re-]born from above of God ... i.e. some time previous, God had begun his sovereign work of grace in drawing another to Salvation - Jesus ... as Jesus said: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”)
And then John writes, near the end of his Gospel, in Chapter 20, after the death and the 3 days later resurrection of Jesus:
19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.
21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: (the Holy Spirit)
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
So, if we would be Christian, we need to take this Jesus, (Yeshua -The Salvation of God), the promised Messiah (i.e. the Anointed Son of God, the Holy One of Israel, the promised Son of King David that was filled with the Spirit of God without measure, i.e. Christ), as our Saviour and Lord and receive His Spirit into our hearts so that we might trust and follow Him.
And to encourage us to pray with real faith, please note how Jesus compares earthly parents to the Father in Heaven:
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him (Luke 11:13 … Heaven’s Best and Most Vital Gift for us to ask/receive.)
If really, we would be Christian, we’ll then truly trust in Jesus, the Word of God, and follow Him - The Lord Jesus Christ. Please note: ALL who truly call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved… Note also: Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. (So let’s hear His Voice - His Word and follow Him: Psalm 145:18-20; Romans 10:11-13,1-15,17; Galatians 3:2,5)
You may also like to see: http://sites.google.com/site/andeveryeyeshallseehim/