Defining terms is crucial in any discussion or debate. I would like my readers to know how I define the word “Christian.”
When I say I am a Christian or someone else is a Christian or a particular denomination is Christian, I am saying that person or denomination does two things:
- They believe that Y’shua (Jesus) the Christ was resurrected. Disagreement can be had as to the nature of His body, whether physical, spiritual, or a hybrid.
- They desire to follow the Christ. They say they have this desire. I can not look into their hearts to know if they really do desire this, so I must trust their profession. Also, there will be many different ways people go about following the Christ, but what is important here is not how they desire to follow Him but that they desire to follow Him.
Any person who professes these two things I call a Christian. Any denomination that affirms these two things I call a Christian denomination.
Does this mean that I think all Christians are going to inherit eternal life? Not necessarily. Only the Father knows who has eternal life among this group. It may be all or it may be only a few.
I believe this is a useful definition if used in this way and I hope others will start doing so. However, even if this does not happen and the word remains vague or defined differently by each denomination, at least my readers will know what I mean when I use the word “Christian.”