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1 What is a What is a Christian? Christian? And how does one become a And how does one become a Christian? Christian?
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What is a What is a Christian?Christian?What is a What is a Christian?Christian?
And how does one become a And how does one become a Christian?Christian?
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If we can find a scriptural answer to the first question, we will have gone a long way
toward finding an answer to the second question.
How, then, shall we proceed? We shall examine the passages where the
name, "Christian," is used - each in its respective context.
There are three such passages.
Acts 11:26Acts 11:26
Acts 26:28Acts 26:28
1 Peter 4:161 Peter 4:16
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A Christian is:A Christian is:A disciple - learner and follower - of Christ.One who is fully persuaded
of the facts of the gospel that a Christian can live a faithful
life that being a Christian is worth
everythingthat Christian discipleship will
provide spiritual securitypurpose in lifepeace
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1 Peter 4:141 Peter 4:14
If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.
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1 Peter 4:151 Peter 4:15
But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters.
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1 Peter 4:14-161 Peter 4:14-16
Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.
A Christian is one who is unashamed to suffer.
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Unashamed to suffer:Unashamed to suffer:
unjust criticism.
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1 Peter 4:1-21 Peter 4:1-2
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
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1 Peter 4:3-41 Peter 4:3-4
For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
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1 Peter 2:13-141 Peter 2:13-14
Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
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1 Peter 2:15-161 Peter 2:15-16
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
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Unashamed to suffer:Unashamed to suffer:
unjust criticism.physical affliction.
14
2 Corinthians 11:23-242 Corinthians 11:23-24
Are they ministers of Christ?--I speak as a fool--I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.
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2 Corinthians 11:25-262 Corinthians 11:25-26
Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
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2 Corinthians 11:27-282 Corinthians 11:27-28
in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness--besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
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2 Corinthians 4:17-182 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
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Unashamed to suffer:Unashamed to suffer:
unjust criticism.physical affliction.for Christ's words.
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Mark 8:38Mark 8:38
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
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Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
2 Timothy 1:8-92 Timothy 1:8-9
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2 Timothy 1:10-112 Timothy 1:10-11
but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
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Unashamed to suffer:Unashamed to suffer:
unjust criticism.physical affliction.for Christ's words.
for the Gospel.
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So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:15-16Romans 1:15-16
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Unashamed to suffer:Unashamed to suffer:
unjust criticism.physical affliction.for Christ's words.
for the Gospel.for being in the religious/moral
minority.
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John 6:66-69John 6:66-69
From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
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A disciple - learner and follower - of Christ. One who is fully persuaded
of the facts of the gospel that a Christian can live a faithful life that being a Christian is worth
everythingthat Christian discipleship will provide
spiritual securitypurpose in lifepeace
One who is unashamed to suffer unjust criticism or physical affliction for Christ's words, for the Gospel or for simply being in the religious/moral minority.
A Christian is:A Christian is:
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