The word Christian is used only three times in the Bible. In Acts 11:26 it describes a disciple of Christ. "And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves together with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch." Note carefully please. The church is made up of Christians. In Acts 26:28 it describes a person who had some desire but not enough to become a Christian. “Then Agrippa said unto Paul. Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Then in I Peter 4:16 Peter uses the term Christian to describe a lifestyle. “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.”
There are many who claim to be Christians, yet they do not keep the commandments of God. The Apostle John said, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (I John 2:4).
Paul told the elders to "feed the church of God. which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). Then we read: "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). Paul said feed the church and, in Acts 11:26, they are called Christians. So the church is a group of saved people called Christians; nothing more, nothing less, just Christians. If the Lord adds all the saved to the church and the saved are called Christians, it is not possible that there Christians outside the church.
What does it take to become a Christian? Jesus said: "If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24). We must believe, for "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Heb. 11:6). We must repent. God "now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30). Then we must confess Christ, "For with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10). This confession leads to salvation, and it must therefore precede the saved state. Baptism is necessary in order to be saved (become a Christian). "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). Faith and baptism are joined by the coordinate conjunction and. Coordinate conjunctions join or unite elements of equal rank. Faith and baptism are thus joined in this sentence to obtain the same results: salvation.
Note what Ananias told Saul. “And why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized and wash away thy sins...” (Acts 22:16). If Saul was saved before he was baptized, he was saved while he was still in his sins. If not, why not? Baptism is into Christ’s death. (Rom. 6:3) Christ shed his blood in his death. That blood is contacted when one is baptized into his death. That is when the sins are washed away
Paul said salvation is in Christ. “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus...” (II Tim. 2:10). "And he gave some to be head over all things to the church, which is his body" (Eph. 1:22-23). We see then that the church is his body. Salvation is in the body. The saved are added to the church (Acts 2:47). "Christ is the head of the church, and he is the savior of the body" (Eph. 5:23). A Christian is in that church or body of people that Christ said he would save.
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 3:11).
Don H. Noblin
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