Can you think of a word that has kept its original meaning? The evolution of cultures in our own country has changed the meaning of words, some more drastically than others. A while back, the Washington Post published a list of words that have changed meanings.
- Silly: went from referring to those who are ‘pious’ or things worthy or blessed to our modern sense of absurdity, foolish or giddy.
- Naughty: Long ago, if you were naughty, you had naught or nothing. Then it came to mean evil or immoral, and now you are just badly behaved.
- Viral went from relating to, or caused by a virus, to now meaning becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the Internet.
- Text went from referring to a book or other piece of closely examined writing to a message sent on your cell phone.
- Unplug went from disconnecting a lamp or television from its power source to shifting from cable TV to internet streaming.
The current hybrid usage of the label ‘Christian’ used in many secular and religious communities has been very twisted from its original meaning. So much so, some believers today openly say, “I’m a Christ-follower, not a ‘Christian’.” So, what is the difference and why does it matter?
Unbelievers living in Antioch (Acts 11:26) created the label ‘Christian.’ Because the believers in Antioch were making such a powerful impact on their community, the unbeliever cynics labeled them ‘Christians’. The anatomy of the word first refers to Christ (“the anointed one”). The ‘ian’ (means “little”) which makes ‘Christians’ were the little anointed ones or apprentices of Jesus Christ. When Paul was in prison, the unbelieving king asked to visit with him. He also used this term when saying Paul almost convinced him to become a ‘Christian’ (Acts 26:28). My point is, a biblical ‘Christian’ is such an avowed apprentice of Jesus Christ that unbelievers clearly see His virtues expressed with little verbal persuasion. The difference was in who they were on the inside.
If compared side by side, the most obvious difference between early Christ-followers and today’s Christian is evident in one’s level of passion to be Christ’s apprentice. Quite contrary to today, early believers boldly faced lions rather than compromising their apprenticeship to Jesus. They were willing to sacrifice their good jobs, businesses, homes, friends and family, and financial securities, to have the type of love Jesus had for His Father. What sacrifices today might compare to that of the earlier Christ-followers? How might such sacrifices determine the spiritual fruit of a person’s life?
Peter uses the label ‘Christian’ one time. It was in his letter to encourage believers spread throughout the middle east who were suffering persecution (1 Peter 4:16). Their Christlikeness so convicted the unbelievers they encountered; the unbelievers looked for ways to take their misery out on apprentices of Jesus. Please try to understand, the convicting factor then was not the title of Christian, it was the Christlikeness that always has been and will always be the critical factor.
Do you suppose your unbelieving acquaintances would label you as an apprentice of Jesus Christ who incessantly seeks to be more like Him, or a current twisted, hybrid Christian? If your honest answer is not what your heart desires it to be, what is your next step to discovering the inner conviction, security, gratification, and joy a closer relationship to Him would bring? Will you continue life as you now live it? Or, will you seriously Ask God about it and seek solid direction on how you can be what your hearts calls you to be?