You’ve probably heard a lot of definitions of what makes someone a Christian. Some of them sound right on the surface. But when you dig into Scripture, you find that many common ideas miss the mark completely.
Let me work through what I’m discovering as I study what the Bible actually says versus what we often hear in religious circles.
Not About Your Family Tree
Being a Christian isn’t something you inherit. You don’t become a Christian because your parents were Christians or because you grew up in a Christian home.
Jesus made this crystal clear when religious leaders tried to claim Abraham as their spiritual father. He told them that being physically descended from Abraham meant nothing if they didn’t have Abraham’s faith.
In John 1:12-13, you see this truth spelled out:
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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Your spiritual birth has nothing to do with your physical bloodline. Every person must be born again individually through faith in Jesus Christ.
Not About Going to Church
Attending church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. I know that sounds obvious when you say it that way, but look at how many people genuinely believe that showing up on Sunday morning is what Christianity is all about.
Church attendance is something Christians do because they want to worship with other believers. It’s not the thing that makes them Christians in the first place. You could attend church every single week for your entire life and still not be a Christian if you’ve never actually put your faith in Jesus Christ.
Not About Being a Good Person
This is the big one that trips people up. Being a Christian is not about being morally good or doing more good things than bad things.
The Bible is extremely clear that no one becomes righteous through their own good works. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
You can’t earn your way into heaven by being nice, volunteering, giving to charity, or following the Golden Rule. Those are wonderful things, but they don’t make you a Christian. If good works could save you, then Jesus died for nothing.
Think about it this way: If you could become a Christian by being good enough, then God wasted His time sending Jesus to die on the cross. Jesus came precisely because your good works will never be enough.
Not About Following Rules
Christianity isn’t a list of dos and don’ts that you follow to stay in God’s good graces. It’s not about keeping the Ten Commandments perfectly or following certain religious rituals.
The Pharisees were masters at following rules. They had rules about rules. They kept every jot and tittle of the law. And Jesus told them they were spiritually dead.
You don’t become a Christian by following rules. You become a Christian by entering into a living relationship with Jesus Christ. After that happens, your behavior changes because you’re a new person with a new nature – not because you’re trying to earn God’s approval.
Not About Religious Activities
Baptism doesn’t make you a Christian. Taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian. Reading your Bible and praying don’t make you a Christian. Giving money to the church doesn’t make you a Christian.
These are all things that Christians do, but doing them without actually being born again is like putting on a costume. You might look the part, but you’re just playing dress-up.
Not About Believing God Exists
Here’s one that surprises people: Simply believing that God exists doesn’t make you a Christian. James 2:19 makes this uncomfortable point:
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Even demons believe in God. Even Satan himself believes God exists. Belief in God’s existence is not the same thing as saving faith in Jesus Christ.
Not About Cultural Identity
In some places, being “Christian” is a cultural identity marker. It means you’re not Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. It means you celebrate Christmas and Easter. It means you identify with Western civilization or European heritage.
That’s not biblical Christianity. The gospel transcends culture, nationality, and ethnicity. Being a Christian has nothing to do with what passport you hold or what cultural traditions your family follows.
So What IS It?
After clearing away all these false ideas, the real question emerges: If Christianity isn’t any of these things, then what is it?
Being a Christian is being born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ. It’s recognizing that you’re a sinner who deserves death, that Jesus died in your place and rose from the dead, and that you’re trusting completely in His finished work on the cross for your salvation.
It’s not religion – it’s relationship. It’s not what you do for God – it’s what God has done for you through Jesus. It’s not about trying harder – it’s about trusting fully.
When you truly become a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside you. You become a new creation. Your old self dies and a new self is born. This isn’t something you work up through religious activity – it’s something God does in you when you place genuine faith in Jesus Christ.
Why This Matters for Your Daily Walk
Understanding what Christianity is not helps you focus on what it actually is. When you realize that your standing with God doesn’t depend on your church attendance, your good behavior, or your religious activities, you’re free to pursue genuine relationship with Jesus.
You stop trying to earn what’s already been given to you as a gift. You stop performing and start connecting. You move from religion to relationship.
This is what I’m learning to live out moment by moment: Christianity is Christ in you through the Holy Spirit, transforming you from the inside out. Everything else flows from that living connection.