Drawn to the Gospel

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16)

“So Christian, are you a Christian?”

That was the question my Korean friend asked me when I first arrived in Australia in the mid-90s. We were in an English class together, and the teacher asked us to share the origin of our names and a bit about our personal beliefs. When I told him I was a Christian, he laughed and told the whole class, “Then you all must call me ‘No God,’ because I don’t believe in any god!”

But seriously, what does it mean when I say I’m not Christian just by name? What does being a Christian actually mean? On the one hand, I should start from the Bible instead of my own definition of what a Christian should or should not look like. But hey, a little bird told me that people love personal stories, so here goes …

• When I say I’m a Christian, I don’t just mean I rock up to a local church each Sunday. It’s my life. It shapes how I think, feel, live, parent, counsel, and face both the joys and sorrows of life.
  
• When I say I’m a Christian, I mean I believe in Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Not just an influential historical figure or a great teacher, but the risen Son of God who died for my sins and gave me new life.
  
• When I say I’m a Christian, I don’t mean I have it all together. I’m only too aware of my flaws and failures. But I also know the grace of a Saviour who meets me where I am and walks with me daily.
  
• When I say I’m a Christian, I don’t mean I live in a bubble. It’s not chanting “Just Jesus and me, from here to eternity”. I make time to sit with people in real pain: relationships, doubt, addiction, doubt, grief. Not as a judge, but as someone who is also in need of grace.
  
• When I say I’m a Christian, I mean I love and care about the church. I’ve worked as a pastor and have come to know many others in ministry with years of experience ahead of me. No church is immune from challenges, inside and out. And yet, the church is where God is present and at work in a special way. The local church is God’s family—imperfect, but precious.
  
• When I say I’m a Christian, I don’t mean I’m alone. I walk with others—fellow believers, mentors, counsellors, Christians from other churches. We grow, support, and serve together in community, not isolation.

This list could be ten times longer, but I hope it clarifies what I mean when I say I’m one of Jesus’s followers.

What do you mean when you say you’re a Christian? Or if you’re someone from another or no faith background (like my friend No God), how do you understand your own beliefs?