Am I A Christian? Part 2

 

In the last post, we began to look at the articles of the Christian faith. In this post, we are going look at other established articles of the Christian faith. 

5. DO YOU BELIEVE that all people are sinners by nature and, therefore, are under condemnation; that God saves and regenerates based upon faith by the Holy Spirit, those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord?

Acts 8:15-17

Ephesians 2:1-3, 8-9

Romans 3:23; 5:8

Titus 3:5

 6. DO YOU BELIEVE in the person of the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower for ministry all who have believed in Christ Jesus unto salvation?

Acts 1:8

2 Corinthians 3:18

John 16:8-11

Romans 8:26; 15:13, 16

Hebrews 9:14

7. DO YOU BELIEVE the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding helper, teacher, comforter, and guide?

John 6:63; 14:16-17; 16:8-11

Romans 8:26

The following precepts are just as important as the ones I shared earlier. While some of them won't affect your salvation, they do enhance your foundational faith.

DO YOU BELIEVE in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all Biblical gifts of the Spirit according to the instructions given to us in the Scriptures?

Romans 12:3-8

1 Corinthians 12-14

Ephesians 4:11-16

DO YOU BELIEVE in the universal church, the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all who are born again are a part of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13

Ephesians 4:15-16

DO YOU BELIEVE that the Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for the church: (1) full immersion water baptism of believers, and (2) the Lord's Supper. 

Matthew 28:19

Luke 22:19-20

Acts 2:38

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Matthew 19:4-5

John 2:1-11

DO YOU BELIEVE in a literal Heaven and a literal Hell and that all those who place their faith, hope, and trust in Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Heaven with the Lord? In contrast, those who reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation will spend eternity separated from the Lord.

Psalm 9:17

Matthew 5:3; 5:22; 18:9; 25:31-34

Mark 9:42-49

Luke 12:5

John 3:18

Hebrews 12:23

1 Peter 1:4

Revelation 14:10-11; 20:11-15

There are several more, but you have a good grasp on what it is to be a Christian. This is what the Bible says. This is what God says. Now here's the rub. Not all Christians believe in all of these articles. This is where the "Faith Test" I mentioned in the previous post comes into play. Ask yourself seriously, do I believe in all of these articles? Which ones don't I believe in? Why? Where's the evidence to support your position? Is it coming from the Bible or another person? Is it coming from God or man? Is what I believe what I want, or is it what God wants? Only you can ask and answer these questions. Pray, examine yourself; your answers may surprise you. Let the Holy Spirit guide you.

Next, let's look at the people who teach us and guide us in our walk with Jesus.

Walk in the guidance of the Lord,

G 

Am I A Christian?

 So last post, we looked at how many Americans believe they are Christian. Well, let's look at what the Bible says about your "belief" in Jesus Christ. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith." Huh? Okay, so what does that mean? What does that look like? What are the tenets, the foundations, of the Christian faith?

1. DO YOU BELIEVE that there is one living and true GOD (all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing) eternally existing in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all things?

Genesis 1:1

Deuteronomy 6:4

Isaiah 44:8, 16

Matthew 28:19-20

John 10:30

Hebrews 1:3

    The person of God the Father is an infinite, eternal, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love; He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; He hears and answers prayer; and He saves from sin and death all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 33:27

Psalm 90:2

Psalm 102:27

John 3:16; 4:24

1 Timothy 1:17

Titus 1:3

2. DO YOU BELIEVE that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired without error and the infallible rule of faith and practice? The Word of God is the foundation upon which the church operates and is the basis upon which the Christian church is governed. Do you believe that the Word of God supersedes any earthly law that is contrary to the Holy Scriptures? It is from God's Word that Christians establish their doctrine and faith.

Isaiah 28:13

Nehemiah 8:8

John 17:17

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Hebrews 4:12

1 Peter 1:23-25

2 Peter 1:3-4, 21

3. DO YOU BELIEVE the person of Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, and conceived by the Holy Spirit? Do you believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings, His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, and perpetual intercession for His people?

Isaiah 7:14

Micah 5:2

Matthew 1:23

Mark 16:19

Luke 1:34-35

John 1:1-2; 8:58; 11:25

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

1 Timothy 3:16

Hebrews 1:8

1 John 1:2

Revelation 1:8

4. DO YOU BELIEVE in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, which is His personal, visible return to earth and the establishment of His literal millennial kingdom, in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and eternal blessing of the righteous, and endless separation of the wicked?

Matthew 16:27

Acts 1:11

Revelation 19:11-16; 20:11-15

In the next post, we will look at some additional beliefs that are just as important as these. The Bible says in Philippians 2:12, "Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."

Walk in the guidance of the Lord,

G

Who Is a Christian?

  

I have prayed about where to begin with this. What makes a Christian, a Christian? What sets you and me apart from all the other religions? You might be surprised how many Christians don't even know what the tenets of their faith are.

For the next several posts, we will examine the aspects that define us as Christians. I will focus solely on data from America; you can likely extrapolate similar percentages wherever you live.

How many Americans actually claim to be Christian (followers of Christ)? According to a recent Gallup survey, approximately 69% of the U.S. population—about 235 million out of 340 million people—identify as Christian. The United States currently has the largest Christian population in the world, comprising nearly 235 million Christians. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_United_States, and Jones, Jeffrey M. (April 17, 2025). “Religious Preferences Largely Stable in U.S. Since 2020".Gallup.com. Retrieved October 17, 2025.)

According to another average of all 2023 Gallup polling,”... about three in four Americans said they identify with a specific religious faith. By far the largest proportion, 68%, identify with a Christian religion, including 33% who are Protestant, 22% Catholic, and 13% who identify with another Christian faith or simply as a "Christian. 7% identify with a non-Christian religion, including 2% who are Jewish, 1% Muslim, and 1% Buddhist, among others. 22% of Americans said they have no religious preference, and 3% did not answer the question.” (https://news.gallup.com/poll/358364/religious-americans.aspx)

The same polling reveals, “roughly 45% of Americans say religion is 'very important" in their life, with another 26% saying it is "fairly important" and 28% saying it's 'not very important." Over the past 20 years, a declining share of Americans have said religion is important, as the 2023 poll indicates: “Thirty-two percent of Americans go to church regularly."

Whoa! Wait a minute! So, if there are roughly 235 million “Christians- followers of Christ” in the United States, how come the United States is in so much chaos and division right now? Surely the remaining thirty percent of the United States population isn't causing all this turmoil, are they? Where is the love, peace, and harmony we are supposed to bring to those around us? Answers coming up.

Next time, we’ll look at the actual tenets of our faith. Have a blessed day.

We had to Start Somewhere

   I started this site to explore faith-related questions and share thoughtful, Bible-based answers rooted in Christian history. My purpose is to help people understand and strengthen their relationship with Jesus Christ. Though my focus is on supporting Christians, anyone interested in Christianity is welcome.

Here I present the questions I've considered and the answers I've found through the Bible, Christian history, the early church fathers, and influential modern preachers. My intention is not to convert or preach, but to offer insights for deeper faith and reflection. Hosea 4:6 reminds us: "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge."

So let’s start off with my credentials, ready? I have none! I’m not a priest, pastor, preacher, deacon, or elder. I am simply a man seeking a deeper relationship with my God. Like all of you, I am a sinner. I get things wrong, I make mistakes, I stumble, and I fall. But my faith in Christ, as battered and weak as it is, helps me get back up again and again to continue my walk with Him. That’s it.

I have one agenda: to share. I am stepping out in faith to share my perspective. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:15, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear...”

I use the Bible as my primary source of authority. When I use other sources, such as Christian history or writings from early church fathers or modern preachers, I will cite the source so you can check it out for yourself. Just like I did.

The Word of God stands on its own. I do not need to defend it, argue over it, or apologize for it. It says what it says, period. Don’t like it, take it up with God. When it is my opinion, I will state so. The information provided here is for your consideration. The decision to accept it or reject it will always be yours. We will all stand before God on judgment day and give an account for our words, deeds, and intentions.

Until next time, we'll jump into the deep end. Have a blessed day.

G