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If care is not taken, many people will be deceived by their ignorance. Many say that they are Christians, but who really is a Christian.
It is written in Acts 11:26 that “…And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” This means a disciple of Christ is a Christian. In other words, a Christian is a disciple of Christ.
Now who is a disciple? A disciple is a student or follower. A disciple of Christ therefore, is a student or follower of Jesus Christ.
This means a Christian basically is someone who follows Christ. One important question we however need to ask at this point is: how can a person follow Christ who is a Spirit?
A divine person who enables a person to follow Christ is the same divine being who makes a person a real Christian. This is the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.
Yes, it is the Holy Spirit who makes a person faithfully follow Christ Jesus who is God. Such a person proves his sonship to God by His Spirit.
This means people who say that they are Christians when they have not truly received the Holy Spirit are false Christians or liars.
A person receives the Holy Spirit when he is born of God after hearing the gospel and repenting of his sins. This happens during the recreation of the person’s spirit. This is what is called the born again experience.
A Christian therefore is someone who has the Spirit of God dwelling in his heart. This is why Paul writes that, “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Understand that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ. Anyone who says he is a Christian without having the Spirit in him therefore is a liar.
In the next article, we will discuss signs which prove that a person has truly received the Holy Spirit to make him a real Christian.
By James Quansah
