Acts Revelation

My Sunday School Bibles Study has been going through the book of Acts. We were in chapter eleven this week, and in reading through the thirty verses of chapter eleven you might miss a verse. No there's not an actual verse missing in your Bible, but you might have read over this one word without considering it. It's a part of verse 26: The disciples were called Christians.

This may not seem like an important verse in the light of all the other verses in the Bible, but I find it VERY important. Surprisingly the term Christian is only used THREE times in the New Testament.

NOW when money is mentioned over 110 times, faith 280 times, and love almost 700 times, how could these three instances be so important. Well let me tell you: this word summarizes every verse in the New Testament. HOW SO, well in Latin Christianity MEANS:

WE BELONG TO CHRIST

Not only that, but this is how the WORLD refers to us. This is the label they give us, and even if they don't believe as we do they know what that label SHOULD mean.

IN THE TIME OF ACTS, Christianity meant: one who has turned from sin, trusted Jesus Christ and received salvation through grace. SIMPLE ENOUGH RIGHT?

BUT TODAY, Christianity is almost synonymous with Hypocrisy. People join the fad because their not bad people without realizing CHRIST requires repentance and faith. It requires a change in lifestyle, a change of heart, and a change in worldview.

Try this question on for size: If you were arrested right now for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?
E
verything in our life SHOULD reflect Christ, granted none of us are perfect, but even when we falter our reaction SHOULD reflect the branding of our hearts.

True this is a bit of a tangent from ACTS 11, but it is something we need to remind ourselves of no matter where we are in our walk with Christ.