Daily Devotional

As a young believer I was intrigued with a plaque on a pastor’s wall. It was a rubber kitchen glove. The words below read: “Beware of phony Christians.” Soon after I hear this same pastor say, “Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk.” Although this is now a familiar expression, in those days it reflected what was happening. In the midst of the “Jesus Revolution” and, I believe, it’s many true conversions to Jesus Christ, came the inevitable phony Christians. In the words of that same preacher, “Too many of them are more heat than light.” Jesus spoke of them as tares—weeds that look like wheat—among the genuine wheat (cf. Matthew 13:36-42). It begs the familiar question I also heard from my old pastor: “If Christianity were a crime, would there be enough evidence to convict you.”

In Acts, Chapter 11 we are blessed by the evidences of true discipleship. This is where followers of Jesus are first called “Christians” (Greek: christianos = followers of Christ). What then are some the marks of a true christianos? Let’s consider Acts 11:  

The True Christian:

• receives the word of God (v. 1).            
• defends the gospel of grace (v. 2 ff).           
• goes to all people without misgivings (i.e. doubt, discrimination, judgment) (v. 12).           
• refuses to “stand in God's way” (v. 17).
• accepts God’s granting repentance to people different from us (v. 18).
• preaches to anyone who will listen (v. 20).            
• daily acknowledges the need for God's helping hand (v. 21).            
• witnesses the grace of God all around (v. 23).            
• remains true to the Lord, no matter what (v. 23).            
• is full of the power of the Holy Spirit (expressed in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) (v. 24).            
• provides for the needy (vv. 28-30).  

To the many of us who declare, “I am a disciple of Jesus; I am Christianos” Acts, Chapter 11 shouts, “Then act like it!”

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