Acts 11:26 “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Those who sincerely believe and obey and follow Christ are properly “called Christians”. The name Christian does not distinguish between Jew and Gentile, the various nations, the many prominent leaders, the ethnicity of believers, the financial or political status of believers, or social status of believers. The name Christian is a large holy-umbrella that encompasses the faithful Children of God from “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6). The name Christian points to “the elect of God” who are clothed with “holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:12). These humble people forebear one another in love, they forgive one another as Christ has forgiven them, they “put on charity (love in action), which is the bond of perfectness”, they “let the peace of God rule in” their “hearts”, they “are called in one body”, and they are “thankful” to God for His Blessed Mercy and Grace (Colossians 3:13-15). These humble “Christians” are “peace” loving people; they “eschew evil, and do good” and they “seek peace, and ensue it” (I Peter 3:11). If more people in the world were true “Christians”, we would not need such great armies. If more people in our Country were true “Christians” we wouldn’t need so many law enforcement personnel, we wouldn’t need so many prisons, we would not have one group of people mistreating another, we wouldn’t have leaders wasting our resources, etc. If more people in our Country were true “Christians” we would have great masses of people helping one another, forgiving one another, and encouraging one another. If more people in our Country were true “Christians”, their Church Houses would be houses of “worship” that would be filled with those who “worship” God “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). If more people in our Country were true “Christians” we would not have so many people trying to dominate others. But, just like “Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother” Abel (I John 3:12), in every generation, we have “wicked” people doing “wicked” things to other people, and these “wicked” people hate true “Christians” because Christianity inherently condemns wickedness and immorality and ungodliness. Let us pray for one another, that the “born again” (John 3:1-8) “elect of God” will wear their Christian mantel with humility and sincerity and simplicity and truth, and not be swayed by the corrupt world around us!