Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:25–26; NKJV)

Nowadays, the word ‘Christian’ receives mixed responses. Christianity has played a significant role in shaping the modern world. However, in recent decades, Christianity has come under attack for being antiquated, bigoted, and even racist. Are these accusations accurate? What are the historical roots of Christianity? What does it mean to be a Christian today? Let’s take a look.

The word ‘Christian’ traces back to ancient Greek. When you break the word down to its basic parts, it means “like Christ.” The word ‘Christian’ was first used in Antioch to describe the group of people who became followers of Jesus through the preaching ministry of Barnabas and Saul. They believed that Jesus is the promised Jewish Messiah. Since that time, the word ‘Christian’ has been passed down through history to distinguish people who believe in Jesus Christ as the Jewish Messiah. We put our hope in Him for the promises of salvation from eternal death and the inheritance of eternal life with God. (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16; John 3:16–17)

The historical roots of Christianity show how the Christian faith centers on the person and works of Jesus Christ. The death of Jesus on the cross provided final payment for sins. The resurrection of Jesus proved His victory over sin and death. A person who believes these truths and receives them personally as the basis for the promise of eternal life is said to be “born again.” This means the person has received spiritual newness of life through the Holy Spirit, Who comes to live spiritually alongside the Christian’s spirit and restores their relationship with God. (John 3:3–8; Rom 3:21–26; 1 Cor 15:56–57; Heb 2:14–17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10)

When a person becomes a Christian, they receive a new spiritual nature. All people are born with a sin nature—the innate predisposition to think and act against the character and purposes of God. Sin includes, but is not limited to, harboring negative thoughts and feelings about God and other people, as well as intentional actions against God or causing harm to others, ourselves, and the created world. All people, before believing in Jesus, are spiritually dead in sin and condemned to eternal death. When a person believes in Jesus, they receive forgiveness of their sins and the Holy Spirit indwells them, imparting a new spiritual nature oriented toward loving God and others. (Gen 3; Jer 17:9; Rom 3:21–26; 1 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:1–11)

When a person becomes a Christian, their relationship with God changes. All people, before believing in Jesus, stand against God as enemies of His character and purposes, which condemns us to eternal separation from Him. When a person believes in Jesus, they become a child of God. The blessings of this new relationship are many and include forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a new spiritual nature oriented toward God, salvation from hell, eternal life with God, and a new capacity to love others as God loves us. (John 1:12–13; Rom 5:6–11; Rom 8; 2 Cor 3; Eph 1:3–14; 1 John 4:7–11)

When a person becomes a Christian, their relationship with other people changes, too. Christians are spiritual siblings, members of the spiritual household of God, bonded together by their shared faith in Christ, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and their child-Father relationship with God. Non-Christians are neighbors, for whom Christians share in God’s loving concern for their life both now and in eternity. Neighbors include non-believing co-workers, family members, friends and other people we encounter throughout life. Also, Christians are resident strangers in this present world. We no longer share the values of the world and we are to live as representatives of Christ’s truth and love in a world that is generally oriented against God. (Matt 5:13–16; John 17:6–26; Luke 6:27–36; Eph 2:19–22; 4:11–17)

So, is Christianity antiquated, bigoted, and racist? Not inherently so. The heart of Christianity is Jesus Christ and the Christian’s sincere desire to follow Him. The Christian worldview is characterized by a truth-oriented, loving concern toward all people. It is true that there have been people who identify as Christians and harbor ill-will toward others based on a variety of factors, but this is common across worldviews and is not a theological point of historic Christianity. It is also true that the Christian worldview, which is grounded in the character of God, has a value system that often stands in contradiction to worldly values. But the free gift of eternal life, as well as the accompanying blessings in this life and the next, are available to anyone willing to place their trust and hope in Jesus, as seen in its widespread representation in history throughout the world. (Matt 5:48; 1 Pet 1:15; Mark 10:28–31; John 15:18–25)