Paul penned the reminder above to the Christians at Colossae nearly 2,000 years ago and, as all of God’s truth, it remains a timely and important reminder for us today.

Sweet friend, Christian isn’t a label to be picked up and worn around. You can’t buy it. You aren’t born one. You don’t become one by attending a church. You can’t earn it through works. You definitely don’t become one by political affiliation.

Christian is a decision. It is the surrender of your heart to God on admission that you are a sinner (disobedient to God) and that you believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born of a virgin, lived a life perfectly obedient to God (sinless), died on the cross for your sin, and took His life back up three days later to finalize God’s plan for the redemption of mankind.

Once you’ve surrendered your heart to God, Christian is a daily lifestyle choice of surrendering to God’s lordship. It is the daily effort of putting off the things of this world and putting on Christ: His words, His attitude, His actions. It is daily acknowledging that God’s way is better than your way and living in accordance to His word which – as His design explains it – means putting God and others first, being kind, compassionate, forgiving, honest, generous, patient, humble, and peaceful. It is weighing each thought against God’s truth and acting first and foremost in ways that serve God and serve others.

Beloved, being a Christian isn’t always easy. Our pride and our flesh lead us toward some terribly tempting things at times. BUT GOD, God has victory over every temptation. Christ was tempted by the enemy for days and days on end and did not fall. He knows what it is like to be tempted and He has compassion on us in our time of need. When we keep our eyes on Him, we stay out of trouble and are able to say “no” to temptation and stay in peace with others and with God. Should we fail, because we will sometimes, we are claimed by the saving blood of Christ that covered us on the day we surrendered our hearts to Him. By admitting our disobedience (intentional or ignorant), asking for forgiveness, and turning ourselves back around toward God, we find not guilt or shame, but reconciliation and a happy return to fellowship with Him.

Being a Christian is life changing! Every day others should see us less like the world and more like Christ. Every day we should surrender to the call of the Holy Spirit and allow ourselves to be transformed into Christ-like people. Always, we should be growing in grace and truth and bearing good fruit for His name.

Being a Christian is to know joy and peace and hope! Because we are forgiven by admission of our sin and belief in Christ Jesus, we have no need to fear the things of this world. We know a better home is waiting when our purpose is fulfilled here, a home without pain or sorrow, without sin or death. We have peace because we know God is in control. We have joy because we look for and see the wonders of His hand in our lives and the lives of others; we find joy in service and even joy in trials because God is the source of our joy and we know He is working all things for good.

Dear heart, isn’t it long past time to stop thinking of Christian as a “religion” and identify it for what it truly is? A relationship with God. Isn’t it time to understand more fully what it means to bear His name?