Attributes of a Christian

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Let’s look at three specific characteristics of a follower of Jesus. It is important to realize that each of these characteristics should be present in the life of a Christian. However, I would encourage you to read through this list with a posture of self-reflection, rather than a posture of accusation. It is not our job to determine whether or not someone else is a true follower of Christ; that is solely the Lord’s responsibility. Our job is to look at our own lives and look for evidence of surrender and continued obedience, as we follow Jesus. I hope this list will allow you to examine yourself for these attributes of a Christian:
 
Conversion 
When you choose to surrender your life to Christ, your heart should be changed. If you are solely focused on being religious, you are attempting to change yourself from the outside in. However, when you are truly born again, a change will happen from the inside out.

Confession
You can’t help but want to say out loud what has happened in your heart, if indeed, you have been converted. You will want to share it with other people. You will choose to go public with your faith.  
Continuation 
Once you have been converted and you have publicly declared how God has changed your heart, you should continue your faith walk throughout the rest of your life. Following Jesus is a lifelong journey. This journey is made up of justification, sanctification, and glorification. “Justification” is being made totally acceptable in God’s eyes through the death and resurrection of Jesus. “Sanctification” is the process of God refining us to become more like Him. “Glorification” is when we are glorified in heaven as we come face to face with Jesus. 
 
When you look at each of these aspects of being a Christian, do you see evidence of these characteristics in your life? Have you had an encounter with the Holy Spirit where you have experienced change from the inside out? Have you gone public with your decision to follow Jesus through the believer’s baptism? Are you continuing to live your life with the goal of being sanctified by Christ? I pray that you will take the time to ask yourself these questions, then ask the Lord to give you clarity on your next steps of obedience in following Him.