What Does it Mean to Be A Christian?

This article is adapted from a message preached on January 4th, 2026. Watch the full sermon on YouTube.

What does it truly mean to be a Christian? By looking at how the Thessalonians first heard and responded to the gospel, Scripture shows that Christianity is not an added belief system, but a complete turning to Christ that brings deliverance, purpose, hope, and salvation from the coming wrath.

The question before us

A common way to understand identity is by observing actions. Just as people often describe what it means to be Canadian by pointing to humility, politeness, and conduct rather than slogans, the same question can be asked spiritually: what does it really mean to be a Christian?

Christianity is often explained through personal stories—testimonies of how someone came to faith. While those accounts can be helpful, Scripture itself gives us a clear, historical example. The Thessalonians were people who had never heard the gospel before. They had no prior knowledge of the God of heaven. Yet when they heard the message of Christ, they believed—and their lives were radically changed.

How the Thessalonians heard the gospel

The book of Acts records how the gospel first came to Thessalonica. Paul entered the city and, over several Sabbaths, reasoned from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead.

“This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”— Acts 17:3

Many were persuaded. They believed the message and became followers of Christ. But belief came at a cost. Opposition quickly arose, and the message was accused of turning the world upside down and proclaiming another King—Jesus.

“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”— Acts 17:6

This was not a harmless lifestyle choice. To follow Christ meant standing against the expectations of society and even the authority of Caesar.

A transformed people

Some time later, Paul wrote a letter to these same believers. In it, he did not question whether their faith was real. Instead, he described what they had become.

“You became followers of us and of the Lord… so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia.”— 1 Thessalonians 1:6–7

Their faith was visible. The gospel did not remain private or theoretical—it shaped their lives and spread outward to others.

Turning, serving, and waiting

Paul summarizes the Christian life of the Thessalonians with three simple but powerful actions:

“…how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven… Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.”— 1 Thessalonians 1:9–10

Turning to God

Christianity begins with a turning. The emphasis is not primarily on what someone turns away from, but on who they turn to. Salvation is not achieved by first cleaning up one’s life and then coming to Christ. It begins with turning to Christ Himself.

How can I be saved?

God offers forgiveness and new life as a gift freely given, personally received.

How to respond

The Thessalonians did not add Jesus to their list of gods. They turned to God alone, leaving idols behind. God does not offer to

become an addition to a person’s life—He calls for exclusive trust.

Serving the living and true God

Everyone serves something. If a person does not serve Christ, they serve something else—self, ambition, society, or desire. To be a Christian is to serve the living and true God as the central focus of life.

For the Thessalonians, this affected every part of their existence. Religion and daily life were inseparable in their culture. To serve Christ meant turning away from the practices that shaped their business, relationships, and social standing.

Waiting for His Son from heaven

The gospel also brings hope. The religious systems of Thessalonica demanded constant effort with no assurance and no future promise. In contrast, the Christian message proclaimed a risen Saviour and a coming Lord.

Jesus was raised from the dead and will return. Those who belong to Him wait—not in fear, but in confident expectation of eternal life with Him.

Why this matters: the wrath to come

The reason this question matters is made clear at the end of Paul’s statement: Jesus “delivers us from the wrath to come.”

Wrath is God’s just and restrained anger against sin. Scripture teaches that because of sin, every person stands accountable before God. There is a certainty of coming judgment.

The gospel is good news precisely because it addresses this reality. Jesus delivers from the wrath to come because He bore God’s wrath when He died on the cross. He suffered in the place of sinners so that those who trust Him would not face that judgment.

The cost—and the worth—of following Christ

For the Thessalonians, faith came with affliction. Choosing Christ meant loss—of acceptance, of security, and possibly of livelihood. Christianity was not culturally convenient. Yet they believed, because God’s Word is powerful and true.

Salvation does not require payment to God, but it may cost dearly in the eyes of the world. Still, Christ is worth everything. He alone saves from sin and delivers from the wrath to come.

The same gospel that transformed the Thessalonians is still powerful today. God is willing to save any who will come to Him through Jesus Christ.