When a person is baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, they are added to the church by the Lord and become a Christian. A Christian is a person who follows and belongs to Christ, and that title or name comes with great responsibility. In 1 John 2, John describes two obligations of every faithful Christian.
He first writes, “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). We are to examine ourselves, compare our actions to His commandments, and determine whether or not we know Him. John then explains that “whoever keeps His word…By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5). Keeping Christ’s commands is an obligation and responsibility of every Christian.
John continues writing, “the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). We are to obey His commandments and follow His perfect example; we are to “walk” as Christ “walked.” Christians need to live a life of love, obedience, service, and sacrifice that mimics the life of Christ.
Becoming a Christian begins in the waters of baptism, but being a Christian involves every day for the rest of our lives. Christians are obligated to obey God and live like Christ.
Matt Langfield