1. Molly Winters
8 February 2012
win0889@student.waynesburg.edu
Defining the Label: “Christian”
A Christian is someone who accepts Jesus Christ as their personal savior and believes
that he provides them with a purposeful life. The label, “Christian,” has had many negative
connotations attached to it, and the Bible does not support those claims. However, the Bible
does support that whoever believes in Jesus will be given a purpose to their life and will have
eternal life with God. Christians follow and believe that every word of the Bible is true and do
their best to follow it. The following verse reinforces this statement, “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, (NIV John 1:1).
A well-known Bible verse, John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” (NIV
John 3:16). To break down this verse, it simply means that individuals, who accept the Lord as
their personal savior, will eventuallydie and then go on to live with God for eternity. “Because
of my great love for you, I planned from the beginningto give you the best, most wonderful gift
imaginable – no matter what the cost. So I sent you my Son, who lovingly and willingly died for
you so that you might live,” (NIV 1413).
Many people argue that there is no purpose to life and that people are put in this world to
live and die. Jeremiah 29:11 brings light onto this argument and says, “For I know that plans I
have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future,” (NIV Jer. 29:11). Christians believe that they are put in this world to fulfill a
specific purpose from God. In Jeremiah, the Word of God confirms their purpose. God gives

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everyone a plan that is only going to benefit them and never to hurt them in any way. God lets
people know the direction that he wants them to take, however many times people falter from
His plan and go their own way. When people decide to take their own path in life, they may end
up at a bad place in their life and many people confuse that with God’s doing. Jeremiah 29:11
defines a Christian’s life because this is what defines their life. This particular verse states the
reason why people are put on this earth and who provides us with direction.
God has unambiguous plans for the individuals who follow his word. Although this is
true, it is up to that person to pursue those plans. “First, God has a broad will, plan, and purpose
for all of mankind, and He has specifically designed you and equipped you to fulfill a portion of
that bigger will, plan, and purpose” (Stanley 2). According to Stanley, no one is put on this earth
as an accident becausepeople are here to accomplish a job that God assigned to them from
eternity past (Stanley 2). Many people forget to factor God into their decision making, and when
things go wrong for them, they immediately accuse God for that. Vast amounts of people are not
pursuing their full potential because they do not listen to God’s word. “The pursuit of your
unique potential and purpose requires you to seek God’s very specific help in very specific areas
of your life,” (Stanley 3).
In conclusion, Christians affirm their faith in God by accepting His word and knowing
He has a greater plan for them than they could ever imagine. John 3:16 tells mankind that if they
believe in him then they will eternal life in Heaven. Christians also live their life on the premise
that God has a unique purpose and plan for every person that he made, and they will always be
given hope for a future. No one was put on this earth to merely live and die; they are here to
accomplish the things that the Lord has for them. “Nobody can be who you are, nobody can
replace you, and nobody else on this earth is capable of fulfilling the Father’s plan for you,”

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(Stanley 3). Christianity is based on the solid affirmation that Jesus died for every man’s sins
and those who believe will pursue a purposeful life and spend eternity in Heaven with God.

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Works Cited
New International Version.Ed. Paige Drygas. Michigan: Zondervan, 2003. Print.
Stanley, Charles F., How to Reach Your Full Potential for God.Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.
Print.