Change Your Ways or Change Your Name

“And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”( Acts 11:26)

Today we carelessly toss around the word, “Christian,” without giving a thought to its meaning or origin. The first place the title “Christian” is used in the Bible is in our text. It is used only two other times in the Bible. It means, “Christ Like.”

It was a name given by others to the disciples of our Lord. The disciples, followers of Christ, were observed in their actions, which no doubt included their speech, their love for one another, their benevolence, their forgiveness of wrongs done to them and many other Christ-like actions. They were followers of Christ and were Christ Like.

A soldier of Alexander the Great was arrested for theft. His officer brought him and the charge of theft to Alexander. As the young soldier stood before Alexander the Great, the leader asked him, “Son, what is your name. The lad said, “My name is Alexander, sir.” Alexander the Great said, “Son, either change your ways or change your name.”

With so many in our world claiming to be Christians, with a lifestyle more befitting Satan than Christ, one can almost hear our Savior say, “Change your ways or change your name.”