WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF CHRISTIANS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

ACTS 11:26.

A Christian is someone who believes in Jesus Christ and follows his teachings. The Bible says ‘If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.’ This means that when we become a Christian we may look the same on the outside, but something has forever changed on the inside.

The word “Christian” is used three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). Followers of Jesus Christ were first called “Christians” in Antioch (Acts 11:26) because their behavior, activity, and speech were like Christ. The word “Christian” literally means, “belonging to the party of Christ” or a “follower of Christ.”

But going to church, serving those less fortunate than you, or being a good person does not make you a Christian. Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile. Being a member of a church, attending services regularly, and giving to the work of the church does not make you a Christian.

Church is a mixture of people, but there are different types of people that are common in any local church. These include;

 THE MOSQUITOES IN THE BODY OF CHRIST.

They are described as Mosquitoes because ,they are fund of causing headaches to the pastor and headache to their groups of belongings.They are a nuisance in the body of Christ. They gossip too much.They carry words from one place to another.They are busy bodies in the body of Christ.They are never stable in serving God. They move from church to churches.They always want to join all departments in a church but master of none.

They don't know how to give to God even if they give it becomes a broadcast gesture. 

They depend on church and even the pastor for financial help.They take privileges for their rights and so have no heart of gratitude when help is rendered to them. They are specialized in attacking Christians when fail to show up in times of their need.They talk carelessly and can make dangerous decisions when offended. Infact they are never satisfied. 

 THE CHURCH GOERS

This category of Christians don't participate in church activities.They haven’t yet received Jesus’ forgiveness and haven’t yet acknowledged Him as their Lord. They go to church because they don't have anything tangible to do on Sundays. They have no genuine reason to church.They’re looking things over and trying to understand the gospel. They listen to the word and the word has no impact in their lives. They are not willing to surrender their lives completely to Jesus.

They are Not Yet Christians and are not expected to show the fruit of Christianity. They are described in Matt 13:4 as seeds that fell on paths and birds came and ate them up.

 THE BABY CHRISTIANS 

When you first become a Christian, the Bible describes it like new birth. Spiritually speaking, you’re starting all over.

Expectations for Baby Christians are not the same as expectations for mature Christians.They are still very ignorant We should not expect much from Baby Christians.They battle with worldly pleasures and sin.

They are mostly in between the world and kingdoms commitment.They easily fall in times of temptations. They have opportunities to grow but they are resistant to spiritual growth. No matter how you teach them they refuse to accept the truth.Paul writes to the church of.Corint in 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 that “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as in infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it ..” He reprimands the church for not growing up, not progressing. Baby Christians need to move forward at some point.

 THE GROWING

We have the “Growing” Christian. This is where all of us want to be. None of us are going to be perfect until Jesus returns, but we all want to be growing and showing increasing evidence that we have indeed been saved, been given the Holy Spirit, and are ministering to others.

A growing Christian Is One who has put faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ, including His death on the cross as payment for sins and His resurrection on the third day. John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” The mark of a growing Christian is love for others and obedience to God’s Word (1 John 2:4, 10). A growing Christian is indeed a child of God, a part of God’s true family, and one who has been given new life in Jesus Christ.

 BREAKTHROUGH SEEKERS

This type of person in any church is the “Fake” Christian.They are not interested to be nourished with God's word. Their main focus is breakthrough.In as much as there are fake pastors so too there are fake Christians. They are pretty good at doing the church thing. But they’re not here because they’ve been saved and want to reconnect with other Christians.They are in church for miracles ,deliverance breakthrough etc. 

Growing Christians can sometimes detect Fake Christians, but God detects them every time.They can fake humility. As soon as they grap thier miracle they abandon God and the place of worship.The church is not a place for pretense, not because we are all sinful, but because God is never fooled and He can see straight through it all.

 Which One Are You?Who are you fooling? 

If you are a Not Yet Christian, what you need is to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. You need to ask questions and gain clarity so that you can make a decision about Christ.