13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”
14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14)

God declares His name in the present tense, for He has always been, is now, and shall forever be. Stating “I AM WHO I AM” with precise clarity, God describes His character which speaks for itself. It is “WHO I AM.”

A name can speak authority, manifest power, declare celebrity, carry legacy. Each name represents life and existence, along with the capability of what we can become. We are named at birth, but the significance of our given name is what we do with our lives. This
becomes our character and our legacy, recognized by–and represented through– our name.

In a Beatles’ song, Eleanor Rigby is “buried along with her name.” ¹ There is no legacy, no lasting measure of a difference made by living.

There is a name, however, that we can chose, beyond our birth name, which gives us eternal life and the opportunity to make a lasting difference in this temporal life. Bearing the name “Christian” means speaking with the authority of the Word, manifesting the power found in Christ, shining with the celebrity of His name (that has not faded with
time), and carrying the weight of His legacy. The character that accompanies this name “Christian” must be worthy. Who we are should clearly show the character of Christ.

The significance of being called “Christian” is clearly shown upon examination of this word. The suffix “ian” or “an” in the word “Christian” means the following: “belonging to or relating to; typical of or resembling; adhering to or following; a person who specializes or is expert in.”² Bearing the name “Christian,” we belong and relate to, resemble, adhere to and follow Christ. We should be specialists and experts in what it means to be a Christian.

By no other name can we enter eternity with Christ but “Christian.” Our character must reveal Christ through our actions and our words to bear this name. It is the name that will not be left on a tombstone to fade and disappear with time. It is a name that will endure and be acknowledged by Christ as we enter the presence of I AM forever.

¹ “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles/1966 release/Album Revolver                                                    ² Suffix “ian” or “an” meaning from dictionary.com

(Sharon G. Tate blog 04/28/18) teacherforjesus.com Meditations on God’s Word