About a decade ago, singer-songwriter Marc Cohn scored a hit song entitled “Walking in Memphis.” The narrator is a young musician who travels to seek his fame and fortune “in the land of the Delta blues,” Memphis, Tennessee.

As the aspiring bluesman wanders the streets of the city, he stops into a nightclub where he is invited to sing onstage with the house band. The band’s regular vocalist, impressed with the novice’s performance of a gospel number, asks the young man, “Tell me, are you a Christian, child?” The singer replies, “Ma’am, I am tonight.”

I suspect that many people are like this young man. If you asked them, “Are you a Christian?” they would reply, “I am,” not because they have truly given themselves to Christ or are actively obeying His commandments, but because it’s the expected answer. Many of these folks haven’t the first idea of what it really means to be a Christian, or even of how to become one. But they want to be well thought-of, so if asked whether they are Christians, they’ll respond in the affirmative.

In Acts 11:26, Luke writes, “The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.” It’s interesting to note that Luke does not say, “The disciples first called themselves Christians at Antioch,” but that the disciples were “called Christians” there. The language demonstrates that the Antiochan disciples did not adopt the name “Christian” of their own volition, but that it was applied to them.

Some suggest that “Christian” was originally a derisive term invented as an insult by those who opposed the way of Jesus. But in fact, God had foretold that He would confer upon His people a new name: “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow” (Isaiah 62:2). Acts 11:26 represents the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. While Saul (later called Paul) and Barnabas were in Antioch, God revealed this new name — we aren’t told how — and it was applied to the followers of Jesus.

When we realize that “Christian” was not something people called themselves, but something they were called by the instruction and direction of God, it puts the name in a whole new light. A person can call himself or herself anything. If your name is John Smith and you’d prefer to be known as Aloysius Kowalski, you can simply call yourself by the name you’ve chosen. For legal purposes you may need to take additional steps, but these are usually mere formalities. And if it’s just a matter of address, you don’t even have to do that — you just start introducing yourself by the new name until others adopt it. We do this all the time: “Charles” prefers to be called “Chuck,” or “Margaret” likes to be addressed as “Maggie.”

A name bestowed, on the other hand, has special significance. An English subject can’t start calling himself “Lord Stevens” or “Sir Harold” unless the Queen honors him with a lordship or knighthood. You can’t long get away with calling yourself “Dr. Williams” unless some recognized institution of higher learning has granted you a doctorate degree. And though many women might like to be called, say, “Mrs. Brad Pitt,” only the woman Brad Pitt married is entitled to be so identified.

One can’t genuinely call himself a Christian unless Christ calls him such. Jesus recognizes as His disciples those who believe on Him, have been baptized under His authority and who do all that He has commanded (Mark 16:16; Matthew 28:19-20). Those who do these things He adds to His church (Acts 2:41-42, 47).

Even an infidel like Agrippa recognized that there were things he would have to do to become a Christian. He just didn’t want to do them, though he was “almost persuaded” that he should (Acts 26:28). Being a Christian is more than simply saying, “I am one tonight.” It means being a true disciple of Jesus, wherever that discipleship might lead (1 Peter 4:16).