A Christian is bound by the law of Christ. He cannot engage in selective obedience of the Law of God. For him, All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 2 Tim. 3:16.

He thus lives daily with the aim of achieving progressive Christ-likeness.

A Christian is not merely a member of a church. Or a person born into a church. Or a person who attends church on Easter and New Year eve.

Christianity is a journey, not a destination. It is a life-long journey. That is where many get it wrong. Yes, scripture says, 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

However, the most applicable imagery of a new Christian is that of an individual who was travelling in the wrong direction. The point of salvation can be likened to the point at which he realises that he is on a wrong journey, and he turns around. That is why in my part of the country, the Yorubas describe the repentance as ironupiwada (thinking, and turning around). When he thus turns around, it will be presumptuous to expect him to get to the right destination instantly. He still has to take a journey towards the correct destination.

Now, the impression that an onlooker would have of this our hypothetical traveller is a function of the point (along the road) at which he is met. If he is still trying to get out of the wrong path, the onlooker might simply take him for a fake; a mixed multitude or something like that. If he has found his way to the starting point, but is fixed there and at a loss in which direction to now proceed, he may come across as a confused person (or even a confusionist). It is only when he has made good progress in the right direction that he can outwardly appear like the man we are looking for - a Christ-like fellow. Yet,    if he never turned around, retraced his steps from the wrong track, reached the valley (or junction) of decision, and began the new journey in the right direction, there would never have been a hope of encountering him as a Christian at all.

The point being made is that we need to realize that Christianity is a journey to be able to appropriately recognize a Christian. If it were a destination, you would meet everybody at the same point.