Via WQOTW:
A Christian is literally "Christ's one," someone who is not just vaguely influenced by Christian teaching, but who has switched his or her most fundamental allegiance to Jesus. Christians understand the all-or-nothing choice that is forced upon us by the magnitude of Jesus' claims.
From the earliest days, the confession of Christians was CHRISTOS KURIOS--"Jesus is Lord." In the historical context, in which it was required to say KAISER KURIOS, "Caesar is Lord," this confession meant that Jesus was the supreme power. He was not just a divine angelic being, but, as an early Christian hymn put it, he had "the name above every name" (Philippians 2:9). In him "All the fullness of the godhead dwells bodily" (Colossians 2:9).
--Timothy Keller, THE REASON FOR GOD: BELIEF IN AN AGE OF SKEPTICISM, pp. 228-29.
So, to whom or to what do you pledge your allegiance? It is good to remember that the earliest Christians were misunderstood or mischaracterized by others as a threat to the empire (unpatriotic?), though the Christians themselves worked hard to be the best citizens they could be.
[Click through Keller's name to see his church, and the book title to view the companion website, which offers some good audio.]
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