WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN
Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in Scripture.
God Is Sovereign Creator. Contemporary
thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we
were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless
fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who
created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns
and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over
our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.
God Is Holy. God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
Mankind Is Sinful. According to Scripture,
everyone is guilty of sin: "There is no man who does not sin" (1 Kings
8:46). That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human
kindness. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or
pleasing God on our own. (Romans 3:10-12).
Sin Demands a Penalty. God’s holiness and
justice demand that all sin be punished by death: (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s
why simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t solve our sin
problem or eliminate its consequences.
Jesus Is Lord and Savior. The New Testament
reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (Colossians 1:16).
Therefore He owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has
authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience,
and worship. Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as
Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you
shall be saved.” Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His
love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1
Peter 3:18). Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s justice and
Christ’s perfect life satisfied the demands of God’s holiness (2
Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who
place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).
The Character of Saving Faith. True faith is
always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with
God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a
conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3,5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) and
pursue Christ (Matthew 11:28-30; John 17:3) and obedience to Him (1
John 2:3). It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even
Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they
don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience
(Ephesians 2:10).
