WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?

A Christian is someone who has accepted the forgiveness and leadership of God.

Because there is so much confusion about this question in American culture, it may be easier to spell out what a Christian is not:

•You are not born a Christian.
•You are not a Christian because your parents or grandparents are Christians.
•You are not a Christian because you are North American or European (the majority of the world's Christians today live outside of those two regions).
•You are not a Christian because you were baptized as an infant or an adult.
•You are not a Christian because you belong to or attend a church or try to be a moral and kind person.

Confused? Understand that a Christian is who you are, not what you do. Your actions will flow from your identity. A person can become a Christian (a follower of Christ) by accepting and responding to these facts:

FACT 1: God Loves Us
The Bible says that God created us, loves us and wants a personal relationship with us. He wants everyone to know and enjoy Him in this life and to spend eternity with Him in the next.

“For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.”
– John 3:16-17, the Bible

FACT 2: Our Wrong Actions Have Separated Us From God
However, according to the Bible, all of us have offended God by our wrong actions and attitudes.

We have failed to consistently live up to the standards we know are right. Our wrong actions have separated us from God, shattering the relationship He desires to have with us. The Bible calls these wrong actions sin.

“For all have sinned and fall short of God’s glorious standard.” – Romans 3:23, the Bible

FACT 3: No One is Truly Good
We cannot repair our relationship with God by doing good deeds, giving to charity, or trying to obey the 10 Commandments. The good we do is good, but it does not erase our moral failures. Our sin still separates us from God.

“For no one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what His law commands. For the more we know God’s law, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying it.” – Romans 3:20, The Bible

A helpful analogy is this: When we stand before a judge, He does not ask us what laws we have obeyed, but if we have broken a law. In God’s eyes we are lawbreakers because we have not lived the life He intended. Some have lived better lives than others, but all have fallen short of the perfect standard set by God and modeled by His Son Jesus.

Jesus, who lived on the earth as God’s Son in a human body, never sinned.

“Christians ... believe the life of Jesus matters because, as God in human form, He lived a perfect life and gave us the best picture of how life ought to be lived. This is important because, without something to compare ourselves to, we have no idea whether our lives are being lived the way they were meant to be lived. … We tend to look at our many faults and say, ‘That’s just human.’ A man gets drunk, a woman has an affair, a child tortures an animal, a nation goes to war – that’s just the human life. Jesus put a stop to such talk. By exemplifying what we ought to be like, He showed who we were meant to be and how far we miss the mark.” – James White, “A Search for the Spiritual”

In effect, we must declare moral bankruptcy before God and abandon all attempts to defend ourselves or justify our actions.

FACT 4: Eternal Death is the Result of Sin
Our separation from God is serious – and eternal. In Romans 6:23 the Bible says that the result of sin is death. Those who remain separated from God will spend eternity in the place the Bible calls Hell.

FACT 5: God Never Stopped Loving Us
Although our behavior is offensive to God, He loves us so much that He sent his Son Jesus to pay the penalty for our wrong actions. The innocent Jesus willingly allowed Himself to be executed by sinful mankind. The result of sin is death, and Jesus willingly took that death upon Himself. He paid the price for our wrong actions so that we can receive God’s forgiveness and eternal life. Because of the work of Jesus, we can have a renewed and personal relationship with God that will never end.

“Christ also suffered when He died for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but He died for sinners that He might bring us safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but He was raised to life in the Spirit.” – 1 Peter 3:18, the Bible

God, through Jesus, made a way for us to be brought safely home into a restored relationship with Him.
However, we must respond to the work of Jesus.

What should I do?
• Acknowledge to God that your wrong actions have offended Him and will result in eternal separation from Him.
• Ask for His forgiveness. He promises to give it fully and completely (1 John 1:9).
• Believe that Jesus is God’s Son, and that He died and rose again to give you eternal life.
• Ask God to be the new leader of your life.

Once we ask God for his forgiveness and leadership, we can be sure that we have eternal life, starting right now. You can be sure that you are a Christian. You immediately become God’s spiritual child, a member of His family. God’s Spirit lives within you to help you follow Him.

What Now?
Children need nutrition, parents and teachers to help them grow physically and socially. In the same way, spiritual children need assistance in growing. God enthusiastically wants to help us grow. Here are some “spiritual vitamins” He has given us:

The Bible. This is a love-letter from God. He has given it to us to address all of the issues we face in life. In it we find comfort, encouragement and training. Begin reading the Bible in the book of Luke or John.

Prayer. Prayer is talking to God. You can do it silently or aloud, alone or with others. God wants to hear from you.

Other Christ-followers. The Christian life was not meant to be lived alone. There are no spiritual “Rambos” or “Lone Rangers.” If you are beginning a relationship with God, you need the encouragement and support of others who are also following Him.

At Lee’s Summit Community Church, we desire to help you begin a relationship with Christ and to grow in it. Let us know how we can be of assistance.

Common Questions
How can I find God?
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Am I good enough for God?
Will I go to Heaven?
Why should I believe in God?
Who was Jesus?
What about Christians who are hypocrites?
What makes Christianity so special? What about other religions?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why should I trust the Bible?
Do faith and science conflict?