Why am I a Christian?
There are many in the world today that cannot understand why anyone would want to be Christian because all they can see is restrictions in the way a Christian must live their lives. They would say they all the joys of life would be taken away if they became Christian. People who think this way are focused in on themselves and how they can enjoy the pleasure of life no matter how short lived they may be. It should be no surprise to us that people think this way because God’s Word warns us that people will be like this.
2 Timothy 3:1 But know
this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy, 3
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of
good, 4 traitors, headstrong,
haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but
denying its power. And from such people turn away!
We
will encounter people like this many times during our lives as a Christians and
occasionally we will be asked by the individuals why in the world are you a
Christian? Now the Word of God tells us that at faithful Christians we must
ready to give answer to this very question?
1 Peter 3:15 But
sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and
fear; 16 having a good
conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good
conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
You see this is our
opportunity to talk to this person about the wonderful life of a Christian
showing them the hope that we have in Christianity. The first thing I would do
is tell this person about the great love of God and his plan to redeem
humankind. Now there are different ways to talk to people about God and we see
that Peter tells us that we must do with meekness and fear. So its important
for us to prepare before hand on how we will talk to people about God. Paul
also offers this advice in:
Colossians 4:6 Let
your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer each one.
Not
only should we speak with kindness it will also help if we try to get down at
their level and use something they can relate to so that you can get them to
see the love of God more clearly. A great of example of what I am talking about
is how Paul used one of the idols at
Acts 17:16 Now
while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when
he saw that the city was given over to idols.
Now when Paul first
arrived at
Acts 17:17 Therefore
he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and
in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. 18 Then certain Epicurean and
Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler
want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign
gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought
him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine is of
which you speak? 20 "For
you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know
what these things mean." 21
For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in
nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of
the Areopagus and said, "Men of
Paul
here uses a wonder approach to teach the people of
Let
us always be thinking of ways that we might reach those who ask us why are you
a Christian. One thing you might try before you every start quoting scriptures
or talking about the Bible itself to some who does not believe in God is to
start asking them questions along these lines.
What
if there is person who existed today that had the power to change your life in
such a way that you would have peace in your life. What if this same
person could promise you that after your
body dies that you live forever and that you will never have sadness, pain or
hunger every again? Would want to know this person and how they could do this
for you?
Now
I think most people would answer yes if that were possible I would want to know
that person and what I would have to do. It is at this point that I would tell
them that this person does exist and this person is God almighty. Then I would
go on from there explaining how God created the universe and how he loves ever
single one us and how from the beginning of time he put a plan in place so that
everyone who willing could be saved from their sins and have hope in eternal
life. I would point scriptures such
Romans 15:4 For
whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we
through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
This shows that OT
scriptures were written to give us hope in Jesus Christ. You see the OT is
witness in the fact that it prophesies about out the savior of the world over
300 times.
Galatians 3:24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us
to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
So
I would point out that the OT points to Christ and NT tells about the life of
our wonderful savior and why he came to the earth to die in our place.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have
everlasting life.
Now I would also point
that are several reason why Christ came to the earth and died for human kind.
1. He did it to fulfill
the OT prophecies and to show that God keeps his promises. After Jesus had been
raised to the dead he talks to his disciples and tells them this:
Luke 24:44 Then He
said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was
still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law
of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
Not only did Jesus
fulfill those things that were written about him he lived his life perfectly
without sin.
2. Another reason he came
is stated by Jesus himself in:
Luke 19:10 "for
the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."
Now
the way Jesus did this was by creating a new covenant which would give us the
power over sin. However this came at a great cost for Jesus as he died on the
cross and bore the sins of the world. But He was willing to do this for us
because he loves us. Notice the words of Paul.
Romans 5: 5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in
our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without
strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man
will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been
justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we
were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the
reconciliation.
You
see Jesus did all of this so that we could be reconciled with God and so that
we can rejoice in the great love of God and the grace we have received through
Jesus Christ.
3.
Another reason Jesus came to the earth was to experience what it was like to be
human and to go through same temptation that we do so that He would know the
best way to help us in our time of temptation. That’s what the writer of Hebrews tells us in:
Hebrews 4:15 For we do
not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in
all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Because
of what Jesus has done he has given every Christian full access to the thrown
of Grace so that they can pray and ask God for help in their time in need. Because
of what Jesus did Christians have God watching out for them and He doesn’t
allow them be tempted beyond their means and always provides away of escape.
1 Corinthians 10:13 No
temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful,
who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
This
is what is so wonderful about being Christians knowing in our hearts that Jesus
did all the things for us even though we did not deserve them. No wonder Paul
tells us.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again
I will say, rejoice!
Another thing we learn
about Jesus is found:
John 14:1 "Let not your heart be
troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 "In My Father's house are
many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you. 3
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
You
see after Jesus was raised from the dead overcoming power of sin He makes a
promise to those who will choose to follow after him and that promise is that
He will come back one day and he will take all the faithful Christians to that
place called heaven where we are promised to receive a crown that doesn’t fade
away. This is place were there will be no more sorrow, death or pain and we
will be in the very presence of God himself. This is why we want to be
Christians so the we can have the hope in Christ Jesus. Notice Paul tells the
Roman Christians.
Romans 5:1 Therefore,
having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, 2 through whom also
we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope
of the glory of God.
You see every faithful
Christian has the hope and because of this hope we can have a great peace in
our life. It makes is so much easier to deal with death and sorrow when we know
what the finally outcome will be. Paul encouraged some Christians dealing with
this topic in.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But I
do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen
asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus
died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in
Jesus. 15 For this we say to
you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the
coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the
trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Again this only a hope
that a Christian can have and it can only come through Jesus Christ.
Then finally I would
point out how God always keeps his promises and how he never stops loving us.
Romans 8: 35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress,
or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For
Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the
slaughter." 37 Yet in
all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come, 39 nor
height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You
see no other person or creature can separate from Gods love. However, since God
has given us a free will we be willing to accept his love and to have an
obedient faith.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance.
God is patiently waiting
for sinners to love him enough to obey his perfect will but he will not wait
forever and that is why it is important that we tell the unbeliever that today
is the day of salvation and if want to have life of peace and the hope of
eternal life in heaven then must obey the gospel call today but there are no
guarantees in life and you may run out time and die a sinner separated from God
and you don’t want to be found in this condition because notice what happens to
those who do not obey the gospel call.
2 Thessalonians 1:7
when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance
on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These
shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord
and from the glory of His power, 10
when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired
among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
I
hope this lesson has encouraged on why it is we want to be Christians and hope
it helps you to be more prepared the next time ask why you want to be a
Christian. Everything about being a Christian in the long run is positive but
everything is negative in the long run for those who are not Christians because
it is a fact that they will be separated from God for eternity in lake of fire
which never stops burning.