11-05-07
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
Hello beloved,
I’ve got a question for you. “What does it mean to be a Christian?” If I were to ask you to write a brief explanation of what it truly means to be a Christian, what would you say. I would love to hear from you.
What a deep question. Personally, I immediately go to the cross, when thinking about this. God loves us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to die for our sins. He didn’t want us to have to pay the price of spending eternity in hell, so he sent his Son to die. I don’t know about you, but this makes me realize that I don’t even have the ability to understand God’s love for us. John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of the cross is His ultimate sacrifice. Isaiah 52:14 says “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” The Passion of the Christ showed how Christ was beaten and crucified. But, as brutal as that movie portrays His sacrifice, it still does not capture it all. He was marred beyond human likeness! Not to mention, He was naked. Think about this beloved. He did this for you.
The next thing that comes to my mind, when thinking of the cross of Christ, is the enormity of my sins. It was I(and you) that nailed Him to the cross. Isaiah 53:6 says “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” It was our iniquities that He bore on His back as He was hanging, blameless from the cross. Do we truly grasp this? We are guilty of killing God’s Son! Do we not owe him our everything? How can we not repent?
The cross of Christ brings me back to that day I surrendered my life to Him. My entire life, I had been doing things my way and all it did was dig me deeper and deeper into a miry pit. The more I struggled, the worse my situation got. When I finally got to the point that I could only do one thing, He saved me. And that “one thing” I could do was cry out to Jesus. I cried “Jesus save me!” Have you done this beloved? Or are you still struggling in that miry pit? Let go, beloved. The more you try to get out of that pit on your own, the worse off you’ll be. The only One that can reach you is Jesus Christ. Call on Him and He’ll save you from your sin. “For all who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
So, what happened to me? How was I so radically transformed?(Don’t get me wrong, I still have not arrived) Beloved, it is only because of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” A new creature. The old Adam is dead. What about you? Are you in Christ?
Beloved, I don’t know who this is for, but I want you to know that God loves you. And because he loves you so much, and because your sins are so great, he killed his one and only Son for you. Get on your knees, beloved. Cry out, as I did, “Jesus save me!” And, if you turn from your sins, and put your faith and trust in Him, He will save you! He will make you into a new creature. All of your sins will be washed away by His blood! Praise the Lord!
Remember, Jesus died on the cross for your sins. He rose from the grave on the third day. And, now He is sitting next to the Father in heaven. Call on Him beloved. Romans 10:9 says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
So, what does it mean to be a Christian? I guess the best way I can explain it is that the old me is dead. And, now, everything in my life revolves around Jesus Christ. He is the Source of my being. He is the center of my life, my marriage, my job, my everything. Galatians 2:20 says “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” To become a Christian you must die and be born again. To be a Christian, you must die…everyday.
So, beloved, how about you? One of these breaths will be your last. Your heart will soon beat for the last time. Are you ready to face God Almighty on Judgment Day? Hebrews 9:27 says “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Are you ready for the judgment?
When you stand before the Lord of glory, you will have to give an account for all of your sins. Examine yourselves in light of Scripture. Visit Exodus 20 and see if you measure up to God’s Law. His standard, beloved, doesn’t even compare to ours. If you have broken one of His Commandments, you are guilty of breaking them all. This is called sin, beloved. And know this: Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” But, you’ll never know that gift of God’s grace and mercy if you do not repent(turn from) your sin and put your faith and trust in Him. So, if you’ve never done this, do it today. Then, read the Bible daily and obey what you read.
In Christian love,
Adam Tennant
