Ah, say some, all those who attend a Church must be Christians.
Are they?
Although many who attend Church may be Christians, there are those
who would confess they are still searching. They are still uncertain. So
this is not good enough either, because many who attend Church are not
real Christians.
A CHRIST-IN PERSON!
When you think of it, the very name 'Christian' suggests that a Christian is a person who has a special relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Did you know that 'Christian' was in fact a nickname given to the followers of Jesus Christ in the first century?
You will discover from the
Bible that a Christian is in fact
a person in whom Jesus Christ lives.
A Christian is a person who has received Him as their Saviour and is following Him as their Lord.
No one is born with Jesus Christ in them. There has to come a time when they "receive" Him. In fact becoming a Christian is rather like entering the state of marriage. When you get to know a person, you learn to appreciate that person, the time comes when you desire to share your life with that person, and the day comes when you personally commit yourself and you say '1 will'. It is in this sense that a person becomes a true Christian. Now I wonder if there was ever a time when you committed yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ in this way?
There is none righteous, no not one. (Romans 10:10.)Jesus put the Ten Commandments given by Moses into just two:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (That is No. 1.) This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (That is No. 2). (Matthew 22: 37-39.)Let's be honest, is there any person who can say: "I have kept both these commandments all my life."? It is because no-one has kept these commandments perfectly that we must acknowledge the Bible is right when we read:
This briefly is the first reason that we need to become Christians - we need the forgiveness of our sins.
The Apostle Paul once wrote;
The good that I would I do not; but the evil which
I would not, that I do... who shall deliver me...? (Romans
7:19,24.)
An increasing number of people today are concerned about the moral landslides in our permissive society - the unfaithful relationships, marriage breakups, increasing violence, explicit sex and bad language on T.V. Some are calling for new laws and legislation. But is this really the answer? The problem is in man - his selfishness, his greed, living his life without God! Can you imagine what a different society we could have if an increasing number were to begin living Godly lives keeping those commandments!
This then is the second reason that we need to become Christians - we need the help of God to live as we ought.
We had better believe it, because it is surely true. There is a hell to be avoided, as well as a heaven to be gained. Did you know the Lord Jesus Christ spoke more of hell than He did of heaven?
This then is the third reason that we need to become Christians - we need to be saved from hell and prepared for heaven.
It is this inner knowledge, that we need to "get right with God", that has resulted in the many ways and religions that exist today. The interesting thing to notice is that all of them (except the Christian faith) set out to build a bridge to God from man's side. They are all saying
| Sinful Man | Keeping laws... | Holy God | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion... | |||||
| Doing good... | |||||
Many have tried to bridge the gulf, to regain relationship with God, in a variety of ways - usually by something that they can do.
The Bible teaches: Not by works of righteousness which we have done... (Titus 3:5.)
Then again we read; For by grace (that means the undeserved favour of God) are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. (you cannot earn a gift) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8,9.)
The fact of the matter, (according to the Bible) is that we can DO nothing. We are by nature separated from God. One hymn writer put it - "Guilty, lost and helpless..." The gulf is impassable as far as MAN is concerned!
THE GOOD NEWS OF THE GOSPEL.
Did you know that the word 'gospel' simply means 'GOOD NEWS'?
This is the good news that Christians want to tell the world:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.
(1
Timothy 1:15.)
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. (John 3:16.)
Man had a problem, but God had the answer. Here is an illustration of
how God answered man's problem - but from His side.
| . | . | ||||||
|
|
|||||||
| Sinful
Man |
. | Holy
God |
|||||
| . | |||||||
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ANSWER TO MAN'S PROBLEM.
Because He died on the Cross in our place and was sinless, He could take the punishment for our sins. Because He was the Son of God, He could take the punishment for the sins of us all. One hymn writer put it in these lovely words: "He died that we might be forgiven..."
WE MAY BE FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS DEATH.
Because He was raised again from the dead - and is alive today (this is what Easter is all about) He is able and willing to enter our lives today - if we will ask Him. (Remember a Christian is a person in whom Jesus Christ lives).
WE CAN HAVE POWER OVER SIN.
I wonder if you have ever sung: "Rock of ages, cleft for me..."? The first verse ends with the words: "Be of sin the DOUBLE cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power." Now this does not mean we become sinless, but that we recognise sin more clearly for what it really is, (an offense against GOD) and desire by His help to see its power broken in our lives.
Because the Lord Jesus Christ suffered judgment for our sins at the hand of a Holy God.............
WE NEED NOT GO TO HELL.
Rather we can be assured of that place He has gone to prepare for us.
WE CAN GO TO HEAVEN.
God does not send people to hell - He sends sinners to hell! And He has every right to do so, for He has made a way of escape. You see, becoming a Christian is not an optional choice. It concerns our eternal destiny. To reject God's offer of a Saviour is more foolish than rejecting a lifeline that is thrown to us if we were drowning in the water.
This brings us to a very important point:
We don't use this word "repent" very much today, but it simply means a change of mind, leading to a change of conduct.
The person who has been leaving God out of his life will reconsider the situation, change his attitude toward God and desire to know and worship Him. The liar will want to tell the truth, the unbeliever will want to believe, the thief will want to become honest. Repentance involves our coming to God, telling Him we are sorry for our sins, and we want in future to live in a way that pleases Him. The creature says to the Creator "I want to live Thy way!"
Secondly, we are commanded to
BELIEVE.
This is His commandment. that we should believe
on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us
commandment.
(1 John 3:23.)
The person who believes in Christ will want to learn all he can about his Saviour. We have four wonderful accounts of His life, His words, His works, His death and resurrection in the four gospels. Read these for yourself!
Repentance and faith may begin with an ACT of commitment, but then continues as a daily ATTITUDE.
The following little piece of verse has helped many to see the difference between working for salvation and working from salvation.
"I could not work my soul to save, for that
my Lord has done,
But I would work like any slave, for love of God's
dear Son!"
Head belief doesn't really cost much and is really worth very little. (It also goes under the name of "nominal Christianity"). It may pacify some consciences, but it does not satisfy a Holy God. Head belief has also been likened to an inoculation. It is a small dose which has the effect of immunising a person to the real thing. But what a tragedy to go through life with a 'head belief' in Christ, without finding that 'heart belief' that saves you from hell and secures for you a place in heaven, to say nothing of the peace of mind that it brings!
1. We HEAR that Christ through His substitutionary
(in our place) death upon the Cross and resurrection, can save us.
2. We may even BELIEVE this. This is
the point that many have reached, who say: 'I have always believed in Christ'.
3. We are not actually enjoying the
benefits of His sacrifice until we have turned from any trust in what WE
can do.. .and COMMITTED ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Only
then does Christ enter our lives to take His rightful place as LORD and
we begin to take our rightful place and begin to submit to His Lordship!
ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN YET IN THIS SENSE?
This is really what being a disciple of Christ is all about.
The Apostle Paul put it this way:
I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet
not I, but Christ liveth in me; (A 'Christ-in' person - remember)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. (Galatians
2:20.)
Paul was obviously not literally crucified with Christ, but he so identified himself with Christ - he reckoned it to be so. "HE died for me, therefore 'I' died - with Him."
A PERSONAL TESTIMONY - by Ron Smith (Bromley).
Toward the end of the 1939-45 war I was serving in the R.A.F. just outside Singapore. I had not been brought up in a Christian home and did not attend a Church.
It was a young Christian in the services who told me the gospel you have just been reading. It appealed to my reason, it touched my heart and it challenged my will... If Christ was God and gave Himself for me, then the very least I should do is live my life in thanksgiving and follow Him.
Nearly 50 years have passed, and if I had my life over again I would do exactly the same.
I do not suggest you should become a Christian in order to enjoy a better life, and do not promise you will be immune from pressures, pain or poverty. Indeed for some it may mean conflict! Jesus Christ is no security against storms. but He is the perfect security in storms. He has never promised an easy passage, only a safe landing.
We become Christians because we recognise we are sinners in the sight of a holy God and apart from Christ we have no hope. We believe Him when He said: I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me. ( John 14:6.)
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. (Acts 3:19.)
Sirs, (the jailor cried out) what must I do to be saved? and they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:30,31.)
As many as received Him, (that is, Jesus Christ) to them gave He power (that is, the right) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe (remember heart belief) on His name. (John 1:12.)
You will have noticed the assurance and certainty of these promises. It is not presumptuous to believe the Word of God if we have truly repented and believed.
Will you commit your life to Christ, and will you do it now?
Here is a prayer you may like to use. Read it through first, and make sure it expresses your own desire. You may of course, prefer to make your own prayer.
Oh God, I admit that I am a sinner and have sinned against Thee. I have done many things I ought not to have done, and I have not done many things that I should have done. I have left Thee out of my life. I am sorry. I come to Thee now through Jesus Christ and desire to trust Him as my Saviour and Lord. Help me to live as a Christian in the true sense of the word. Help me to find a helpful Church in my area in which I can grow as a Christian too. Amen.
Here is a vital verse of scripture I suggest you should memorise. It will help confirm your faith.
He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.(John 5:24.)Now the praying of a prayer like this, or signing your name to it on a sheet of paper, does not necessarily make you a Christian. And of course, you can become a Christian without any such written record - the Lord looks upon the heart, and knows your intentions. However, many have been helped by recording, in written form, their act of faith and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Remember this is only the first step in the life of faith. It needs to be followed by learning how to walk with Him day by day.