WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN?

In the Bible, in John 3:3, Jesus says, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'

Then in verse 5 He continues, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.'

In chapter 14:6 He adds, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'

So Jesus was talking about the need for both a physical birth (as we all tend to have at the beginning of our lives) and a spiritual birth (which Jesus says that only He can give).

WHERE IT STARTED

In the Beginning, God created the world and everything in it (including mankind) and there was perfect relationship between people and God, between people and nature, between people and the family, and between people and other people.

But something happened – sin entered the world because of man's disobedience to God and the four relationships were negatively affected.

If we take a look at any of those relationships we can see how they are not as they were originally intended – something has gone wrong and so there was a need for something dramatic to restore them and bring harmony once more.

THE WAY FORWARD

God is a good and holy God and the Bible tells us that He can not condone sin – the punishment for sin in Romans 6:23 is shown to be death – a spiritual death and eternal separation from God.

But being a God of absolute Love, He made a way for us to be cleansed of our sin and made right with Him again and that was through Jesus Christ.

Before Jesus came, the Jewish tradition was to sacrifice a lamb in the place of the person to take care of their sin. This was only a temporary measure and so the person had to keep on offering lambs for the next sin that they committed.

John 3:16 tells us the good news, that 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.'

Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth and lived a perfect life as a man so that He could be representative of both God and man (Fathered by the Holy Spirit with Mary as His mother) and died on the cross one of the most gruesome deaths imaginable – to pay the penalty that sin required and give us the opportunity of not having to pay it ourselves.

1 John 1:9 says, 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.'

Sin requires death and Jesus has paid that price, but the last thing the Bible tells us is that we have to act on that. We have to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God who died in our place and accept the gift He offers us and then our sin will be forgiven and our relationship with God will be restored.

WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE YOU?

So the question is - where do you stand in this whole thing? It is not about how good or bad you are, or how much sin you have accumulated – but has your sin been dealt with?

If it has not, then one day you will stand before God and He will send you to eternal judgment and condemnation. But if it has, then He will welcome you into His Kingdom to share in everything He has to offer.

The choice is yours – accept Jesus and what He did – or reject Him and try it by yourself?

There is no middle ground – choosing not to choose means you have actually chosen against God and His free offer of redemption.

John 10:10 shows Jesus saying, 'The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.' and in 8:36, 'So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.'

And that is the bottom line – becoming a Christian is about being what you were designed to be. Living life to the full and being free from the things of the world which tend you trip you up and leave you unfulfilled. Being in relationship with an awesome God who is absolutely passionate about you and wanting the best for your life.

HOW DO I BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

You must ask God to forgive your sins, cleanse you from them and give you power to overcome them. You must trust Jesus completely to rescue you, accepting His payment for your sin and putting all your hope in Him.

Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

1. Admit your need (I am a sinner)

2. Ask for forgiveness from your sins and be willing to turn from them.

3. Believe that Jesus Christ dies for you on the cross and rose from the grave.

4. Speak to Jesus and ask Him to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. Receive Him as Lord and Saviour.

Just speak to Jesus from your heart. Here are some words that may help you:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgivenss. I believe that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Saviour. In Jesus name. Amen

Ephesians 2:8,9 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no man can boast."

Take note that being a Christian is not just about making a one-time decision. It is about making a commitment to follow Him every day for the rest of your life and invite Him to be a part of every part of your life. It is not always easy and it is not always comfortable but Jesus promises to give you the strength to endure when things are tough and to really live life to the full. It is the best decision that I ever made and it will be the same for you as well.

For any more information or if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me at brettfish@hotmail.com

God bless you
love brett FISH anderson