Troy McNaughtonThe Real Christianity
May 25th 2007 11:39
What is a Christian?
It is one thing to declare yourself religious, or further define yourself as a Christian, but are we actually aware of what it means to be a Christian?
For many people, it seems Christianity is just that. A label. The scripture group they were allocated to in kindergarten. Family Background. It could be argued that in modern society, the true meaning of religion has been lost, or even denied, in favour of secular living.
What is a Christian?
The term ‘Christian’ was first used to describe people who had chosen to become followers of Jesus. It means to ‘belong to Christ’ and to live as a ‘little Christ’.
A Christian is someone that has decided to live a life that is pleasing to God. They have decided to start a relationship with God and believe that Jesus Christ is the only one through whom you can have this relationship with God.
The Problem?
While God made each and every one of us to be in relationship with Him, sin gets in the way of this. The consequence of sin is spiritual death, and eternal separation from God.
Every person sins…so does this mean we are forever separated from God and to die for our sin?
The Solution?
Every person has sinned, and we are therefore unable to solve the problem on a human level. But God provided a solution. Jesus died for us, to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29), to bear our sins (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus is God’s solution. Mark 10:25 tells us that Jesus gave His life as ransom for us. By His death, He paid the price so that we may go free. We can have our sins forgiven and enter into a relationship with God.
But we have to make a choice.
The Choice?
People try to bridge the gap between themselves and God through good works and religion, but it is Jesus who has made it possible for us to be in a relationship with God. It is now up to us to accept this and allow it to have an affect on our lives. We must repent and turn away from our sins (Acts 3:19) and welcome Jesus into our lives.
Our salvation is a free gift from God, not something that we earn. It is because of God’s grace – His unmerited favour.
When we turn away from our sins and receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, something supernatural happens to us – we are born again. In John 3:17, Jesus says that ‘Unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.” The man he is talking to, Nicodemus says, “What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus says to him, “The truth is no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.” We are born the first time of water, of our mother. But we need to be born again, not by human means, but by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God gives us a new life when we turn away from our sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
What happens when we are born again?
1. We become a new creation. The old life and the old way of living is gone, and we have a new start in life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come.”
2. We become children of God. You are accepted into His family. Previously you belonged to the kingdom of darkness, the devil’s family, and were a slave to sin. When you are born again you belong to the kingdom of light. To God’s kingdom. Set free from sin to walk in the fullness of everything that God has for you.
3. Sins are forgiven. God totally removes them and forgets them. God wipes the slate clean and sees us as perfect, as though we had never sinned in the first place.
4. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. God gives us the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us “And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us everything He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.”
5. We will go to heaven when we die. Jesus is preparing a place for us now. A place where we can be with God for eternity.
God is totally committed to His people. He has good plans and purposes for our lives, all we have to do is choose to and continue to follow Him.
Christianity is a way of life.
It is one thing to declare yourself religious, or further define yourself as a Christian, but are we actually aware of what it means to be a Christian?
For many people, it seems Christianity is just that. A label. The scripture group they were allocated to in kindergarten. Family Background. It could be argued that in modern society, the true meaning of religion has been lost, or even denied, in favour of secular living.
What is a Christian?
The term ‘Christian’ was first used to describe people who had chosen to become followers of Jesus. It means to ‘belong to Christ’ and to live as a ‘little Christ’.
A Christian is someone that has decided to live a life that is pleasing to God. They have decided to start a relationship with God and believe that Jesus Christ is the only one through whom you can have this relationship with God.
The Problem?
While God made each and every one of us to be in relationship with Him, sin gets in the way of this. The consequence of sin is spiritual death, and eternal separation from God.
Every person sins…so does this mean we are forever separated from God and to die for our sin?
The Solution?
Every person has sinned, and we are therefore unable to solve the problem on a human level. But God provided a solution. Jesus died for us, to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29), to bear our sins (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus is God’s solution. Mark 10:25 tells us that Jesus gave His life as ransom for us. By His death, He paid the price so that we may go free. We can have our sins forgiven and enter into a relationship with God.
But we have to make a choice.
The Choice?
People try to bridge the gap between themselves and God through good works and religion, but it is Jesus who has made it possible for us to be in a relationship with God. It is now up to us to accept this and allow it to have an affect on our lives. We must repent and turn away from our sins (Acts 3:19) and welcome Jesus into our lives.
Our salvation is a free gift from God, not something that we earn. It is because of God’s grace – His unmerited favour.
When we turn away from our sins and receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, something supernatural happens to us – we are born again. In John 3:17, Jesus says that ‘Unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God.” The man he is talking to, Nicodemus says, “What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus says to him, “The truth is no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.” We are born the first time of water, of our mother. But we need to be born again, not by human means, but by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God gives us a new life when we turn away from our sins and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
What happens when we are born again?
1. We become a new creation. The old life and the old way of living is gone, and we have a new start in life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come.”
2. We become children of God. You are accepted into His family. Previously you belonged to the kingdom of darkness, the devil’s family, and were a slave to sin. When you are born again you belong to the kingdom of light. To God’s kingdom. Set free from sin to walk in the fullness of everything that God has for you.
3. Sins are forgiven. God totally removes them and forgets them. God wipes the slate clean and sees us as perfect, as though we had never sinned in the first place.
4. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. God gives us the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 tells us “And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us everything He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people.”
5. We will go to heaven when we die. Jesus is preparing a place for us now. A place where we can be with God for eternity.
God is totally committed to His people. He has good plans and purposes for our lives, all we have to do is choose to and continue to follow Him.
Christianity is a way of life.
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