Two Questions

Jn. 14:6

There are two questions with which every Christian should grapple. The earlier - and the more often - these questions are wrestled with in one's Christian life, the better. And these questions are so simple and basic that they are often overlooked and the answers taken for granted. But the answers one gives to these questions reveals much about the character and strength of one's faith. And it is faith that is the hinge pin upon which turns our expectation for eternal life.

The first question is: "Why am I a Christian?"

• If your answers lie in the realms of "Because my parents/husband/wife/best friend/whatever is a Christian," you can rest assured that you are not a Christian.
  
  
• If your answers lie in the realms of listing certain behaviors, including acts of kindness, "church" attendance and repetitious prayers, again you can rest assured that you are not a Christian.
  
  
• If your answers lie in the realms of having walked forward at an altar call and having said a sinner's prayer, you can be fairly certain that you are not a Christian.
  
  
• If your answers lie in the realms of pleasing or comforting your self in some way or another, you not only can be certain that you are not a Christian, you can be extremely confident that you have picked up the most lethal form of deceptive modern "Christianity" that there is available today.
  
  
• If your answers lie in the realms of an ecstatic, exuberant but nebulous belief in Jesus which initially made you feel clean, fulfilled or excited but which has now left you wondering what it was all about, there is a possibility that you are a Christian.
  
  
• If your answers lie in the realms of a firm conviction that Jesus' death on the cross paid for your sins and that conviction is visibly resulting in ever-increasing obedience to His commands by your ever-increasing reliance on His Spirit, you can be assured that you possess eternal life through Jesus Christ.

This first question leads directly to the second: "What does it mean to be a Christian?"

To be a Christian is to be one who has been given new spiritual life by God - a life which we do not allow to die through ignorance, lack of understanding or neglect but which we cultivate with diligence. While this new life is exceedingly tenacious, durable and incredibly resilient, one can effectively kill this new life by abandoning it due to ignorance, fear of struggle and trouble or desire for other things.

One can abandon this new life by believing lies - whether these lies are distortions of historical fact or distortions about practical application of God's truth, a lie is still a lie. Believing a lie is the antithesis of having faith in Jesus Christ who IS the truth. ( Jn. 14:6; top ) And whether the lies lead you to worldly carnality or self-righteous legality or religious hypocrisy, they have still led you away from the grace of God that is found only in Christ.

The stakes are too high to gamble with in these matters. The difference is Heaven or Hell and the consequences are eternal. Many are the ones who call Jesus "Lord" but few are those who do what He says. Many are those who believe themselves to be something they are not. Many are those who believe they are on their way to Heaven when they have based their assumptions on something other than God's Word. Many are those due for a rude awakening on Judgment Day. Don't be one of them.

I'd love to hear comments and/or questions from you! Email me!