WHY ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN?
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:30-31
The answer to this question will affect the way you live out your Christian life. There are two possible answers.
You could answer it this way: “I am a Christian because my sins have been forgiven and I am going to heaven when I die.” Salvation (the forgiveness of your sins and asking Jesus to be your Saviour) is your passport to heaven. You have lost your guilt; you are assured of God’s help and you have escaped hell. Now you can live in the knowledge that your eternal destiny is secure and help in trouble is only a prayer away.
Is this the way the Bible explains why Jesus came to earth?
Heaven and earth are at war. Satan challenged God for the position of highest authority over His creation. He has already won humanity through deceit and stamped on us his rebellious nature. Jesus took up the challenge by coming to earth as a human being to live our life of perfect obedience to the Father. He was the only one capable of rescuing us from the devil’s clutches and giving us another chance to come back under God’s authority. If Satan could get Him to break His oneness with the Father, the contest would have been over and Satan would have won. God would have been dethroned and we would be under an eternal regime of cruelty and slavery.
But Jesus won, exposed Satan as a liar and a usurper, and stripped him of his authority. By dying as a sinless substitute, He paid the penalty for our rebellion, and rescued us from Satan’s clutches. God reinstated Him as the lawful King over all creation.
So now the issue is: Whom will you worship? On the day of Pentecost, preaching to Jews and proselytes, Peter put it like this:
“Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36 NIV).
Through the resurrection of Jesus, God proved that Satan’s last weapon, death, could not hold Him. Jesus was the winner. Now He offers us, by believing in Him, a share in His Kingdom
He leaves the choice to us. God has put His rightful king back on the throne. We must choose who will reign over our lives. If we do nothing, we remain under the dominion of Satan and will take everything that’s coming to him as the one Jesus whipped. If we choose Jesus as King, the Holy Spirit, God’s representative on earth, makes us alive, and comes to live and rule over us as His temples. We enjoy all the benefits of sonship because we have been adopted into His family as His own children.
So why are you a Christian? Are you a Christian because you want a free ticket to heaven or are you a Christian because Jesus is the rightful ruler over your life? Your reason for believing in Him will make all the difference!