Being a Christian

Mistaken Ideas!

No-one becomes a Christian by living a good life, or by being a good father or mother.  Being an honest person or by making great sacrifices for others doesn't make a person a Christian either!  It is possible to do all these good things and still be a rebel against God.

A Christian is not just a good person.  A good person - no matter how good - needs to be forgiven by God for their rebellion against Him.  Christians don't try to do what's right or obey Jesus in order to be forgiven, but because they already have been!

A Christian isn't just a regular church-goer either!  Going to church, baptism, confirmation, taking communion even, doesn't make anyone a Christian.  A person does not become a Christian because of anything they have done but rather by receiving BY FAITH, trusting what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.

It is through personal trust in Jesus Christ that a person finds forgiveness from God and so becomes a Christian.  Having received God's gift of forgiveness a person then seeks to live to please God as a Christian.

God's big idea

God is good in the highest possible sense.  Although human beings have a lot of good in them, we know that we are all capable of desperately bad things.  That is why we need forgiveness.

But God could not just let us off.  That would be unjust.  Our wrongs have to be paid for and justice done. How could justice be done in a way that allows us to be forgiven? God's answer is in his Son Jesus Christ.

God the Father, out of pure kindness, sent his Son Jesus to earth.  Jesus lived a perfect life.  But out of love for us he was prepared to take our wrongdoings on himself.  When he died on the cross he paid for the wrongdoings (sin) of everyone who trusts him.  So, for all who have FAITH, justice was done and they are forgiven.  The Bible says, 'God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life' John 3:16.

How does someone become a Christian?

A person becomes a Christian when they TRUST in Jesus Christ.  When someone is willing to say sorry for the rebel they have been, puts their trust in Jesus Christ and wants to live God's way, God changes them on the inside.  That commitment to God begins with a desire to turn away from a life of rejecting Jesus and to trust God for forgiveness.

When a person is ready to make that change we can talk to God in prayer.  We can express our desire to change and to give God control.  It might look or sound a bit like this:-

Jesus, I realise that you are God and have the right to control my life. I have rebelled against you, sinning in my thoughts, my words and my actions - sometimes deliberately and sometimes unconsciously. I'm sorry for the way I have lived and ask you to forgive me. I want to obey you in the future. Thank you Jesus that you died on the cross to make this relationship with you possible. Please come into my life and take control of it.

God is listening and longing to answer the heart felt cry for forgiveness and a new life.

Several things help a new Christian to be sure that they have been forgiven and they have a relationship with God.  Firstly, God can be trusted and His promises about forgiving us are true.  Secondly, our attitude to God, sin and the world changes.  Only God can do this in us.  Thirdly, there are times when we simply feel the wonder of God because His Holy Spirit is working in our minds and hearts.  And finally we find that we don't want to sin anymore!  Yes, there are still struggles and temptations but deep down we want to live God's way and not ours.  All of this is from God.

How does a Christian live?

When we come to realise all that God has done in forgiving our rebellion and giving us undeserved gifts, we want to live in a way that pleases Him out of a deep sense of gratitude.  This means finding out how He wants us to live by reading His Word the Bible and talking with Him in prayer.  Prayer simply means speaking to God and furthering our friendship with him, sharing our thoughts, feelings and needs.  Meeting with other Christians is also part of sharing about God and learning about Him too.

What happens when I screw up?

No-one becomes perfect when they become a Christian.  There will always be times of struggle and failure. But this doesn't alter the fact that you have a relationship with God - you are still a Christian.

There is a difference in the way we deal with failure.  When we fail we don't try and blame others or justify our actions: We recognise what we have done wrong before God and ask His forgiveness again and His help not to sin again.  True Christians look forward to the day when Jesus will return and the time when we will be made perfect, and not sin any more.