Being a Christian is more than identifying
yourself with a particular religion or affirming
a certain value system. Being a Christian means
you have embraced what the Bible says about God,
mankind, and salvation. Consider the following
truths found in Scripture.
God Is Sovereign Creator
Contemporary thinking says man is the product of
evolution. But the Bible says we were created by
a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless
fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals
it was Jesus Himself who created everything
(John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also
owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That
means He has authority over our lives and we owe
Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.
God Is Holy
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah
6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of
evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us
as well. First Peter 1:16 says, “You shall be
holy, for I am holy.”
Mankind Is Sinful
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of
sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings
8:46). That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of
performing acts of human kindness. But we’re
utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or
pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).
Sin Demands a Penalty
God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin
be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4). That’s why
simply changing our patterns of behavior can’t
solve our sin problem or eliminate its
consequences.
Jesus Is Lord and Savior
The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself
who created everything (Colossians 1:16).
Therefore He owns and rules everything (Psalm
103:19). That means He has authority over our
lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance,
obedience, and worship. Romans 10:9 says,” If
you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and
believe in your heart that God raised Him from
the dead, you shall be saved.”
Even though God’s justice demands death for sin,
His love has provided a Savior who paid the
penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18).
Christ’s death satisfied the demands of God’s
justice and Christ’s perfect life satisfied the
demands of God’s holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21),
thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those
who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).
The Character of Saving Faith
True faith is always accompanied by repentance
from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that
you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and
making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke
13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) and pursue Christ
(Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3) and obedience to
Him (1 John 2:3).
It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about
Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the
true God (James 2:19), but they don’t love and
obey Him. True saving faith always responds in
obedience (Ephesians 2:10).
Appreciation to Countryside Bible Church,
Southlake, TX, for the
original text used above.
