Up to now, my articles have been a defense for Christianity or an answer to certain questions which challenge the validity of the Bible. I encourage such questions because I do not believe we should accept any religion or teaching (Christianity included) through blind faith. However, for those who are intrigued enough to give Jesus a chance, let me explain what the Bible means when it asks us to “become a Christian,” “convert,” “get saved” or be “born again.” (All different ways of saying the same thing.)
The Gospel message is actually a very simple one. Gospel means “good news,” specifically the good news that God, at a certain point in history became a man and walked the earth (John 14:8-10). This man (Jesus) was crucified for His teachings. Three days later, He rose from the dead, appearing to many eyewitnesses, proving that both his claims and standards were of God (I Cor. 15). But His death was not an accident. He died deliberately and in some unexplainable fashion, paid for the sins of all people (I Pet. 2:24 I John 2:2). His resurrection points toward the hope of an after life, a time when forgiven sinners can be bodily resurrected themselves and completely recreated or “born again” (Rom. 6:5, John 1:12-13). These brand new people, will live without sin in the presence of God and fellow repentant human beings for the rest of eternity (Rom. 8, I Cor. 15). As a promise or down payment of this future relationship with Christ, God’s Spirit takes up residence within our own soul, proving His existence and helping us to live a better life by changing and eventually transforming our inward hearts and motives (Rom. 8: 1-17, Eph.1:13-14). The resulting relationship with God is something people must choose to enter into (John 3:36).
The Bible defines sin as selfishness. (Matt 7:12) This is something every human being is guilty of and selfishness manifests itself in many forms, from unwarranted anger, to gossip, to lust, to jealousy to greed. Even if I watch my actions carefully, I don’t have a button I can push to make my inward emotions go away. I mentioned last month how we can usually discover our sin by facing our inner hearts and motives. Not that everything in the heart is bad. People feel all kinds of wonderful things and do many good works. But if I’m half clean and half dirty, I still need a shower.
When one turns to Jesus, the penalty of eternal death and separation from God is taken away, very similar to the way a judge might remove a sentence. Supposing you were found guilty of a crime and the judge said to you, “$500,000.00 fine or life imprisonment.”
Of course you don’t have that kind of money and the judge knows this. But then, in an act of compassion, he takes out his check book and writes a check for $500,000.00. He hands it to you and says, “Take this to the cashier. You’re fine has been paid.”
What goes through your mind? “What’s the catch?” “ This is too good to be true.” “Life doesn’t work like this.” “People don’t love like this.”
Well, God loves you just that much. He loves you not because of deeds but because He created you in such a way that you are personally loveable to him. If you had been the only person on this Earth, He would have come down and died just for you. He not only wants to forgive your past, He wants to give you a new future, a future with him. He wants to adopt you as his son or daughter. Being born again not only means that you become a new person, but that you now have a new parent.
Imagine living in an orphanage for several years of your childhood. One day, the caretaker calls you into her office. “A very loving, very powerful man wants to adopt you. If you go home with him, he will take custody of your life and raise you as his own son/daughter. If you get out of line he will discipline you. But he will only want your best. You don’t have to go with him. You can remain an orphan if you wish. But once you sign the dotted line, you belong to him.” Becoming a Christian is signing the dotted line.
I’m not saying that God is a male. God’s eternal essance is a mystery. But the Bible does use a parenting symbol when it calls God our Heavenly Father. The idea behind this is that we have all had parents. These relationships were meant to serve as an example of what a relationship with God would be like. Some of you had good parents who raised you right, protected you and always made you feel loved. Others had terrible relationships. But even in these cases, you frequently imagine in your dreams what it would be like to have a parent who took care of you, spent time with you and loved you unconditionally, loved you regardless of what you looked like, what kinds of grades you got, etc.
“You’re talking in terms of a relationship with God. What about the people who believe they became Christians by joining a church?”
The New Testament does talk a lot about the importance of church but we mustn’t put the cart before the horse. Church literally means “assembly .” This assembly of other believers is a place for growth, mutual accountability, joint worship and fellowship. This is where we flourish after we have become born again. Once we have our new life in Jesus, we will need to be around others who have this same relationship. But the transformation comes first.
When the Apostle Paul wrote the Corinthian church, he was aware that some who attended had not honestly given their lives to Jesus. That’s why he reminded them of what it meant to be a true disciple of Jesus:
2 Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Some in the Corinthian church were continuing to live lives of selfishness and rebellion against God but they still enjoyed participating in church because the church was a friendly community and a community that took care of them by offering food/ shelter etc. You should read both letters to the Corinthians in their entirety to get the rich full picture, but for now, notice in this next verse how Paul gives a chilling rebuke for those who would continue to live in sin.
1 Cor 6:9
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Then, after giving an example of a wide variety of sins, he adds in verse 11;
And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
I italicized the word were to highlight a deliverance which took place in the past. It was already a done deal, not something that was starting to happen because of church attendance. No, we do not become sinless until we reach heaven, but in this life, we are at least on a road moving away from sin, as God takes our hand and helps us.
Now some do go to church seeking God and sometimes a pastor, counselor or friend explains what it means to be saved. Others attend church thinking they are Christians already and discover over the passage of time that there is a spiritual door they haven’t gone through yet. . In these cases, attending church may indeed have been a step toward finding Jesus. But meeting Jesus is still where the rubber meets the road.
“What if I was born into a Christian family? Does that mean I’m a Christian already?”
I do respect and appreciate the parents who raise their children in such a way that they can respond at an early age to the teachings of Christ, but respond is the operative word here. These children are not saved until they make up their own minds. And while some church going parents have a relationship with Jesus, others are going to church out of habit or tradition. So sometimes, a “Christian upbringing” is not really a Christian upbringing at all.
Hopefully this brief piece helped to clarify the gospel message.
Suggested prayer: “Jesus I have recently become more aware of my selfishness, my unclean thoughts and my insincere motivations. Please forgive my sins. I want to change but I recognize that I can’t, apart from a relationship with you. I want you to become my parent and adopt me as your child. I believe that you died for my sins and rose from the dead. Now I ask that your Spirit come into my heart, making your presence known and helping me to live a better life. I may not be positive that you’re out there but if you are, if you come to me and make yourself known, I promise to serve you the rest of my life, so long as you are there to pick me up when I fall.”
By all means put this prayer in your own words. I’m just offering the crucial points that need to be conveyed. And then, if you make such a prayer, let somebody know, a Christian friend perhaps. At this point, church now becomes extremely important. You will want to get into a good church. If you feel uncomfortable about visiting a lot of weird Sunday morning services, perhaps you can start with something simpler and less threatening such as a small group or Bible Study.
May the peace of God find its way into your hearts.
From the column, “What About It, Bob?”
By Bob Siegel
© 2002 by Bob Siegel
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