What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?
Maybe you've heard about God all your life,
Or...Maybe you've never set foot in a church before.
Maybe you're a church member,
Or grew up in a Christian home,
But you've still wondered...
"...Am I really a Christian?"
Don't leave without being sure...
...Because none of that matters (Acts 4:12),
Unless you genuinely, personally, believe in Jesus (Rom. 10:9).
...That He was God in human form (Jn. 1:1,14)
...That He died to forgive all our wrongdoings (sin) (1 Jn. 2:2)
...And He rose from the dead to give us eternal life (2 Cor. 4:14)
So who is Jesus to you?
Here's what it means to be a Christian...
Accept
... we have all sinned & need forgiveness.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Believe
... that Jesus Christ, God in human form, died to pay for our sins, and that He Rose From the Dead; to Give us New Life On Earth, & Eternal Life In Heaven.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
(John 3:16)
Confess
...that Jesus is Lord.
- Christians no longer call the shots in our lives. (Luke 6:46). Instead we yield our lives completely to Jesus, because we know that God knows what is best for us (Is. 48:17, Rom. 8:28).
“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.(Romans 10:9)
Dwell
...in daily, life-transforming relationship with Jesus,
- God saved us because He loves us, and wants relationship with us (Eph. 2:13, 2 Cor. 5:18-19).
- Remember, you're not trying to earn God's love. He already loved you on your worst day (Rom. 5:8)! Our relationship with God comes by what Jesus did for us on the cross! (Eph. 2:8-9).
- We have relationship with God through:
- As we have relationship with Him, He transforms who we are, inside and out, into who we are meant to be (Philip. 2:13, John 1:12-13, Romans 8), and gives us new purpose (Eph. 2:10)!
"Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."
(John 17:3)
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.(Colossians 3:10)
You can take these first steps to becoming a Christian right now,
by praying a simple prayer
of surrender and faith in God
(as long as you genuinely mean it!)
"Jesus,
I believe:
You are God,
You died to forgive my sins,
and you rose from the dead.
Thank you for loving me
even when I went my own way.
I realize I need You in my life.
I'm sorry for my sins.
Forgive me!
I want to know you,
and follow You from now on.
Please come into my life and make me a new person inside and out.
Thank You for all of this,
Please help me to understand it more!
Amen."
What Now?
Now You're Family.
3. Every Christian needs a church family.
Ephesians 2:19 says: "You are a member of God's very own family and you belong in God's household with every other Christian."
In addition to your nuclear family,
God has given you a spiritual family,
to walk with you,
cry with you,
and encourage you,
in every season of life.
It's an incredible blessing that every Christian is intended to experience!
In fact, God has given us at least 30 instructions
that you can't fulfill unless you're part of a local church!
If you don't have a church home,
Tap here to become part of our Church Family!
