A Biblical Christian or a Cultural Christian - Part 2
What did you decide? What does it take for a person to become a Christian? I hope you have given this some thought and prayer. Please, don't take what someone else has told you. It is vital that you understand the Biblical answer.
We are having a July 4th party at Jerry Loving's house today, and he is inviting some of the neighbors. It will be an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. What if I told one of the neighbors that all he had to do to become a Christian was to believe that Jesus died on the cross for his sins and ask Him to come into his heart? Would I be leading him in the right way? Or what if I said that to become a Christian he needed to come join our church and attend services regularly? Would I be telling him what the Bible says? I do not believe either one of these give the Biblical way to salvation through Jesus Christ.
As I read the Bible, I find three essential elements in becoming a Christian. When the Lord draws a person to see that sin is real and that he needs Jesus to forgive his sins, that person must repent of his sins by deciding to turn away from a life of sin and turn to the way of the Lord, instead. I do not read in the Bible anything that would lead me to think that salvation comes to those who want to continue in sin and still be a Christian. That is not being saved from sin. That is being saved in sin, which is not Biblical. (Romans 6)
The second element is belief or faith. Both words come from the same Greek word, which means to trust. Therefore, a person has to decide to trust Jesus to become a Christian. This trust is believing that Jesus can and will forgive his sins, because Jesus is the God-Man who died on the cross and rose again to pay the penalty for sin and to overcome the power of it. When a person trusts Christ in that way, he is surrendering his life to Him as the only one who can forgive sins. Jesus said that no one could come to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) This trust is not just a one time trust. It is a life long trust. It is an everyday trust. Why would Jesus forgive the sins of a person who trusts Him one time and then goes back to trusting himself and other people? That is not becoming a Christian in the biblical sense.
Finally, the element that is missing completely for most people is the one that is the most evident in the Bible. To become a Christian is to believe and to confess that Jesus is Lord. Lord means the one in control. To believe in Jesus as Lord is not just to believe that He is Lord of the universe, but to confess Him as Lord of your life forever. If He is Lord of your life, you will follow Him and obey Him as best you can in all things.
Therefore, when I tell someone how to become a Christian I tell him that the Bible says for him to deny himself, to take up his cross daily, and follow Christ. (Luke 9:23) To repent is to deny what you want, because selfishness is sin. We must realize that Christ's way is the only right way. Then, I tell him that he must trust in Christ, which means to entrust his life to Him, because He did die on the Cross for him. He is Lord, so he must surrender to Him as Lord. When Jesus sees a person do that, He forgives his sin and comes into his life, because that person has called on the name of the Lord and confessed Him as Lord to other people. Then, he and Jesus have an eternal relationship with each other that continues in Heaven after his life on earth ends.
To me this is the only interpretation of what the Bible says that makes sense. Jesus said that if a person lost his life, he would find life. He said that we must love Him more than anyone else, and ourselves, too. Jesus told us that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of Heaven. James said that faith without works is dead. Works are just acts of trusting Jesus as Lord. If we don't trust Him enough to obey Him, we have not trusted Him as Lord. When we see it this way, the whole Bible makes sense. After all, Jesus is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. He is either Lord of your life, or He is not. There is no way to receive Him as Savior, but not as Lord, because He is the Lord. To receive Him any other way, is not to receive Jesus, but to be a cultural Christian.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 30-31 and Acts 13:26-52.
We are having a July 4th party at Jerry Loving's house today, and he is inviting some of the neighbors. It will be an opportunity to share the Gospel with them. What if I told one of the neighbors that all he had to do to become a Christian was to believe that Jesus died on the cross for his sins and ask Him to come into his heart? Would I be leading him in the right way? Or what if I said that to become a Christian he needed to come join our church and attend services regularly? Would I be telling him what the Bible says? I do not believe either one of these give the Biblical way to salvation through Jesus Christ.
As I read the Bible, I find three essential elements in becoming a Christian. When the Lord draws a person to see that sin is real and that he needs Jesus to forgive his sins, that person must repent of his sins by deciding to turn away from a life of sin and turn to the way of the Lord, instead. I do not read in the Bible anything that would lead me to think that salvation comes to those who want to continue in sin and still be a Christian. That is not being saved from sin. That is being saved in sin, which is not Biblical. (Romans 6)
The second element is belief or faith. Both words come from the same Greek word, which means to trust. Therefore, a person has to decide to trust Jesus to become a Christian. This trust is believing that Jesus can and will forgive his sins, because Jesus is the God-Man who died on the cross and rose again to pay the penalty for sin and to overcome the power of it. When a person trusts Christ in that way, he is surrendering his life to Him as the only one who can forgive sins. Jesus said that no one could come to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) This trust is not just a one time trust. It is a life long trust. It is an everyday trust. Why would Jesus forgive the sins of a person who trusts Him one time and then goes back to trusting himself and other people? That is not becoming a Christian in the biblical sense.
Finally, the element that is missing completely for most people is the one that is the most evident in the Bible. To become a Christian is to believe and to confess that Jesus is Lord. Lord means the one in control. To believe in Jesus as Lord is not just to believe that He is Lord of the universe, but to confess Him as Lord of your life forever. If He is Lord of your life, you will follow Him and obey Him as best you can in all things.
Therefore, when I tell someone how to become a Christian I tell him that the Bible says for him to deny himself, to take up his cross daily, and follow Christ. (Luke 9:23) To repent is to deny what you want, because selfishness is sin. We must realize that Christ's way is the only right way. Then, I tell him that he must trust in Christ, which means to entrust his life to Him, because He did die on the Cross for him. He is Lord, so he must surrender to Him as Lord. When Jesus sees a person do that, He forgives his sin and comes into his life, because that person has called on the name of the Lord and confessed Him as Lord to other people. Then, he and Jesus have an eternal relationship with each other that continues in Heaven after his life on earth ends.
To me this is the only interpretation of what the Bible says that makes sense. Jesus said that if a person lost his life, he would find life. He said that we must love Him more than anyone else, and ourselves, too. Jesus told us that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of Heaven. James said that faith without works is dead. Works are just acts of trusting Jesus as Lord. If we don't trust Him enough to obey Him, we have not trusted Him as Lord. When we see it this way, the whole Bible makes sense. After all, Jesus is either Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. He is either Lord of your life, or He is not. There is no way to receive Him as Savior, but not as Lord, because He is the Lord. To receive Him any other way, is not to receive Jesus, but to be a cultural Christian.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 30-31 and Acts 13:26-52.