What It Means to Be a Christian
Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means that you have embraced what the Bible says about God, humanity, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in Scripture:
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. 1 Peter 1:16 says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
Humanity is Sinful:
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: "there is none righteous, no not one" (Romans 3:10) and "for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). This doesn't mean we are incapable of performing acts of human kindness, but we are utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own.
Sin Demands a Penalty:
God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4). "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23a).
Jesus is Our Savior:
Even though God's justice demands death for sin, he loved us so much that He provided a Savior, who paid the penalty for our sins (John 3:16). Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again. His death paid for our sins and His victory over death is the very foundation for our eternal life. "But God demonstrated His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). And remember "The wages of sin is death"? (Romans 6:23a). Well, "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23b).
By faith, we can receive God's gift of salvation! "For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). "If you confess with you mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation." (Romans 10:9-10).