To be Christian

To be Christian

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.” 
             C.S. Lewis
What makes a Christian?
Strictly defined a Christian is someone who believes Jesus is the One and only Son of God. The Only Way to heaven. Jesus saying,
 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                                                                                                                                             John 14:6
You are not born a Christian it is an act of faith. The apostle Paul stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.”
                                                                  Ephesians 2:8,9 
The Apostle John writes of Jesus,
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 
                                 John 1:12,13.
To be a Christian is to me much more than this. It is a lifestyle of love. It is hearing and putting into practice the words of Jesus who when asked,
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 
                                                                  Matthew 22:36-40
Being a Christian is also obeying Jesus when He said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” 
                                                                              Matthew 5:43,44.
Love for the Christian is defined by the apostle Paul who said,

“Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, 

it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 

Love does not delight in evil

 but rejoices with the truth.  

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Love never fails....

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 

But the greatest of these is love.”  

                                                                            1 Corinthians 13:4-8a,13.
Christianity is showing love to even our enemies. It is also faith in action. James the brother of Christ saying,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” 
                                                                                                                    James 2:14-20.
Christianity to me is one more thing it is about obeying Jesus who told us to go and make disciples of all nations saying,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
                                                                         Matthew 28:18-20.
Jesus is the most important thing within a Christians life. He gave to us, his followers what we consider the most important message ever given to human beings. The message recorded by the apostle John who said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. 
                                                                                                            John 3:16-18.
It is a choice Christians believe all people everywhere must make. No one can make it for them or force them to make a choice.
Christians believe God gave man a freewill and that freewill entitles the individual to believe in Him or not.
Please think about it.