What Does Being a Christian Mean?

Simply put
Christians are people who believe in Jesus Christ and trust Him so much that they have transferred control of their life out of their own hands and into Jesus' hands.

What a Christian is NOT
Someone just naturally better or morally superior to other people. It's true that once Jesus Christ is given charge in a Christian's life, the person's life will change for the good. But being a particularly nice or good person is not the entrance requirement for becoming a Christian.

Someone simply born into a Christian family, or someone who is not claimed by any other religion. Having Christian relatives can be a helpful impetus toward Christian faith, but it doesn't make a person Christian. One isn't born Christian like one is born a Texan. It's been said that God doesn't have grandchildren; God only has children. We become Christians by choice, not by birth.

Someone with high achievement ratings for religious devotion. Certainly once a person becomes a Christian, devotion to God and to God's work in this world ought to characterize that person. But zealous devotion to what is religious doesn't make anyone a Christian, nor does any other kind of work-your-way-into-God's-favor project. A person becomes a Christian by solid, devout faith, not by human striving, even striving of an exemplary and noble nature.

How to BECOME a Christian
Because of God's goodness, He has not left us uninformed about Himself or how we can be in touch with Him. He always takes the first steps toward us, and we respond in faith as we direct our lives toward Him. Becoming a Christian, while mind boggling in its implications, is actually a rather simple and straightforward process:

·  First, we need to swallow our pride and admit our need. We love to think of ourselves as independent and self-sufficient, but when we soberly consider the humanly insolvable problems of life, such as death and injustice and evil, we realize we personally don't hold all the cards. Our own failings (Christians call it sin) drag us down, as well.
Those who have become Christians realize that no one, in themselves, can solve these problems; they know they need help from a God who is bigger than themselves. And so they turn to God, admit their failings, and seek His forgiveness and help that they might turn over a new leaf. This is called confession and repentance.

·  Second, we must tell God that we have decided to believe and trust in Him alone. We have three options in response to God: (1) we can ignore Him as if He weren't there or weren't important if He is there; (2) we can oppose God and shake our fist at Him, telling Him to get out of our lives; or (3) we can accept Jesus Christ as the God we must and will love and obey, and surrender ourselves to Him as Savior and Lord. Christians have chosen that third option and have made it known to God and those around them.

Of course that belief must be more than mere words; it must be a heart-felt conviction backed up by our trust. It's a matter of abandoning ourselves to His mercy and love. Many people begin this process by giving as much of themselves as they know to as much of God as they know. Then as their understanding grows, so does their abandonment into the arms of God. This process is sometimes called being "born again."

·  Third, we need to commit to a group of Christians for mutual encouragement and growth. We each become Christians individually, but God intends us to live out the Christian life together in a local church. In fact the term "independent Christian" is an oxymoron! We join together for worship, for service to others, and for the strengthening we need to make it through life successfully. The type or size of church doesn't matter as much as the fact that Christianity is meant to be lived in fellowship with other Christians.

A simple PRAYER
If you want to become a Christian, you can do so by talking to God (prayer) and saying something like this:

If you pray this prayer (or a similar one with your own words) sincerely, this is how you become a Christian. God, in His faithfulness, does respond to such an open heart. You can be assured that you have entered into His love and care. All of eternity has been irrevocably altered for the good! You are a Christian.

What to do NEXT
Tell someone close to you. In fact, tell the Pastor at our church! You can e-mail Alan Trafford at fpc-lj-pastor@sbcglobal.net, or call the Church Office at (979) 297 3049. Someone at First Presbyterian Church would love to help you discover what your next steps can be in this adventure of faith. You don't need to walk alone. God bless you!

This page was last modified 04/10/03.

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