Why Are You A Christian?

[Stumpmaster]

the law of men says i am a christian but for me the only one who can truly judge me if i am or i am not is God i should not call myself a christian cause i truly am not worthy to be one

It is biblical to be named as a Christian. Fortunately Christ is not interested in our self-assessed worthiness but in our faithfulness.

1Jn 3:20-21 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. (21) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

1Pe 4:14-16 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. (15) But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. (16) Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

 

[charity]

the law of men says i am a christian but for me the only one who can truly judge me if i am or i am not is God i should not call myself a christian cause i truly am not worthy to be one

Hello @stedaleve,

We can never be worthy by our own merit though can we?

Within the love of Christ our Saviour,
Our Lord and Head.
Chris

 

[MatthewG]

Hello you whoever may be reading this,

Because of the void that was in my heart. A dark void of blackest of hatred for God and others around me got to the point that the need of escape was paramount in life. The only one who was able to help me through was the light that came into my heart and that was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Am very thankful to God and His Son our Lord Jesus Christ for what they were able to do in helping me by the spirit; so all credit goes to them. Am very thankful God also sent along someone who was able to teach me scripture so could get a better understanding of it because doing it by myself caused me to be still angry, and a judgmental Christian.

Very thankful for God and his provisions he provides; it all came down to a choice. Was my life going to keep going the direction it was going; or was I going to make the decision to give God and Jesus Christ a chance to work in my life; and they did.

They started working on my heart and continue to do so today, and all that is left up for me to is to continue to believe, trust, and live by faith and live by the spirit because of the desire to look towards them.

God and our Lord Jesus Christ are worth serving, and that serving is just simply a choice; am I going to look towards them and their ways or am I going to look towards myself and my ways and go back to my old former ways of hating God and other people.

Take care and have good day.

 

[Karl Peters]

Hummmm - Ok - None of us our worthy by our good works to get to heaven - so God provided His Son that whoever believes in Him (Jesus Christ) shall be saved. Being a Christian therefore is believing in Jesus Christ - and it really has nothing to do with us being worthy or not!! It has to do we "God so loved the world" - and something else - actually believing in Him. But what does believing in Him actually mean???

Jesus said His sheep hear His voice, and that He leads them out with His voice - therefore being a Christian (believing in Him) means you hear from Him!!

Hearing from Him means you know His voice!!! His voice is found in your heart and sometime in your mouth, simply because He sends His Holy Spirit to speak to our spirit. So basically a Christian hears that small voice of His in their spirit - which is why we find His words (The Word of God) in our hearts and mouth. Where else do you find what is coming to your spirit?

The question that often comes to me from listening to and reading what other Christians write is: 'Are they hearing from Him too?'

Mostly the answer to that is 'Yes', but then why don't they talk more about what He tells them?

He tells me He loves me. In fact "I love you Karl" is the thing I hear most from Him. He also reproves me a lot. It is written that He reproves those He loves. Now He is nice (usually) about reproving me, but He does that. And the most common thing I get reproved for is listening to Him more. He once told me:

THE BEST LISTENERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS.

So being a Christian means hearing from Him by faith! That is what believing in a omni-present results in. It's not whether I am worthy or not. There are people who regularly bow down to God and humble themselves according to their traditions and religious beliefs - but they don't actually listen to Him and do what He tells them. They are just religious phonies displaying some humility. but not actually believing in Him so as to listen to Him.

Christians - true Christians - hear the words of God and try to follow through on those instructions personally gotten from Him.

Mat 12:50 “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

To actually do His will for you personally, you first have to listen to Him!!

 

[farouk]

As a sinner I am by faith on the receiving end of John 3.16; to Him be all the glory.

 

[amadeus]

the law of men says i am a christian but for me the only one who can truly judge me if i am or i am not is God i should not call myself a christian cause i truly am not worthy to be one

In a sense, none of us were worthy, until God began His work on us. Jesus was sent so that we might Live, whereas without him we were already dead in the eyes of God, and of value to whom?

God could see the potential and He could know ahead of time the choices before us... but what did we know without Him? So then knowing effectively nothing good [God alone being good] we saw ourselves as worthless. Somewhere sometime we need to ask God to help us become more like Him in our minds and in our hearts.

If you are seeking Him at all seriously... and I believe you are at at least some of the time, already your worth, I believe, has increased to God.

 

[Grailhunter]

I am going to try to stay on topic here...mostly....the question; Why are you a Christian? And to some degree an opportunity for a testimonial. And some of the testimonials can include some tragic lives that came to Christ. But what if there are those that came to Christ with tragic lives and were broken persons...and they were head off by some one from the OSAS crowd...it is in fact one of those new denominational things and modern social things. They could be told that they do not need to clean up their act....they can go on being a homosexual or child molester, or a drug user or even trafficker and if they believe in Christ, they are guaranteed heaven. Is that a tragedy? And were are they going to end up.

I feel for people that have messed up their lives...but why have they messed up their lives? A lot of people will blame it on people having a sinful nature. The nature of man! It can be true, but I don't buy into that acrossed the board, because it can be ignorance...in the truest sense...ie do not know better. I posted a thread a while back "Do nice guys go to hell?" The answer is yes, because it is not just about developing morals. A person that develops morals on their own can make the choices in life that makes for a stable life and happiness. But that does not get them to heaven.

Some people do not get the opportunity to know Christ when they are young and are effectively raised by society and peer association. So I ask the question, what is the most wonderful thing you can do for your kids? That is hands down, raise them in a Christian home and environment. Make that their reality and make the church their social group...a church that does everything full throttle. I have a couple churches that are what I call a "full service church", One that has a youth café, a gym for sports, a huge cafeteria for events and entertainment, plays, full choir, picnics, and river runs, camp outs, and Bible Camps. A reality for Christ for everyone, fellowship and praise and worship.....and of course the Holy Spirit that moves.

Now why am I a Christian...
One of the first memories that I have is of church....more than one...LOL
My mom was Catholic and my dad was Southern Baptist.
My mom had a voice and my dad could play anything with strings. So I grew up with a lot of country music and bluegrass.
We had a large entertain room that had a TV and a lot of musical instruments.
We lived near the city of St. Louis, but my dad's kinfolk live down south in the country...Fredericktown... Lesterville ... Eminence. Well the whole family is musical. So when they came up they came up for the weekend and we would have a big dinner and play music and on Sunday we would go to church...or we would go to church if we were down there.
My first memories of this are when I am still in diapers. This was my reality. I do not remember a time when I did not believe in Christ. Morality was explained to me as I grew up and the concept of doing the right thing, a lot of it was from Westerns...Rat Patrol...Sky King...Sea Hunt...Mighty Mouse...The Amazing Adventures of Superman....Batman and Robin....Gumby...Rocky and Bullwinkle...of course Road Runner and the Coyote...Bugs Bunny... normal stuff during that period. LOL.
From there I grew up large and intelligent and had a very large life.
Not that there were not troubles...but one of the advantages of not having a fear bone is that trouble is just something to handle...do the right thing.

This is an international forum and I see a lot of pain and unhappiness with the testimonials that they give. And a lot of that pain is internal and there is some physical pain...I do feel for them. Then again some of it is that they are at a point in their lives, where it is a sum of the choices they made. So the one thing we do not want to do is rob them of, is the truth. Morality is the guide for better choices. Compassion is what morality teaches us. Doing what we can to support and be good listeners.

Those that came to Christ late in life need a good message about the Gospels that is the truth. Salvation, keep it simple, as I say, be good and do good.

 

[Reggie Belafonte]

I had a mate claim that he was a Christian now to me, after all of his years of rejecting it all to me, it's just a husk that he is in favour with such now against Islam that he hates.
So I get back this 3rd rate comment dished up to me, it's not about Jesus Christ that he is on about, he is just clinging on to a value system.

That is not what I am about at all, I do not look up to any Christian denomination because they are of this world and I am for Jesus Christ first and foremost as that's my Rock. I came out from them when I got truly born again, so I did not need this worlds delusions, I had to shake it off and come to Jesus Christ solidly in him only. the rest of the denominations can go jump because they make me feel sick, I despise them. I don't want to be any part of them because such is a creep show.

I am not against the Church in Christ Jesus but I do reject they who are of this world, because they are clearly not the Body of Christ Jesus.
Such as they are in bed with Islam and any new age or so called Jewish dribbling religious nonsense that are of this world. They do not know who Jesus Christ truly is in fact, because he is not there Rock. The are on about doing Mans works religion and all such are just as any Carnal person Atheist is religious.

Mans works never cut it as such only enslaves themselves in nonsense and all others.

Jesus Christ has come and he did and said all that is needed for us all, we only have to pick it up !
Our Lord and Saviour of our Soul is Emmanuel = God with us !

That old mate of mine I pointed out above is ranting about killing people Islamic people is the target mainly, but I said I am not into killing anyone as I know that all people can come to Christ Jesus and that's my goal, hope to bring people to Christ Jesus as that's the Key. I do not want to kill anyone, I want for their Souls to be saved and see the Light and become truly Born again ! because that's what it's all about, people want their children to go to school so as to help them have a better life style ? but that's all in vain if you are not Saved. because you don't have the Keys to Life in abundance that Jesus said. it's then ones whole life is renewed in Christ, just like the song that Johnny Cash sang, I ? the light ! It's so totally true and my brother in law who is very religious claims that message it's not true.

 

[Brakelite]

Hey Barney. I only just came across this thread despite the tag... Dunno. Great topic though and makes one seriously think about his origins in Christ, where he is now and what hopes he has for the future.
Theologically speaking, I came to Jesus because He first wanted to be with me. It is like that for all of us I believe, like in the wilderness when God said, "let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them". I so love that. God wants to dwell with us, so He initiates everything, maintains everything, and will complete everything. Now that's the theological view I came to over the years, but at the time of course it seemed different, yet not so different.
I had grown up in a Catholic environment, and as you would all know, a personal relationship was never encouraged with Jesus, and today even discouraged. So I always had this underlying belief in God. Who He was though was another matter.
Then a friend simply asked, "do you think God would approve of your lifestyle?" My life I thought was actually really good. I had everything I thought I needed. Steady income, great consistent and good
size surf just down the road, a house in the country, excellent wheels and no debt.
Yet 6 hours later I was praying..."God, make my life one which you would approve".

 

[Zao is life]

I'm a Christian because of the fact that God has told me that I'm a sinner, and I agree with Him because I know it's true (and God only speaks the truth), but He has sent salvation for me in the person of Christ who died for my sins and rose again from the dead.

I'm a Christian because of what I believe, not because of what I feel. So even though I love God (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit), what I feel does not make me a Christian. I do not believe it makes anyone a Christian, because Jesus said,

"He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18). Jesus is our Ark. If we believe in Him and believe what God says, then for sure we'll get ourselves into the Ark before the flood comes upon the world, and we'll be eternally grateful from a very deep place in our souls.

I was not brought up a Christian. I was brought up to believe in reincarnation and "the evolution of the soul", and I was brought up to believe that the Bible is a simple book written by simple-minded people for simple-minded people, "and has been changed anyway".

I went from being 100% unbeliver to 100% believer while reading the Bible one night, searching for scriptures that "prove" reincarnation (which I had been told were there), so that I could take those scriptures and shove it in the faces of "those irritating Christians" who wouldn't leave me alone, and who were so completely convinced of their case "and yet were so completely clueless".

The Lord convicted me while I was reading, and I turned from 100% unbeliever to 100% believer all in one night, reading the entire New Testament within one week. I never experienced it at first as anything except fleeing from the wrath of God to Christ. Assurance of salvation came later.

Praise God, and thank you, Lord.

I'm now 100% convinced "those irritating Christians" were praying for me. They will get their reward "in that day". Now it's my turn to pray for unbelievers, and not to judge them.

 

[LTJMP14]

Two words: God's grace.

After growing up Roman catholic and after years of being influenced by rcc dogma and tradition, one day listening to a preacher on the radio, I heard the gospel message preached as I have never heard before, not in the thousands of masses I'd attended (Sundays, Holy days,, funerals, etc). It was so powerful and so moving that I knew I needed more. "Read your Bible", the preacher said. And I did, again and again and still I read and listen to my Wonder Bible. Amazing Grace.

Without God's grace, I would never have known I was perishing. By God's grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I was awakened, made alive spiritually, my conscious seared with the conviction that I was lost and in need of forgiveness and salvation. By God's grace I know I am saved, and I have confident assurance that I am eternaly saved, not by anything I have done or will do, but through faith in what Jesus Christ did for me: HE paid my fine in total by HIS sacrificial atoning death on the Cross. And through HIS burial resurrection and ascension, I have a living and a blessed hope. I can not express the wonders of God, except to say to God be the glory. Amen.

 

[jessiblue]

I am a Christian only because of God’s grace. He loved me first.

"No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him."—John 6:44

 

[Zao is life]

I could say the same thing to a certain extent. The poll only allows for 10 choices. I might just scrap it.

You could change your first post (copy it's contents to repost afterwards), but change the first post to include all the questions you would llike to, that are not listed in the poll.

Just a suggestion

 

[BarneyFife]

You could change your first post (copy it's contents to repost afterwards), but change the first post to include all the questions you would llike to, that are not listed in the poll.

Just a suggestion

I think the poll is pretty meaningless at this point.

 

[Zao is life]

the law of men says i am a christian but for me the only one who can truly judge me if i am or i am not is God i should not call myself a christian cause i truly am not worthy to be one

No one is or was or ever will be worthy. No one.

No one, that is, except Jesus Christ. He bore all your unworthiness (and mine and everybody else's) in His own body, and was condemned to death for it. And guess what? He represents you. He is the son of Man, meaning He was representing you when He died. Then He rose from the dead, still representing you, and went and sat down on the throne of God, at the right hand of the Father. And now He is your High Priest forever, still representing you.

But He's not representing your sin anymore, dying on the cross. Ever since the day that He rose from the dead, His righteousness is representing you before our God and His God, the Father, because He is 100% righteous, and His righteouesness covers all your sin and unworthiness. He is "the LORD your righteousness" (Jeremiah 23:6).

You, me and every other human, do not have our own righteousness. Jesus is your righteousness. And He says to you,

Matthew 11
28 Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke on you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls.

1 John 3
23 And this is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24 And he who keeps His commandment dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave to us.

If you believe this and ask Him to become your Lord, helping you to submit to His authority and will in your life, you are a Christian.

 

[Truman]

We didn't choose Him; He chose us. Ephesians 1:4

 

[marks]

I think it is taken for granted that most Christians have basically the same reason for being so.

Because it was the right thing to do. The only thing that made any sense. After I realized, assured by the evidence of fulfilled prophecy, that the Bible was the one book that was actually from outside this continuum, I adopted it's worldview, that Jesus Christ is my Risen Lord, and knew I needed to obey Him, and received Him, believing in His Name.

Much love!

 

[Psalm51]

I aspire to be a Christian because I desire the grace and mercy of the Almighty Creator. I need this because I recognize myself as an evil sinner who needs help to overcome my flesh and hope for salvation. I believe the God of Israel is the one true God and that His only begotten Son, Jesus, is the Messiah. I believe Jesus as the Christ and that the only way to the Father is through the Son (John 14:6). Therefore, I follow Jesus Christ and aspire to be a Christian who finds His grace and mercy.

I don't really even have my eternal future at the forefront of my mind when I think about what I believe in. My day of judgment will come and may the will of God be carried out, whether to my benefit or detriment is irrelevant, I accept and love His will either way. I am just so grateful for the transformation I've seen in myself since the above truths were revealed to me (how and why is not for me to know for certain). I continue to grow, even through transgression, and I desire to keep moving forward and not fall away. I believe I now have an immense responsibility to remain faithful and vigilent in my pursuit for righteousness.

I desire righteousness. I desire to be a sheep of the Great Shepherd for righteousness' sake! This is why I follow Christ.

 

[Heart2Soul]

I was 7 years old when I got saved and the youth pastor told the story of Jesus being nailed to the cross and hung to die because of my sins and it made me cry and I didn't want Jesus to die because I was being a bad girl and sinning so I got saved and stayed in church from then on learning about Him....
As I got older and learned about hell I got scared that I would die and have a sin i didn't confess and repent of...I literally had nightmares of going to hell.
But when I became a young adult I came to know Him like I had never known Him before and fell in Love with Him.

 

[Truman]

With me, it was like a seed was planted deep in me and many years later it started growing.
I wonder why it was like that with me. All 5 of us kids were like that. We all came to the Lord through the same move in the early 70s. I guess it was the Jesus People move.