WHAT IS A REAL CHRISTIAN

I was born in the church, so of course I'm a Christian. ???????

Romans 10: 9-10 says - "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

MYTH #1 - Going to church makes you a Christian.

People go to church all the time - for a multitude of reasons. But that doesn't make them a Christian. Even some thieves go to church. Some people go to church because it's a social habit. Others attend because their family makes them go. At the encouragement of a minister, they may even go to special classes for baptism, confirmation, or membership. It is true that Christians go to church and take an active part. But attending church doesn't make you a Christian.

MYTH #2 - Believing in God makes you a Christian.

Eight out of ten people in America say they believe there is a God. But are they all Christians? Colonel James Irvin, remembered for his Apollo 15 moon mission, told me that while he was in the Middle East a Muslim leader said to him, "You talk about God so much, why aren't you a Muslim?" Do you see my point? If you can be a Muslim and believe in God, then it is not "believing in God" that makes you a Christian.

MYTH #3 - Praying makes you a Christian.

Certainly Christians pray. But someone can pray and still not be a Christian. Hindus pray all the time. Muslims pray five times a day. The late President Sadat of Egypt, when traveling abroad carried a little rug on which to kneel five times daily so as to pray. So praying in itself doesn't make someone a Christian.

MYTH #4 - Living a good life makes you a Christian.

Compared to a mass murderer, you may feel that you're ready for sainthood. Even compared with your family and friends you may come out okay. But God's standard of godliness is very different. His Son, Jesus Christ, lived an absolutely perfect life here on earth. Compared with this level of perfection our own goodness looks pretty shoddy. Remember, the world has always had plenty of "good" people. So, if goodness was enough, God need not have sent Jesus. The fact that Jesus had to come to make our forgiveness possible shows that goodness doesn't make someone a Christian.

MYTH # 5 - Reading the Bible makes you a Christian.

Of course Christians love the Bible. Some of us read it daily. But just reading the Bible doesn't mean that you are a Christian. When Karl Marx was 15 years old, he wrote a fantastic explanation of part of John's Gospel. Great theologians agree with what he said. But Karl Marx, although he read the Bible, never claimed to be a Christian. Read the Bible all you can. But remember, doing so won't make you a Christian.

MYTH # 6 - Talking about Jesus Christ makes you a Christian.

Many people talk about Jesus Christ and even speak well of Him. They may be teachers, ministers, or church leaders, for example. But they may not even believe that what the Bible says about Jesus is true. Some actually distort Jesus into their own way of thinking, rather that seeing the Jesus of history and the Bible. And that disqualifies them from calling themselves real Christians.

MYTH #7 - You can be born a Christian.

I've met people who have told me, "I was born in a Christian country, so of course I am a Christian. What else could I be?" The answer is that they could be a lot of things. Someone may be born in a stable. But that doesn't make him a horse. Nor does being born in an airport make some an airplane.

SO WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?

First of all, a Christian has found the way of life in contrast to the way of death. And the way of life is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus Christ said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" .(John 14:16) Notice that Jesus does not say He will show you the way. He says, "I am the way!"

Do you have eternal life? You say, "Well, I'm not sure". Suppose I asked if you are married. Would you say, "I think so?" Or suppose I asked if you were pregnant. Would you say, "A little bit?" Of course not. These are things you can be absolutely sure about. And it is just as possible for you to be certain that you are a Christian and have eternal life. Concerning those who follow Him in faith. Jesus Christ said, "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish, no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10: 28). That's a triple promise! Do you have that triple security? First He says, "I give them eternal life. Second He says, "They shall never perish." Third, "No one can snatch them out of my hand. What more could you want. A Christian is someone who discovers these three things to be true. The Bible also says, "He who has the son has life" (1 John 5:12). In other words, eternal life is Christ in your heart. Can you say, "Yes, I have eternal life, I can remember the day when Christ came into my heart?"

Furthermore, a Christian is someone who has been born into God's family and therefore has become one of God's children. You say, Luis, I thought everyone was a child of God. Isn't God the Father of all mankind?" According to the Bible, God is the Creator of all men, but He is not the Father of all men. Many people don't even want Him to be their Father. You become a member of God's family by being born into it. The Lord Jesus said, "Unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). What does that mean? When you and I were born into the human family, we had no choice about the matter. That's physical birth. But to become a child of a spiritual Father you must have a spiritual birth. This happens when we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Every year we celebrate our physical birth with parties and gifts. But do you remember your second birth? If not, you must make a decision. Do you want to become a part of God's family by receiving Christ, or not? The Bible says, " To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12).

Have you decided to trust Christ yet? Would you like to know that you have eternal life? Would you like to start walking in the way of Jesus Christ, knowing that you are a child of God and going to heaven? Let me tell you how you can become a real Christian right now, before you finish reading this article.

1. Admit that your sins separate you from God. The Bible teaches that you must admit that your sins separate you from God. Have you ever owned up to God about those things in your life that hurt Him - selfishness, pride, greed, immorality, and all the rest? The Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). That includes you and me, Is it time to won up to God and to receive the forgiveness that He want to give you?

2. You must believe what Christ has done for you on the Cross. The Bible says, "Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus died on the Cross - and three days later conquered death - so that each of us could be forgiven. We deserve to be punished for the wrong we have done in God's eyes. But God sent His son to take our punishment on His shoulders on the Cross. It is like a judge finding a prisoner guilty, taking the prisoner's place, and receiving the sentence himself. What magnificent love! You may not completely understand how God places the penalty for your sin on His Son. But you do not need to understand everything all at once. You need only to believe that it is true. No one really understands electricity. Scientists talk about it as a fundamental property of all matter. They can create electrical charges and harness electricity. But as a Stanford University scientist once told me, "Electricity in its essence is quite unexplainable." When you become a real Christian, you may understand it all a t the beginning. But as you read the bible and allow God to teach you, your understanding will grow.

3. The final step you must take is to receive Christ for yourself. You cannot inherit faith. God doesn't have any grandchildren. It is not enough to say, "My father was a fine Christian and I was brought up in a fine Christian." That will not make you one of God's children. Experience Christ for your self All of us who belong to Christ had to come for ourselves. Have you come to Him yet? Have you ever made that decision? The Bible says, "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10). The best way that I know to make Jesus the Lord of your life is to simply bow your head in prayer, confess your sins to god, by faith open your heart to Christ, believe in Him, and receive Him. If that's your decision, then pray this prayer - silently if you wish-right where your are - "Heavenly father, I want to be a real Christian. I realize that my sins have separated me from You. Please forgive me. I believe in what Christ did for me on the Cross. I don't completely understand it, but I accept it by faith. I do want to be a child of Yours. Please come into my life, Lord Jesus, and make me Your child right now. I'll follow You and obey You forever. In Jesus Name, Amen

If you prayed in faith to receive Christ as a result of reading this article, you've made the most important decision in your life? You now belong to God's family, and of course you will want to get to know Him better. The best way is to read the Bible. Start with the Gospel of Luke, perhaps. But remember that this is God's way of speaking to us. So as you read, look for examples to follow or instructions to obey. Saturate yourself with the Bible. Your thoughts and emotions will begin to change as you read the Word of God. Second, meet with other Christians. Find a church where the Bible is explained, where the Gospel is proclaimed, where the minister believes the Bible is God's Word. Go to church and talk to the minister. Say, "I received Christ." And see what happens. If the minister doesn't seem interested in helping you grow spiritually, then find some church that can help you. Third, begin to pray. You talked to the Lord just now. He answered your prayer. He loves you. He's your Father. Since communication is the key to any relationship, your relationship with God can only grow as you talk to Him in prayer. May God bless you as you serve Him.

by Luis Palau

Robert Ventura

July 30, 2001