What is a Christian

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. --John 3:16

God LOVES you and made you to have a LOVE relationship with Him.

Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be His through our union with Christ...because of His love, God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children - this was God's pleasure and purpose. --Ephesians 1:4-5

For all have sinned an fall short of the glory of God. --Romans 3:23

As humans we have a natural desire and inclination to be our own boss and refuse to surrender our lives to anyone – including God.  We ignore God's principles and choose our own way of living.  The Bible calls this kind of attitude sin.

All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, and each of us has turned to his own way. --Isaiah 53:6

When we attempt to live outside of God's plan and will for our lives we lose our close relationship with Him. When our relationship with God is not right, every aspect of our lives is affected.  Unfortunately, when faced with life's problems, people often try every possible means of coping rather than turning to God.

There are ways that SEEM right to man, but they only end in death. --Proverbs 16:25

The wages (price) for sin is death... --Romans 6:23

The bad news is that every person is a sinner and our sin separates us from God. The price of our sin is to die and be eternally separated from God. But, God want desperately to rescue us from sin and have a relationship with us. Our sin forms a barrier that prevents us from entering into an unbroken fellowship with God. As a result, we are separated from God and destined to a Christ-less eternity the Bible calls hell.

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our rightwous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel lup like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. --Isaiah 64:6

Often, people think they can overcome the sin barrier between themselves and God through good deeds.  But, according to the Bible, the only way to repair this divide is to receive His free gift of grace in Jesus Christ.

The simple reality is, if there was any other way to have your sins forgiven, then why did God have to come to earth in the form of Jesus Christ to die on the cross? Simply, there is no other way. We cannot do enough religious work or be morally good enough to satisfy the justice of a holy God.  So, He had to step in on our behalf. That is called grace.

God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were sinner, Jesus died for us. --Romans 5:8

While we are deserving of God's condemnation, He stepped in and took our place by dying on the cross. The death of Jesus on the cross removed the sin barrier between man and God. Jesus died for our sins by taking our punishment on Himself. He did what we could not; that is offer forgiveness and salvation.

Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Lif. No one comes to the Father, except through Me. --John 14:6

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him... --John 6:44

Jesus tells us a person can only be saved after the Holy Spirit calls to them. We do not come to Jesus in our time, but only when He offers. The Holy Spirit's ministry is to call, convict, convince and convert us to salvation. God has already done His part to restore our relationship to Him. He took the initiative. Now He waits for each of us to individually accept what He has done for us.

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. --John 1:12

Faith is believing and receiving Christ’s sacrifice on the cross rather than in your own efforts to restore fellowship with God.  It is complete reliance on Christ to put you in a right relationship with God and allowing Him to live His life through you.  Faith involves repentance, genuine sorrow for sin, and a willingness to turn away from sin to the way of God.

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. --Romans 10:9

You can invite Christ into your life by praying a prayer of commitment to God: