What is A Christian? Are You One?

Many people say they are Christians, but does this profession measure up against what the Bible says a Christian is?

If you say you are a Christian, what is the basis for saying this? Your answer might be something like one of the following statements: �I live in a Christian country�; �I have always been a Christian�; �my parents were Christians�; �I have always been to church�; �I don't do anything to hurt other people�; �I am a moral and upright citizen�; �I do a lot of work for Charities�. These, however, are not the answers that the Bible gives to this question.

The Bible deals with our status in God's eyes, the one who made us and keeps us being. It deals with the matters of our heart, our inmost self. Where we were born and the things we have done, even the best things, are not what makes us accepted in God's estimation � and that is what really counts in the end!

We are told by Jesus Christ Himself that there is only one way to God, only one way to be accepted by Him. Jesus tells us that He is the way, He alone.

How is it that Jesus Christ is the only way to God? The Scripture teaches us that all human beings are born with a terrible problem, one they can't resolve themselves. This problem is their own internal enmity against God's rightful and absolute rule over their lives. It's not just an internal problem. It makes us think and do what we want, not what God wants. The Bible uses the word �sin� for this. It means to �miss the mark�. This is what we inherited from the first man, Adam, who started the rebellion. This is my problem; this is your problem too.

Not only do we have this terrible problem internally towards God, but also we have another one as a consequence. This is God's just condemnation of our sin and rightful anger against us. We have all �missed the mark� and the result is that God has pronounced the �guilty� verdict against us for our sin; yours and mine. The sentence against this guilt is death, both physically and spiritually, ultimately resulting in an eternal separation from God's goodness and an eternal and awful punishment that the Bible calls Hell. A fearful yet just punishment for our willful rebellion.

So how is it that Jesus Christ is the only way to God in the face of this terrible situation? Jesus Christ is God's answer to our problem. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who entered this world of ours as a man, a real human being, even being born a baby. He was fully God and fully human, something very hard to understand, yet crucial to dealing with our problem of sin. Because he was God's Son, He didn't start off with an enmity against God, He loved God from the very start and with all His being, He wanted God's rule over Him. He lived out his life as a true human being without ever sinning against God His Father; not once. So He didn't deserve to die, he didn't deserve punishment; but that is exactly what he endured. But why?

As we said before, Jesus Christ is God's answer to our problem. Through the incredible and completely undeserved love of God He accepts the death Jesus Christ died, undeserved as it was, as the punishment for the sin of all those who trust in Him as their representative, their substitute, their advocate, their Saviour. More than that, God accepts the righteous life of Jesus Christ as His peoples. The Bible puts it this way, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God".

God calls us, God commands us to turn away from our rebellion, our sins, and our desire to go our own way and turn to Him trusting what He has done through Jesus Christ to deal with our biggest problem.

So, we can ask the question again, are you a Christian? Is your answer that same as before, does it have the right basis; the basis the Bible gives us?