What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?
The word "Christian" simply means being like Christ, a "Christ-one." Logically, the next question you must ask is: "If I am to be like Christ, who was Christ?"
The gospels - the first four books of the New Testament - teach us that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, who loved you so much that he died on a cross. Why did he do that?
Because of sin. We all sin. You, me, the nice lady who lives two doors down, the waiter at your favorite Japanese restaurant - all of us. Sin puts a wall between us and God. You can't get around it, climb over it, or push through it.
But here's the good news: God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. Think about it. The creator of the universe loves you, a tiny speck in the cosmos! God wants so badly to have a connection with you that he sent Jesus, his son, who became human just like you, and died on a cross to knock down the wall that our sins built. But a love like that was too great for death to hold on to, so Jesus rose from the dead, releasing the grip that sin has on us forever! By believing in Jesus Christ, you no longer belong to death or sin. You will get to spend eternity - forever and ever and ever - in the presence of God in paradise.
Believing that - that Jesus Christ died and rose from the dead for you - is the first step in being a Christian. But it doesn't stop there. Remember: being a Christian is being like Christ.
"So wait! You're saying I'm supposed to die?!" Quite the opposite. God wants us to live, but to live for others, just like Jesus did. The gospels teach us that Jesus fed hungry people, taught people not to be afraid, comforted the sick. Jesus spent time with the most unpopular people. He would've hung out with the goth in your science class, the nerdy kid who gets shoved into his locker everyday, the drug addict you see sleeping on park benches, and the homeless woman begging for change at the intersection. Being like Christ means doing loving and caring for these kinds of people.
It's not easy being a Christian. In fact, you can bet on getting laughed at, picked on, rejected, even bullied. But those people that Jesus spent time with - the people that we try to avoid - he loves them as much as he loves you. And if you're going to say, "I'm a Christian," you have to love them too. That's what being like Christ is all about.
- Rev. Ward Page
If you want to know more, email me at wardpage09@embarqmail.com.