The Gospel

What It Means to Be a Christian

Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a
certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about
God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in the Bible.

God Is Sovereign Creator
Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created
by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament
reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He
also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and
we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

God Is Holy
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3); therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil
(James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, You shall be holy, for I
am holy.

Mankind Is Sinful
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: There is no man who does not sin (1 Kings
8:46). That doesn't mean we are incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we're utterly
incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).

Sin Demands a Penalty
God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4). That's why
simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its
consequences.

Jesus Is Lord and Savior
Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Even though God's justice demands death for
sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18).
Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the
demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those
who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).

The Character of Saving Faith
True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that
you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin
(Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), pursue Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3), and obey
Him (1 John 2:3). It isn't enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons
believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don't love and obey Him. True saving faith always
responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).