In order to find out what a real Christian is, we need to consider what Jesus said about it, as recorded by his first followers. That way we cut through all the traditions and other ideas that have been added over the centuries and get back to the real thing.
Answer 1: A real Christian is someone who has a new life through faith in Jesus Christ. A Jewish man called Nicodemus once came to see Jesus because he had seen that Jesus was something special and he wanted to know more. The first thing Jesus said to him was ‘Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ 1 Jesus didn’t waste time but got straight to the issue of what it means to be a Christian. So what did Jesus mean? Well to be ‘born’ obviously means to start a new life. And when someone becomes a Christian it’s the start of a new life with God in it. We are born into this world without knowing God; but we are born into a new life when we put our trust in Jesus. Jesus said, ‘God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever trusts in him should not perish but have everlasting life.’2 In other words, by trusting in the Son of God you receive a new life that lasts forever. But what does it mean to trust in Jesus? The cross Well, Jesus started to explain to Nicodemus the fact that He was going to die on a cross. I’m sure you know the story of how the Romans later executed Jesus, nailing His hands and feet to a wooden cross. But Jesus said that it was through His own death on the cross that people would receive this eternal life. He said He had to ‘be lifted up [on a cross], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.’3 iStockphoto/adamkaz
Having eternal life means you will start a relationship with God now that will last for ever, including an eternity in paradise. Putting your trust in Jesus means believing He died for you and deciding to follow Him and obey Him for the rest of your life.
Why did Jesus need to die for our sins?
Because all sin brings spiritual death to us and cuts us off from God. Therefore, in dying Jesus paid the price for our sins that we should have paid. So even when we die physically, we will go to paradise and live forever with God. Every one of us has sinned so every one of us needs God’s forgiveness. The Bible says, ‘The payment for sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’4 The good news is that Jesus’s death on the cross paid in full the price for our sins, so if you trust in Him, there’s nothing more to pay. At the moment when Jesus died He cried out, ‘It has been paid in full!’5 Three days later Jesus rose from the dead showing that God had accepted his sacrifice for mankind. So back to our original question: #1 What is a real Christian? Answer 1: A real Christian is someone who has a new life through faith in Jesus Christ. You can read the whole story of Jesus and Nicodemus here (The Bible: John 3) For a closer look at John 3 please click here. |