Christianity is NOT a Box You Check Off on a Form Declaring Your Religion

That's a long title, huh? For some odd reason, I feel very burdened to tell all of my friends about this amazing truth. It may sound kinda harsh, but it's the truth and God wants me to tell it. Here's the deal:

There is a very large percentage of people that think they are "Christian" but are not real, true Christians at all. If you think that you are a Christian because your mom or dad was, then you are wrong. That may be your family's "religion", but that doesn't make you a true follower of Christ. If you think of being a Christian as just part of your culture or being some box you check off on a form then that's not real either. So maybe I should tell you what a true follower of Christ is...

The thing that defines a Christian (a "little Christ") is that you have a RELATIONSHIP with the Father (God) through Jesus Christ. That's why I put a picture of a Father and a daughter...who doesn't want that? I have a relationship with my earthly daddy (I'm a Daddy's girl all the way), but I also have the same kind of relationship with my Heavenly Father (and I'm still a Daddy's girl with Him too).

I want to explain this very clearly: If you do not have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus then you cannot go to heaven. Plain and simple. I've heard all the arguments, "What kind of God would ever send people to hell?" My God doesn't send people to hell, people send themselves there. God gives you the free will to choose Him and He makes Himself known to you so that you can choose. You are given a choice right this very moment. Eternity with God? or Eternity without Him? You choose. You pick. That's on YOU. God LOVINGLY and patiently calls you. He adores you and ONLY wants for you to follow Him and believe in Him and trust Him. It's not a hellfire damnation kind of thing...it's a LOVE thing!

So HOW do you have a relationship with God through Jesus? Well, first you have to recognize that you are sinner. Jesus said in Mark 2:17 that He did NOT come to call the righteous (those who think they are already good enough) but to call sinners (those who admit their need for a Savior). Plainly speaking, we have ALL sinned (Romans 3:23). We have ALL broken God's law and can never measure up. God can't be around any kind of sin because he's so perfect. Therefore, you have to admit to God that you are a sinner and NEED a Savior. How can he save you if you don't first admit your NEED for Him to save you?

So that question then is: Have you ever sinned against God? Have you ever lied, cheated, stolen, committed adultery, hated someone, ever jealous of someone, etc? Maybe not. The next question is: Have you ever WANTED to lie, steal, commit adultery, look upon someone with lust, etc? Wanting to is the same. Your heart is still evil and wicked. That's not a judgmental statement. When sin entered into the world, ALL hearts became evil and wicked. Mine too!

We've all heard the common expression, "Jesus died on the cross for our sins." The gist of the gospel is this: Jesus NEVER sinned. He was the Son of God so as the Son of God he was sinless. He was even born of a virgin so that the "seed" of man was not in Him. He was truly the Son of God. So, we say that the Jews killed Him because they are the ones who physically hung Him on a cross to die. The truth is, sin equals death. Jesus hadn't sinned, so Jesus couldn't die. He had to CHOOSE to die. He obeyed the plan God the Father had for Him and chose the cross, and it was our SIN that killed Him. You see, when Jesus was on the cross he carried the weight of ALL sin upon Himself. And for the first time in ALL of history (since God has no beginning and no end), God had to turn away from His Son Jesus. They'd never been apart, because they were ONE and one in the same. Hard to understand here, but your sin killed Jesus and so did my sin. Jesus took our punishment on the cross and was separated from God (which will be our eternal punishment if we don't choose to accept Jesus' sacrifice). Jesus satisfied God's anger against sin. So by receiving and accepting Jesus as the Son of God and His sacrifice, we can be made right with the Father.

The Good News does not stop there. To prove that He was indeed the Son of God, and that NO AMOUNT OF SIN could overcome Him, and that He can and would defeat death and the grave, Jesus rose from the dead three days later and ascended to the right hand of God!

Jesus loves you so much, so very much, that He did that for you. He took all your sin upon Himself so that you could have a relationship with the heavenly Father.

I"m not trying to make it sound harder than it is, but I want you to clearly understand the logic behind what Jesus did for you!

I was dead in my sin and condemned to spend eternity apart from God. I realized I was a sinner and in desperate need of a Savior. I realized Jesus had already paid the price for my sin. I accepted that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died for my sins, and that He wants to be MY Lord. I made Jesus the Lord of my entire life.

And you can too...

The question is: Have you?

Lastly, I want to say that Jesus wants to be Lord of your life, but He also wants you to have joy, hope, peace, and purpose. He came so that you could live an abundant life in Him! Jesus is to you what people can't be to you. Crappy Dad? God's a better one. Crappy husband? God can meet your emotional needs in ways your husband never could. Carrying too many burdens? Jesus said He'd take yours and give you His. His is easy and light. Feel dirty or unclean? Jesus gives you purity. Feeling inadequate? Jesus is your adequacy. Feeling hopeless? He's your Hope. Feeling Alone? God is ALWAYS there!

God is an amazing Father. My Daddy. And let me say, that even though I mess up and fail, I'm still a Daddy's girl...