Jesus Christ...The Reason For My Taxidermist Grin

I'd really like to accept responsibility for my general state of happiness, the songs I write and the gobs of blessings in my life, but the simple fact is that I can't.  It's all because of God - complete forgiveness of my sins through Jesus Christ, the living and only son of God - to be precise.  Life is just so unnecessarily difficult without a personal relationship with your creator. 

What's The Story? Why Do I Even Need To Have My Sins Forgiven?

God could make us "love" him, but that wouldn't be authentic love, would it?  So God created us with gobs of free will to do exactly as we please.  He wanted us to love him for who he is and not just because we were forced into a relationship.  It's one of those, "If you love someone let them go, if they come back to you their yours and if they don't they never were" things.

But there is one challenge.  According to the Bible, God is perfectly sinless and we're not.  Sin and perfection mix like oil and water - that's to say they don't mix at all.  So, we can't go near God until we're spiritually clean from our sins.  Enter Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the sacrifice that makes amends for your sins — and not only your sins but the sins of everyone all over the world.

God Will Honor My Good Intentions, Right?

Do not assume that you are a Christian because of your background or church membership?  Well, the Bible says being saved from our sins is a whole lot more than a general belief in God - "You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror." (James 2:19). Being raised by Christians does not automatically make you a Christian, nor does going to church, seeking to live a moral life, serving as an elder or leading as a pastor. What counts is whether you have given your life to Jesus Christ.

How To Reboot Your Life

What does it mean to be a "Christian", or to be "born again"?  When I grew up, I thought being a Christian meant joining an organization or going to church, but I discovered that's not the real answer (although it's good to go to church). 

John chapter 3 is pure rocket fuel on this subject.  Jesus tells one of the Jewish leaders, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”  The Jewish leader replied, “What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”  Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.  Jesus said that he was the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through him.

It's About A Relationship, Not Religion

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:9-10). To "believe" means to "adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth".  Becoming a Christian is not simply joining a church or acting religious.  It is surrendering your life to Christ and allowing his Spirit to dwell within you.

If you have never done so, I invite you to present yourself to him now, for "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Surrender your life to God by accepting Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Then allow God to begin the process of transforming you into the best man or woman you can be.  There's no special formula in the words you use, but giving up your life to God may sound something like this:

"Dear Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. Please forgive my sins and accept me as your child. I invite you to be my Savior and the Lord of my life. I surrender myself to you in the name of Jesus Christ."

If you prayed with sincerity, Christ accepted you into his Kingdom and you are now a Christian. Welcome to the family of God!

Yah, So Now What?

Birth is just a beginning, not life itself and you have an exciting life ahead of you! As you grow in your knowledge of God, he will transform your life. These four suggestions will help you get started in your Christian walk:

(1) Tell someone that you accepted Christ.

(2) Read the Bible daily, starting in the New Testament with the Gospel of John.

(3) Join a Bible-believing church.

(4) Pray regularly.

If you've recently asked God to to forgive you of your sins through Jesus Christ and have been spiritually "born again", drop me a note and let me know.  It's fun to meet those that I'm going to spend eternity with!

Cheers!

The Bible quotes above come from the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible.  The NLT is a highly accurate dynamic equivalence translation directly from the original Greek text (the language the New Testament books were initially written in).  For a text comparison, click here.