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Why be a Christian

A Lesson from Rev. Doug McClain. Current Pastor at Southside Baptist Church

This is a very honest question that I would expect anyone sincerely seeking for direction in their life to ask. The most common answer that you will get is, 'So that you will go to Heaven when you die.' This is obviously a true statement. However, we want to consider the 'here and now' as well. The answer that I would give is, 'Because you were created to become one.'  God created man to have fellowship with Him, to honor Him, and to worship Him. God breathed into man the 'breath of life' and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). This was more than just physical life like the animals have. It was a soul that could communicate with God and with which God could communicate.

God warned Adam that if he ate of the forbidden fruit that he would 'surely die'. This death was also more than the mere physical death that humans now experience. It was also 'immediate' spiritual death. In other words, the 'soul' of man died and could no longer communicate with God. Isn't it interesting that God came to the garden to find Adam after he sinned. Adam and Eve no longer had the ability to 'find' God because they were now spiritually dead. Also, since neither of them had a 'living soul' to pass on to their children; all of their descendants would also be born spiritually dead as well. Worst of all, they had no way and no means of redeeming themselves back to God.

But God loved the human race that He had created and only He could provide the means of redemption or salvation. He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary and God Himself was His Father. This meant that Jesus had the Divine Nature within Himself. He didn't cease to be God when He became human. He was fully human and yet fully God. He taught about His Father and healed the sick as He went about doing good. He was tempted in every way that we are, yet He never sinned. However, His Divine Mission was to do for man what man could not do for Himself. To offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice to redeem the soul of man back to the Father. This was the purpose of His death on the cross. He was then resurrected on the third day, made various appearances on earth for 40 days, ascended back to Heaven where He is seated at the right hand of God. He will come again to take all Christians to live with Him there.

 Yes, we must indeed become a Christian in order to go to Heaven when we die. But also, Salvation affects our life in the here and now.  When a person accepts Christ as Savior the Holy Spirit quickens or 'regenerates' the dead soul within them. At that point they are able to communicate with God just as Adam did in the garden before he sinned. We speak to God and God speaks with us through the spiritual connection of our living soul. Non-Christians cannot understand this because they are spiritually dead and have never experienced true communication with God through prayer. They may pray, but until that prayer is an admission of sin and an acceptance of Christ as Savior, they are really only talking to themselves. A person without a regenerated, living soul is one of the most severely handicapped people that I could imagine. But we, as Christians, have the ability to commune with God as one of His. He gives us direction and purpose for our life. Shows us truth as we study His word. Comforts us in times of trouble. Intervenes on our behalf. And yes, promises an eternal life with Him in a place that He has prepared for us.

Why then should a person become a Christian? I believe the more appropriate question is, 'Why would they not want to?'