We are Christian believers. To call oneself a "Christian" means to have a personal relationship with God through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. "Christian" is not ever supposed to be thought of in a generic or general sense, though it is often misapplied in this way. We aren't Christians because our parents or grandparents are Christians; nor are we "automatically" Christians because we go to church regularly. No, we become Christians by acknowledging Christ's death on the cross as the payment for the penalty of our sins which separated us from God, as well as believe that God then raised Christ from the dead after three days. By acknowledging these things as true, and then determining in our hearts to faithfully follow Christ, we become children of God, and thus members of the "household of faith" as described in the New Testament book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 11 through 22. The ability to believe these things is the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

This belief is not just mere mental agreement, for that would not be genuine belief. Rather, the whole direction of our life changes when we come to Christ. Our words must be backed up by our lives. We cannot just "talk the talk;" we must also "walk the walk." The Holy Spirit will help us do this as we learn and grow in Jesus. We become NEW in Him! This is because we have been "born from above." The old is gone; the new has come! Jesus said that this MUST happen before we, or any human, can enter the Kingdom of God. Please see the New Testament book of John, chapter 3, verses 1 through 15 for Jesus' teaching on this. Then read the more familiar verses, 16 through 18, of that same chapter where Jesus is teaching further on why God the Father sent Him to the earth.

As you will see, or have already seen, this relationship with the Father is available to any who will believe in Christ Jesus. The message is clear: The Father LOVES everyone in the world and desires a personal relationship with each one. YES! God is BIG enough for that to happen! That relationship with HIM is ONLY available through one's acknowledgment and agreement of the forgiveness made possible by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures say, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Found in the New Testament book of Acts, chapter 4, verse 12). Jesus is the Name which is above every name. The Scriptures say that ONE DAY (soon!), at the mention of His Name, that "every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Please see the New Testament book of Philippians, chapter 2, verses 9 through 11.

This great salvation is a gift of God by grace, through faith. We cannot earn our way to heaven. It's just not possible FOR ANYONE to ever be "good enough" on their own merits or to "do enough" to satisfy God's requirement for holiness. That's why we need Jesus. Through faith in Christ Jesus, we are given the privilege to stand before God the Father unafraid, fully accepted and welcomed by Him. The perfect sacrifice of the sinless Christ paid the penalty on our behalf so we wouldn't have to pay. It is a free gift for ALL who will believe in Him. Please see the New Testament book of Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 8-10.

Being believers in Jesus also means that we are members of the Body of Christ, or the Church. See the New Testament book of Colossians, chapter 1, verses 18 through 23. Being a member of the Body of Christ, the Church, is both a very great privilege and a very great responsibility. There is much to learn, much to do, but the journey is one that you will never regret. To be able to have a relationship with the ONE who is so great that He could create the universe out of nothing and at the same time be so humble as to seek a relationship with us is really beyond human comprehension. That kind of power, and that kind of love, is astounding.

If the Bible has been a mystery to you and seemingly hard to understand, then pray and ask the Lord to make it clearer to you. He will answer that prayer if you are serious about wanting to know Him. For now, I'll close with this from the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord. (From Jeremiah, chapter 29, verses 11-14a).