Some think that being a Christian is something that you do.
You go to church. You say your prayers. You do all the right things and fit the right profile.
I'd like to challenge this view. Being a Christian is not actually anything to do with what we do, but what God has done for us.
The promise of a life after this one spent with God, is one which is completely open to all. It is free. And is offered in love, through the sacrifice made by Jesus when he died for us on a cross.
Jesus was God on Earth. Fully Human. He is the only human who ever lived who was never separated from God. God lived and worked in him all the time.
God also lives in Christ Followers by the Holy Spirit, and he also works in us, but we do get separated from God sometimes. We get things wrong, we make mistakes; not always on purpose but we make them anyway, and this creates a barrier between us and God.
Jesus, blameless and sinless, was killed by the very people he came to save, because the religious Jews of the time were put to shame by him. This man who was a commoner, a peasant born amongst animals, challenged them and called them out for the corrupt and dishonest people that they were.
Jesus died and rose again, and in doing so took all of our separation, our shame, our guilt and pain away with him to the grave.
7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Romans chapter 6, verses 7 to 11 from the NIV version
Jesus is now the bridge between us and God. He is the lens in which God sees us. When he looks at us he does not see the dirty and bad parts, he doesn't see the mistakes, he doesn't see the hurt, he just sees Jesus.
We are covered by grace, our sin is hidden in Christ. And in Christ, we are reunited with God. Our sins do not disappear, but they are dead, they died with Jesus on the cross. When Jesus was brought back to life, our sin remained in the grave where he was buried. Burdens of guilt, pain and shame are taken away - God offers relief, freely!
So again, being a Christian is nothing to do with anything we have done, or can ever do. We are Christ Followers - and are made whole by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and are now connected to God through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is another post…..
In truth, the only thing we actually have to do, is accept. And believe in God's promises.
