Why I Am A Christian
Once in a while, I feel the burden of existential crisis upon my shoulders. Thoughts concerning my existence and my worldview circle around my head. Well, these thoughts do not roost permanently on my mind and build nests, metaphorically speaking. But they fly around my mind. Thoughts like:
“Why do I believe what I believe?”
“Why am I here in this world?”
“What is the basis of what I believe?”
“Why am I a Christian?”
I feel that it is healthy to wrestle with these thoughts rather than to “sweep them under the carpet”. It is unfortunate that many kids or even adults were told never to ask such questions. Hence it is a blessing that I was able to wrestle with these questions since I was young. To my surprise, the outcome of such reflection strengthened my faith rather than blunted it.
Personally, there are three main reasons why I am a Christian. There are many other reasons but these three reasons feature very prominently in my spiritual life.
Work of the Holy Spirit
Firstly, the ultimate reason why I am a Christian is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in my life. Although I was brought up in a Christian family, I never would have trusted in the Lord Jesus without the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in my life. As Scripture says:
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. (Acts 16:13-14 ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1: 3 ESV)
As the Lord opened Lydia’s heart, so the Lord opened my heart to hear the Gospel. According to his great mercy, he caused me to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As I reflected on this, it brought me to my knees in worship. Salvation is of the Lord!
Resurrection of Jesus
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
Secondly, I am a Christian because of the resurrection of Jesus. According to 1 Peter 1:3, this new birth into a living hope comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Gary Habermas writes:
When considering the life of Jesus, we can be very confident of these three conclusions: Jesus died by crucifixion; Jesus’ followers truly believed the risen Jesus appeared to them; and people who were not Jesus’ followers truly believed the risen Jesus appeared to them (Paul and James).
The resurrection of Jesus is central to our Christian faith. If Christ has not be raised, then my faith is futile and I am still in my sins. If Christ has not been raised, what are the alternatives to the three conclusions above? As I reflected and read about the resurrection of Jesus, the alternative theories of his resurrection are implausible. There are many good books and articles written about the resurrection of Jesus.
May we use the wealth of the reading resources available.
No other alternatives
Finally, I am a Christian because there are no other alternatives for me. I recall the exchange between Jesus and the twelve disciples in John 6:66-69 (ESV):
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
If I am not a Christian, what are the alternatives? If I want to go away from Christ, where shall I go? Atheism has always seemed very illogical to me. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in my balcony of my apartment. There was a potted plant before me. It was flowering and the flowers were not typically shaped. They were small and red, shaped like a bird. As I gazed upon the plant and its flowers, I started to laugh in awe and wonder. The design of the flower was so beautiful and intricate that, to my mind, there was no way the flowers existed by chance. There has to be a designer, a creator. I would be a fool to think otherwise. Psalm 14:1 “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Other worldviews do not seem reasonable to me and are not intellectually satisfying.
So, I will run with endurance the race that is set before me, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. By the grace of God, I will finish the race and keep the faith.
What about you, my friend? Why are you a Christian? It is good to ask ourselves this question from time to time. You would find out that the answer is satisfying to the head and to the heart. And for those who are not Christians but are seeking the truth, won’t you come to Jesus? And if you need answers, never hesitate to reach out to us to walk alongside you in the faith.
To God Be The Glory.
Colin Kee