WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN

It is an exercise in futility to try to convince the natural man by various apologetics which appeal to human logic that God exists or that he needs salvation. None become “Christians” that way. I am a “Christian” but in the Bible sense of that word. Furthermore, the reason I am can be stated in simple one word answers! I am a Christian because of GOD! Because of GRACE! Because of CHRIST! What do I mean by that? I mean that this is the only way any become Christians! It wasn’t because of something I did or something a man convinced me of. No, it is because God, acting as the absolute Sovereign He is, loved me, chose me in Christ and purposed to save me by His grace before the world began. He predestined me conformed to the image of His Son. I am a Christian because the Lord Jesus Christ stood then as my Surety, as the Mediator and Angel of that everlasting covenant, and came into this world, born of a woman. He lived without sin and went to the cross where He died to redeem me. He gave Himself in my place as the Sacrifice for my sins. He died the death required for a just God to declare me righteous. He paid my sin debt in full. I am a Christian because the Holy Spirit came to me in time, confronting me with the true gospel. He sent a faithful man with the one message of God to preach the truth to me. He caused me to hear, as Jonah, that “salvation is of the Lord.” I was made to hear about who God is. He gave me spiritual life and faith causing me to believe what He said about what I was, a sinner whose works, whose false religion were but ways of death. He taught me that Christ had successfully accomplished a work of righteousness for me being made sin for me and which made me the righteousness of God in HIM! He brought this good news to my heart and revealed Himself in me. I had believed God to be the Creator before this but I was lost. I believed a lot of things but I could not have believed on Christ because I didn’t know who He was or what He had really done! I found out that it was all HE and none me! I wasn’t convinced by human argument, logic or scientific proof but convicted of my sin and convinced that Christ was the only Savior! That’s why I am a Christian. And confessing these things before men I have found out also why the name “Christian” came to be. It was given to those who identified with the true Christ! It was cast upon them as a name of persecution and ridicule. Today it’s become a fashionable name. But it only belongs to those that CHRIST saves! Those who confess Him as He is and for what HE has done! No one will be saved because of what I am. We are saved because of Christ and what He did!

Gary Shepard

THE BLESSING OF IMPUTATION

The blessing of God’s grace in what He calls “imputation” has both a positive and a negative sense. Both are described by the apostle Paul in Romans 4 and both are inseparably joined together. Also, as all spiritual blessings are, they are in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Paul says first in verse 6, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,” Secondly, it has to do with what he says in verse 8. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” God has not imputed our sins to us and He has imputed righteousness to us without works. He laid our sins on Christ who died for them and He made us the very righteousness of God in Him. What was said of Abraham can be said of every person in Christ and it is enjoyed by each of them through believing. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” What a joy it is to look to Christ crucified and to count all things as God has counted them!

Gary Shepard

Evangel is a Greek word, meaning glad tidings, good news, welcome information, a shout, or something that makes one oft sing, talk or rejoice. When David defeated the giant Goliath, there was a great shout, and an encouraging message was passed round among the Jews to say that their terrible enemy had been killed, and that they were free to enjoy liberty and peace; thereupon, they sang and danced, and made merry. Similarly, God's evangel, the New Testament, is a good piece of news, a war-cry. It was echoed throughout the world by the apostles. They proclaimed a true David, who had done combat with, and gained the victory over, sin, death, and the devil. In so doing, he had taken those who were enchained by sin, threatened by death, and overpowered by the devil; though they had merited no rewards he redeemed them, justified them, gave them life and salvation, and so brought them peace, and led them back to God.

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NEVER FALL FROM HIS HAND

If I seek first the kingdom of God, if I am determined to win Christ and be found in Him, if to be called of God and accepted in the Beloved is my diligent concern, if to grow in His grace and the knowledge of Christ is my primary objective, I shall never fall; not that I shall never sin nor that I shall never fall into sin (for there is no man that lives and sins not), but I shall never totally fall from the mercy and grace of God in Christ.

Henry Mahan

ALL PRAISE TO JESUS CHRIST ALONE

We bless the name of Christ our King,

And of His glories sing.

No other can to Him compare,

Let us His praises bring.

We see Him high and lifted up,

The Sovereign ruling all;

And thank Him for His mighty grace,

That saved us from the fall.

We see God’s glory in the face,

Of Jesus Christ the Son,

Who came to earth and shed His blood

And for us vic’try won.

We see the Lord our Righteousness,

And find in Him alone;

Our Hope, our Peace, our Life, our All,

No boasting in our own.

We praise our great Redeemer’s Name

And to Him all ascribe.

Preeminence shall evermore,

In Christ the Lord abide!