Why Be a Christian?

There's a few folks out there that talk about being "christians."

What's with these guys?

Why on earth do they do it? Are they just following a norm set by their parents and close friends?

Unfortunately, yeah, a lot of them are.

What about the ones who tell homosexuals they're going to hell?

What about the ones who try to hold Koran burnings?

What about the ones who talk about Jesus, but live in sin without caring one whit about it?

With all of these preconceptions in the minds of lots of Americans, it isn't surprising that to some people the whole prospect of being a christian is pretty unappealing.

If it doesn't do anything to you to change you, why be one anyway?

If it just gets you a label and maybe getting to heaven (who knows what happens after we die anyway? No one. That's right.) but life here stays the same, is it even worth it?

Dunno about you, but my answer is no.

So. Is there anything else? Or is it really just something to assuage our consciences until we get put in a box to decompose a few feet underground and fertilize a tree? An aspen would be nice. Bury me by an aspen. I don't want my body feeding a russian olive tree. They smell funny.

Let's rewind. Past aspen trees (and russian olives, thank goodness) and the earth itself. Boom. God makes the universe (just humor me, even if you disagree). He didn't need to, but He did. And on just one planet, he placed a whole bunch of stuff. Water, air, dirt, hyenas, manatees, more dirt, fish, birds, trees (even russian olives), and everything we see on it today.

Then he did something interesting. He said "let us make man in our own image." He made a dude. In HIS image. Whhaaaat??? Why? I don't claim to know His mind, but it pleased Him to make this dude.

Then He made a woman (from this dude) to be the dude's companion, because He said it wasn't good for the dude to be alone. But that's another subject.

He gave the dude and the woman ONE command. They couldn't eat fruit from a specific tree.

You guessed it, they did. Just like a 5 year old kid will eat a lump of cookie dough thirty seconds after mom tells him to stay away from it. They rebelled. From that moment, we were all toast. Sin became a part of every human being from then on.

Kind of a depressing story, yeah? According to God's Word, his manual for us clueless sacks of meat, the punishment for sin is death. Since God is perfect, sin cannot be near Him, so basically, with only this part of the story, we'd all be frying (christians too, along with the people they condemn).

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! He sent himself as a dude to this planet to mingle with us, teach us a lot of cool stuff, (read the book of John. It's pretty interesting.) and ultimately die a horrific death on a cross for us. For us. To pay that penalty, to take our place.

That's crazy. Why on earth would a perfect God die for a rebellious, filthy lot like us?

The only answer that makes sense is that He loves us. Like crazy.

So basically, with that piece of the story, all ya gotta do is take it. Let Him know that you're fully aware that you're a dirtbag, and need Him and Him alone to take away your dirtbagginess. That's all there is to it.

So why be a christian?

Because the promise is that it doesn't stop there.

Ohhhh no.

You become a totally different person. Over and over and over and over again the new testament talks about "new life", "being transformed", and referring to sin being dead. Dead. Not even twitching. Does it mean that christians are perfect? Nah, of course not. It does mean, however, that sin does not rule them any more. Ever feel like you can't get out of all the garbage you're in? Like you're being engulfed by the world and your own dirtbagginess?

Give Jesus a try. I'll vouch for Him.