Is he a teacher, prophet, good person, our Messiah, or the Son of God? Where do your beliefs come from? If you claim to follow Jesus, you must know what you believe about him and why you believe it.
Jesus Christ lived, died, and was resurrected to life over 2000 years ago. However, his life continues to touch and transform people’s minds, hearts, souls, spirits, and lives. There is no other perfect person who walked the earth and continues to have a spirit and soul transformational impact through his grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love. Have you taken the time to study the Bible and experience the heart of Jesus? If not, why not?
All Other World Religions Acknowledge a Higher Power
All religions acknowledge a higher power. However, all religions, apart from Christianity, are based on imperfect people, made-up entities, or idols focused on how good we are and what we do. They do not offer salvation, forgiveness, grace, mercy, or the promise of a perfect, equal heaven for all who follow them.
No other religion has the all-powerful creator coming down in the form of a baby. Who personally experiences the human condition and willingly sacrifices everything to offer salvation for anyone. The greatest difference between Christianity and other world religions is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our Messiah. Many documents during Jesus’ time talk about his goodness and love. Jesus walked the earth, but he came here to save us because he loves us.
God Chose to Experience Being Human Through Christ
Jesus didn’t come down and live in a place or in luxury. He was not a worldly ruler exerting his authority, power, and demanding obedience. Jesus didn’t experience a problem-free life because he chose to be fully man and fully God. Let’s read how Jesus entered the world.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." (Luke 2:8-14, NLT)
Although the heavenly host celebrated his entry into the world, Jesus was a helpless, vulnerable baby entrusted to Mary and Joseph’s imperfect hands. Jesus came to earth to show us how to live and serve God first in our lives and to pay for our sins so that we can live with him in heaven for eternity. Jesus chose us!
Believing is the Beginning, and Living Out Our Belief is a Life Long Journey
Believing in Jesus and asking him to be the Lord of our life is acknowledging and accepting Christ’s truth. However, we are responsible for nurturing a deep personal relationship that grows daily. We must also learn how to be his disciple and live our life for him. Where faith and salvation are concerned, we must be all in just as Jesus was all in for us.
Jesus Christ chose to be our Savior! A perfect entity, living in a perfect heaven with His loving, perfect Father, chose to die for us so that we could choose to live with him for eternity. Jesus willingly died, knowing that not everyone would choose to follow him. My limited brain can barely wrap my understanding around this truth. But praise God, it is true!
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
From his abundance, we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself, God, is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us. (John 1:14, 16-18, NLT)
What You Believe About Jesus and Your Choice to Follow Him Determines Your Eternity
We can’t stop the challenges in our lives or what the world brings us. Who can we turn to for perfect knowledge, wisdom, and strength to do what is best for others and ourselves? Can flawed people achieve perfection? If people could accomplish this, why is the world such a mess?
God created us in his image, which included the power to choose. He knew we would struggle to surrender and follow him in obedience versus doing things our way in our imperfect human condition. To help us, God sent Jesus to be our example and to pay for our sins so that one day we could live with them forever. Despite our flaws, God and Jesus chose to create a bridge to take us from our imperfections into our new perfect bodies in heaven.
All of the universes and wonders we see in the world were created by the highest power of all, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the disciples of Christ. Jesus is waiting for you to believe him and follow him. He wants to lead you into his love, salvation, hope, and grace so you can spiritually overcome the world’s challenges.
He wants to have a personal relationship with you now and for eternity. All you have to do is believe with your heart and confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God. Confess that you are a sinful person who needs a Savior and Redeemer to show you how to serve him on earth and in heaven! Believe in Jesus, ask him to be the LORD of your life, and you will be saved!
