Foundations

Why Am I a Christian and Not A…

Amid thousands of religions, why Christ?

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Why?

Why Am I a Christian and Not a Buddhist, Muslim, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Hindu, or Follower of Another Religion — especially since Christianity has a troubled history of mistreating people and its followers are often accused of being hypocrites? Why not become a Buddhist, a Muslim, an Agnostic, an Atheist, or follow some other spiritual or indigenous religious path? Here are my reasons why:

In my early teens, I searched for answers to what I believed were the two most important questions in life:

Because if there is no God, then all we really have is this life. And while it might seem noble to live a decent and moral life for the good of others, the question still lingers: Is this life all there is?

Without going into all the details of every event, here's what happened—and what led me to Christ:

Because I had received answers to my deepest questions—and because of what He had done in my life—I chose to begin a daily relationship with my Creator, completely independent of church attendance or religious performance.

What Did He Do for Me?

Here are just a few of the things I experienced in those early years:

"Christianity is primarily about a daily relationship with Jesus Christ, walking in the security of His love and peace, as well as obedience to His Word and His Spirit!"

  1. He physically opened a locked door for me—a door I had checked twice before and found locked. Then I prayed… and it opened!
  2. He answered a prayer for food while I was still praying. As I prayed in my living room, two bags of groceries appeared on my porch — within seconds of my kneeling!
  3. He humbled me—in a way I had never imagined.
  4. He sent a man from another church (157 miles away) to give me several hundred dollars for food and rent when I was broke, jobless, and too ashamed to ask anyone for help.

There's a lot more that I could write about the miracles He allowed me to witness/experience, but I share those in the My Journey Section!

To make a long story short, THESE are the primary reasons why I chose — and continue to choose — to follow Christ. See, for me, Christianity is PRIMARILY about a daily relationship with Jesus Christ — and only TERTIARY about the religion of Christianity.

NOTE: While the relationship should always come before religion, the religious aspects are still important. Why? Because if you don't know the kind of life that pleases or displeases God—how will you know how to walk with Him?

In short, Christianity has two essential parts:

  1. Humbling yourself, meeting God on His terms, not yours or anyone else's (by admitting you're a sinner and asking for His forgiveness), inviting Him into your daily life, and establishing a daily relationship with Him.
  2. Maintaining a pleasing relationship with Him by obeying His Word and listening for the unction of His Spirit!

For those who've never met Christ, all they can point to is the religion of Christianity — what they've seen, read, and heard about (its rules, rituals, doctrines, and the behaviors of its imperfect followers). But for those who've met Him personally, it's primarily about the relationship—the peace, the confidence, the rest He gives to those who seek Him wholeheartedly, and the hope He places in their hearts for the place He's prepared for them to live forever (and it's not the current Heaven like many people believe)!

Thank you for your time! I hope this article has been helpful and enlightening.

If you have questions or comments, you can email me here.

Roy

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