Why Am I A Christian, And Not A Buddhist, Muslim Or Other Religionist?

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With over 4,000 religions worldwide, why would I choose to call myself “a Christian”? I mean, after all, doesn’t Christianity have a bad history of treating people poorly? Aren’t Christians just a bunch of hypocrites? Why not become a Buddhist, a Muslim, an Agnostic, an Atheist, or some other religionist? Here’s why:

Earlier in my life, I was in search of answers to, what I felt were, the two important questions in all of life. Here they are:

1. Does God exist?
2. If so, does He care for me?

I mean, if there is no God, then all we have is just this life. And while it might be beneficial in some way to live a decent, moral life for the benefit of others, the question then arises, “Is that all there is?”

Without going into all of the details of every event, here were the answers I received (I’ll go into the details in subsequent articles):

• Christ (not the religion of Christianity) entered my life in a dramatic and memorable fashion.
• Christ changed my heart from within – without any sermons, Bible studies, or guilt trips!
• Christ allowed me to experience six (6) miracles in my first two years of trying to live life as a Christian.
• Christ answered several prayers during those formative years – prayers no one else knew about!

So, because I had had my questions answered, and because of what He had done for me, I chose to begin a daily relationship with my Creator – one that was independent of church attendance!

What did He do for me you ask? Consider the following:

1. He physically opened a locked door for me – a door that I had checked three times before, discovered to be locked and then prayed and asked Him to open the door!
2. He answered a prayer for food while I was praying for it in my living room. Two bags of groceries appeared on my porch – within seconds!
3. He humbled me in a way I had never considered!

THIS is why I chose, and continue to choose, to follow Christ!

See, for me, Christianity is PRIMARILY about a daily relationship with Jesus Christ, and secondarily, about “The religion.” 

NOTE: While the relationship is always placed before the religion, it’s important to note that the religion part of the equation is almost as important as the relationship. Why? Well, if you don’t know about the religious parts of the equation, how else will you know what displeases God? For example, did you know that God is more concerned with your becoming HOLY than He is with your happiness? You can read about it here. Did you also know that God IS CONCERNED with the kind of religion practiced by those who follow Him? You can read about that here. In short, Christianity has two parts: 1. Humbling one’s self, meeting God on His terms (not yours or anyone else’s), inviting Him into your daily life AND establishing a relationship with Him, and, 2. Maintaining “a pleasing” relationship with Him through obedience to His Word and His Spirit!

For those who have never met Christ, all they can point to is the religion of Christianity (i.e., what they see and hear of its rules, regulations, procedures, protocols, doctrines, and deeds) or its imperfect practitioners. For those who have met Him, it’s about the daily relationship, the peace, confidence and rest He gives to those who seek Him with their whole heart, as well as the hope He places within their heart for the place He has prepared for them!

In parts two and three of this series, I’ll write more about the miracles I experienced.

Thank you for your time and attention!

If you have questions or comments, write to me at roy@myjourneyinchrist.com and let’s talk ☺️

In His Name,

Roy