Part One: What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?

Christian comes from the Greek word Christianos, meaning follower of Christ. But the need for Christ began in the Garden of Eden.

God said to Adam, “Enjoy everything in this Garden, but do not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The penalty is death” (Genesis 2:15-16).      

God created Eve because He thought it would be good for man not to be alone (Genesis 2:18-25). Eve knew God’s warning, but was not a careful listener. Satan came to her, casting doubt by saying, “Did God really say?” He misquoted God’s word, and so did Eve in her reply (Genesis 3:1-7).

She was tempted as she looked, desired, and took the forbidden fruit. She offered it to Adam, and he chose to participate, rather than obey God’s warning (Genesis 3:1-7).

That’s why James could say, “Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin (James 4:17).

In His time, God took away the Old Testament animal sacrifices for sin. Here’s why:  For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). How’s that for good news?

The New Testament says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A friend was telling me the other day how great it is that salvation is not by works. She said, “We’d always have to wonder: (1) What kind of works? (2) How many? (3) How often?

Salvation by faith includes belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-8). With this faith, we are rewarded with new life, born again, spiritually. 

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).   

Final Good News, Part One: When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

As Christians, we are to follow Jesus’ teachings. The Holy Spirit will teach us and help us to do that (John 14:15-17).

More Good News Next Week: Part Two

Pixabay: Question Mark, Question; Peggy_Marco.