RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-02-15	Why should I Become A Christian?
		All the religions of the world at their very core share the same principles. Those principles include that there are gods, a higher state of existence, and actions that must be followed to arrive at the desired end. If you do the right things, think the right way, adopt certain principles, we hope to arrive at the desired destination. All religions are alike in that their stated goal can be attained by human effort. Christianity does not fit into this category, because it is fundamentally opposed to the very principles of religion. In religion, man reaches up to God. With Christianity, God reaches down to man. In religion, man works to attain his own salvation. With Christianity, God has already done the work and grants it to us (Jn.3:16; 2Co.5:21). Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 2Co 5:21  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Christianity must not be compared to any of the other world religions. Religion and Christianity are not compatible. Allow me to ask some larger questions such as Why are we here? And What is our purpose for existence? Humans are distinct in that all other creatures do not wrestle with philosophical questions. We sense that we exist for a reason. God created us to be more like Him than anything else He created (Ge.1:27). We have a soul that longs for eternity (Ec.3:11). Our soul is eternal which reflects God's eternal nature. Our soul will live on forever, either with God or apart from Him. As humans we have free moral choice. We are held to this standard because we have innate moral understanding. God's law and a conscience is etched into our hearts (Ro.2:15). Rom 2:15  who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) With our moral will we violate it and it is called sin (Ro.5:12). God is perfect, but we are not. His justice requires judgment for all sin. We have a problem we cannot solve! Our need is to listen to the One we have offended for the solution. Life's highest honor is to be pursued by the Creator of the universe and offered to become His child (Lk.19:10; Jn.6:44). Since we were born we demanded our way. This is because we have inherited a sin nature from Adam. We have this knowledge of sin, and it weighs on us, but we are unable to rid the sense of guilt we carry. Some harden their hearts, and drown them in addictive behaviors hoping to ignore the guilt. God does not overlook sin. He must judge all sin. Simply ignoring it does not make it go away. God did punish sin by placing them on His own perfect Son (Cl.2:14). God raised Him from the dead. No other religious person has been raised from the dead. This is one of the most documented facts in history! When we trust in Jesus, who died for our sins, our sins are forgiven (Jn.10:18). We do not earn forgiveness; we simply receive it. By believing on Christ it does cancel your sin, but also allows you to step into the purpose for which you were created. We can learn our purpose by having a relationship with God. When we no longer seek our own happiness, we find a deeper fulfillment in living out God's plan for our lives. Physical death is not the end. Jesus conquered death and offers eternal life (Jn.6:37). We must accept this free offer gift on His terms. It makes sense to put your trust in the One who died for you and knows you better than you know yourself (Ps.139:13-16). This is the most important decision you will ever make. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Independent and Evangelical Church

23304 E Wellesley Ave. Otis Orchards, WA 99027 Church Office: 509.926.9552 tomelseroad@gmail.com