Christ’s miraculous entry into this world, His gruesome crucifixion, and His surprising resurrection leave us all in a position of response to Him. Either we deny that He came or we believe. Either we look away from his death or we look on it in repentance. Either we reject the belief that Christ rose from the dead or we subscribe to it. These events are not value-neutral. Neither is our response to them.

Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about Jesus Christ, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in Scripture.

God Is Sovereign Creator. The Bible says we were created by the one, true and living God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything; therefore, He also owns and rules everything. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 103.19)

God Created Us for His Glory. Deep and lasting joy comes from being what we were created to be. And we were created to be mirrors of God’s glory — to fill the earth with the light of his beauty by reflecting it to others. If God made us for his glory, it is clear that we should live for his glory by loving Him, trusting Him, being thankful to Him and obeying Him. (Isaiah 43:7; Romans 11:36; Matthew 22:37; Romans 4:20; Psalm 50:23; Matthew 5:16)

God Is Holy. God is absolutely and perfectly holy, therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil. Understandably, therefore, God requires holiness of us. (Isaiah 6:3; James 1:13; 1Peter 1:16)

Mankind is Sinful. According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: “There is no man who does not sin” (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we’re utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12). So God is just in shutting us out from the enjoyment of his glory forever.

Jesus Is Lord and Savior. Even though God’s justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior. Jesus Christ did two things for us so that we could be saved from God’s wrath and restored to joyful fellowship with Him. Jesus lived for us and He died for us. With His death, He paid the penalty for our sins (1 Peter 3:18). With His perfect life, Jesus lived the life that God demands of all of us.

The Great Exchange. God gave Jesus credit for our life, and He gives us credit for Jesus’ life! Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us that we could become righteous before God. When we trust in Christ, God gives us credit for Jesus’ perfect life making us acceptable before God. AMAZING GRACE! Jesus exchanged places with us, died our death and gave us His glory. (Romans 3:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

We Are Saved by Faith Alone. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (Colossians 1:16). Therefore He owns and rules everything (Psalms 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute trust, allegiance, obedience, and worship.

The Character of Saving Faith. True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin by the power and grace of God (Luke 13:3,5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 11:28-30; John 17:3; 1 John 2:3). It isn’t enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).

We are Saved for God’s Glory Alone. All of life is to be lived to the glory of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” (1Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:11; Revelation 1:6; 2 Peter 3:1; Ephesians 3:21; Revelation 7:12; Romans 11:36)