Why I am a Christian

~ and you should be too ~

Let’s begin with a statistical overview:

• Numbers. Christianity: 2.1 billion. Islam: 1.3 billion. Hinduism: 900 million. Buddhism: 376 million. Judaism: 14 million. (The largest four religions in the world comprise 76.8% of the world population. Judaism holds 0.2%.)
• Inception: Christianity: First C. A.D. Islam: Seventh C. A.D. Hinduism: Between twenty-third and fifteenth C. B.C. Buddhism: Sixth C. B.C. Judaism: Eighteenth C. B.C.
• Simplistically: The core beliefs of all these religions have similarities and differences. Hinduism—the oldest of the major eastern religions—and Buddhism share beliefs in eternal life cycles and calls to morality and good deeds. They believe in eventual perfection. They differ in that Hindus believe in capricious gods, while Buddhists do not believe there is a God, and place responsibility on the individual and inner life for spiritual development. Judaism, the oldest of the Mesopotamian religions, believes in a monotheistic creator God as well as calls to morality and good works, the eternal aspect of existence, and a Judgment Day, as do Christians and Muslims, all of whom trace their ancestral beginnings back to Abraham. These differ in too many ways to discuss here, except for the one most important of distinctions.

FIRST, IF I WERE NOT A CHRISTIAN , I would be a Buddhist. The intentionality, or ‘mindfulness,’ appeals to me. The emphasis on personal responsibility for our actions, the call to morality and good deeds, the deep respect for all life, and the seeking of personal perfection are all very positive aspects of the tenets of this religion/philosophy. But Buddhism, along with all the other eastern religions, completely fails to provide a believable answer for creation, something that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all largely share and for which they impart a satisfying view. Briefly: matter and space undeniably exist, and are subject to empirical scientific testing to validate that existence. Science cannot explain creation, only describe it. The very fact of existence clearly implies a creator. That creator has observable powers that mankind does not possess. [ “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1) Hence: The God of the Bible.]

Second, I believe God to be knowable, and that he has made himself knowable to our minds through sacred writings, and to our spirits experientially, by the Holy Spirit. While all religions have their sacred writings with corresponding truth claims, my personal experience of life has found validation in those of Christianity, some of which we share with two other world religions, Judaism and Islam.

With the Jews, I believe that “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” (Psa. 19:1) and they would not disagree with Paul, who says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:20) And, if he is knowable, then his purposes are also knowable; if his purposes are knowable, then the reasons for and the purposes for our own existence are knowable. But they differ from Paul and all Christians over Jesus. “The Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” (Acts 26:23)

With Islam, I believe that Jesus is a great prophet. But they only believe that he is one of many prophets, and currently—right now—await their Twelfth Imam to appear and usher in a time of chaos before a golden age. Christians, however, believe that Jesus is the greatest of all prophets, and more than that, that because he transcended death and lives forevermore, so shall those who accept him in his undivided dual roles of Savior and Lord. We believe that Jesus is God (cf. John 1:1), and that he is the head of God’s heavenly host, and as John says in the Book of Revelation, from “out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15) There will be chaos (cf. Rev. 5:1 – 20:8), and after that a day of judgment: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” (Rev. 20:12) And after that, a state of permanent peace. “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Rev. 21:1-2)

And so it is this one person, Jesus, who distinguishes Christianity from every other worldview, philosophy, or religion. His teachings satisfy my ever-growing curiosity, need, and understanding of God as both Father and Creator. His teachings call me on to my best efforts of morality and good works. His teachings stir my inner and powerful desires to be an integrated whole, and to lead an authentic life fully evidenced by my deeds. His teachings do not relieve me of my own responsibility for the life I lead; if anything, they place the burden of that squarely on my own shoulders.

However, the single most critical reason that I am a Christian is because a half-century ago I got saved. The authentic life I was seeking was impossible for me to accomplish of my own will, but I got saved, and I know who did that: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

When it comes to all the religions of the world, there is this one critical difference: There are all kinds of religions and philosophies, but there is only one Jesus, who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) And, the greatest truth is that it is not about religion, but relationship. When we encounter Jesus, we encounter the one great truth that God has revealed that gives clarity to all lesser truths. God has revealed himself to us in Jesus. (cf. Col. 1:15-20)

I encourage everyone to live the best life they can, and I am experientially well-satisfied that this is possible only in Jesus. I rest in this: I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. I pray you will also.

Q. Why am I a Christian?