Question: I don’t believe in God, but I am a Christian.
Answer: This is an “oxymoron.” An oxymoron is when two words or ideas are opposite to each other. A Christian is one who believes in God. I know that in the United States that a lot of people think they are Christians just because they were born here, but that is not what the word “Christian” means. If on the way to the hospital you came early, and you were born in the garage, does that make you a car? No, the word “Christian” means, according to the dictionary: “Professing belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on his teachings.” Jesus taught us to believe in God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity of the Godhead.
The Bible states that those who are followers, or disciples of Christ are called Christians: “.And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26c) The disciples of Christ have in many countries, and throughout the ages been persecuted, if you had to give up your life for being called a Christian would you still be willing to be called a Christian? You see one day in the United States and other countries like it we may be called upon once again to suffer for the Lord, if this is the case, I wonder how many people will still want to be called Christians!
St. Paul told King Agrippa that he had told both Jews and Gentiles how to become Christians and that was that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance. He went on to say that Moses prophesied “that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
As he shared this message with King Agrippa and Porcius Festus (historical kings), Festus said with a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!’ But he (Paul) said, ‘I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; (about the miracles, death and resurrection of Christ) for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. ‘King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.’ Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’ And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:22-31)
You see, you too, my friend, can know what it really means to become a Christian. First, you have to admit that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, and then you need to turn from your sin (which is what repent means) to Christ to save you. You do this by faith, but your faith is based on the facts of the Word of God. You know something of the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ or else you would not even have known the word Christian. I dare you to disprove the resurrection of Christ; we have an article that explains this! I dare you to say, God if you exist reveal yourself to me! “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled (made right) to God.
Jesus died in our place on the cross so that we would not suffer eternal death. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21) Friend, it is like the two thieves on the cross, one chose to be identified with Christ, by admitting he was a sinner and by calling Him Lord, he was then instantly saved. We know this because Jesus said, “today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The other thief chose to reject Christ, and went out into eternity forever lost. God will not force us to be saved, but if we do not receive the pardon He offers we will have to take our own punishment for sin.
Billy Graham tells the true story of a convict condemned to die on death row, and how someone in a suit came in to try and talk to him. The convicted criminal, however, thinking it was another pastor that wanted to pray with him, told the person in the suit to leave-he didn’t want to hear what he had to say. Sadly, the man with the suit, left. After he had gone the guard told the man, “What a fool you are, that person you thought was a pastor, that you didn’t want to talk to, was the governor of this state, who had a pardon in his pocket for you!”
The choice is yours, God will not violate your free will, He has a pardon for you, but you have to receive it humbly, and you will be saved! Pray now to receive Christ and His pardon from sin He has to offer, and then you can truly call yourself a Christian that believes in God!
For more information read:
How do I know that Jesus was (and still is) God, not just a good man?
Heaven-How To Get There
What does it mean to be born again?
Thanks for the comment,
Gary T. Panell
For more information email me.
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