Let me tell you plainly why I am not a Christian.
I’m not a Christian because I call myself one. A jar with a pickle label in my garage may be filled with paint thinner, for all you know. It’s not the label; it’s what’s inside that counts. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 7:21).
I’m not a Christian because my folks were Christians. God has no grandchildren. If your mother played the church organ or your father was a preacher, it won’t get you into heaven. You can be really close and still miss it. Balaam preached God’s word and perished. Lot’s wife held an angel’s hand and died a step from safety. Judas kissed the Door of heaven and went to hell.
I’m not a Christian because I’ve been confirmed, baptized, or joined a church. As Jesus said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you’” (Mt 7:22-23).
They had a religious vocabulary, “Lord,” and a religious education, “we…prophesied in Your name.” They had religious experiences and works, “cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders.” And He says? “I never knew you.”
Coming to church may be good, but it’s coming to Christ that we really need. Billy Sunday used to say, “Being born in a garage doesn’t make you a car.” Mere religion will not do; we need a living relationship with God. That only comes by being honest with Him about our sin and then deciding to entrust ourselves to Him for salvation.
The car I drive was purchased in Jackson. While a few details were being finalized, I conversed with a delightful gentleman in the dealership waiting room. He inquired where I hailed from, then asked: “Any churches in Starkville?”
“About fifty-seven,” I said.
“Do you attend any of them?” he wanted to know.
“I’ve been to quite a few,” I replied, “but haven’t found any that can get me into heaven.”
“Isn’t that the truth!” he said. “I just discovered that when I was 80! I was a founding church member and a Sunday School leader, but four years ago we invited an evangelist. The first night after he preached, God seemed to say to me: ‘You’re not saved.’ When I told my wife, she replied, ‘Don’t be silly. I’ve been married to you for 58 years; I know you’re a Christian.’
“‘If you have an opinion and God has an opinion, who should I listen to?’ We knew the answer. I struggled all week, then confessed publicly that I had religion but had never been saved.” That night he trusted Christ.
So there are some reasons I’m not a Christian. Here’s one (of many) that I am. I discovered that Christ is the only Savior, I realized that I desperately needed saving, and He agreed to take me as-is, rescuing my soul when I put my trust in Him. Here is God’s rock-solid promise to all: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Simple. Sure. Satisfying. You’ll never regret it.
The idea for this article came from my friend Dave Dixon, from California.
Religion Page article by Jabe Nicholson first published in the Commercial Dispatch on Sunday, Apr 11, 2021.