Who is Jesus?
In order to understand anything about Christianity, it’s important to answer this question first. If you consult a typical encyclopedia, it will tell you that Jesus was a Jew who lived in the first century in a Roman province called Judea, which bordered on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea. He was crucified by the authority of the Roman Empire when he was about thirty years of age. That much is about as indisputable as anything that historians know about the first century. Unfortunately, that’s also about as much information of value as you will find in secular histories. To really know who Jesus was (and is), you need to read the New Testament (NT).
From the NT, we learn that Jesus existed from eternity past, long before his birth in 3/2 BC. And that is because he is one of three persons, or separate personalities, that make up God himself. The apostle John wrote about him, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (Jn 1:1-2 NASB95)
Further, Jesus rose bodily from the dead three days after his death and subsequent burial in a stone cave. He lives today, and he still communicates with people in a variety of different ways. Jesus is most definitely alive.
So Who are Christians?
According to the New Testament, Christians are those who believe that Jesus rose from the dead. But that word “believe” comes with an asterisk attached. It means more than just mentally assenting that the resurrection is a historical fact. It means that you welcome the revelation that Jesus is alive, and you say “yes” to his claim on you (see the blog entry for God’s claim on all humanity).
Personally, I know this from experience. For several weeks after I became convinced that Jesus was from God and that he was indeed alive – I kept him at arms length, because I didn’t want to give up control of my life. I didn’t want to “bend the knee” to Jesus, or to follow him. That changed after a few weeks, and the reason I finally accepted Jesus as my Lord was because of a single verse: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me.” (Rev 3:20 NASB95). I was okay with him standing outside the door, but I realized he wouldn’t stand there forever. And, I didn’t really want him to go away, either.
So I said, “Yes.” And it has made all the difference.
So, how do you know you are a Christian?
It’s pretty easy. Have you said “yes” to Jesus? Have you acknowledged that you are guilty of wrongdoing (what the Bible calls sin), and that you want Jesus to forgive you, cleanse you, and help you to live a better life? Have you (in your own words) given him the “keys to your car?” That’s what it means to call Jesus, “Lord.”
That’s all it takes. It doesn’t take any formality, or any special wording. But if you would like a prayer to assist you, this one is an example you could pray:
“Jesus, I believe that you died for me, and that you live now. I ask you to forgive my past wrongs, to cleanse me, and to guide my life from this day forward. Thank you.”
The particular words don’t matter so much; what really matters is whether you prayed these things sincerely. If you have prayed that prayer, or something similar to it, you ARE a Christian. You belong to Jesus. You now have peace with your past because of the cross (he paid the penalty for your wrongs). You have peace guaranteed for an eternal future because of the resurrection. And he promises to be with you every day, no matter what comes (Heb 13:5). That is the best news, ever!
It’s not uncommon to experience a lightness, a joy, and an excitement after becoming a Christian. But those feelings, nice as they may be, are not the assurance that you are now “born again.” That assurance comes from the Bible. For Jesus said that, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will certainly not cast out.” (Jn 6:37 NASB95). Let this word be your assurance.
Blessings!