As Easter draws near, I’ve been wondering why I’ve chosen to follow this man, Jesus Christ, and His teachings. Is it because I was raised this way? Is it because I want to go to Heaven? Is it because I fear the alternatives? Or is it something else?
After much soul searching, I’ve come to realize that I believe in Jesus Christ because of my personal relationship with Him. I still remember a night many years ago, as a child, sitting alone beside my bed in the dark and asking Jesus Christ to enter into my heart and be my savior.
This one action was a life-altering event that began with a child’s innocent belief that what my parents were teaching me was correct and Jesus Christ was God in human form that truly could save me from my own sinful nature.
I feel very fortunate that I’ve taken the teaching of Jesus Christ on blind faith without the need for proof of His existence or His sovereignty.
Honestly, it is because He has lived within me for so long that I just KNOW He is real. I’ve felt His love, disappointment, mercy and grace since the night I asked Him to be mine. I have felt His overwhelming pursuit of my entire being and His urging to be who God made me.
Make no mistake, this does not mean I have not fallen away from His teachings. I am very far from perfect and I have often desired to follow my own path instead of His.
However, I count my faith as the greatest gift God has given me in this life. Jesus has celebrated my achievements, mourned with my losses and welcomed me into His arms when I return from trying life my way. Mainly, Jesus continually jerks me back onto the right path and convicts my whole being when I am wrong.
Of course, I realize that not everyone has been given this gift of blind faith…I’m married to an engineer who wants all things to have a logical, concrete and tangible existence. I get it. We, humans, need proof and data to support our beliefs.
SO, I’ve done a little research on the defense for Jesus Christ being God’s Son who is a living, guiding, empowering and saving redeemer of mankind for those who accept Him as such. There are many commentaries on this subject; including the many fulfillments of the Messianic Prophesies (these are fascinating!!! Check out the internet for more information. I may have to do an entire blog on these). However, below is my favorite from Paul Little who wrote Know Why You Believe.
“Anyone can make claims. Others have claimed deity. But when it comes to Jesus of Nazareth, his words are backed up by evidence. He said, “If I don’t do the things my Father does, well and good; don’t believe me. But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. Then perhaps things will come together for you, and you’ll see that not only are we doing the same thing; we are the same—Father and Son. He is in me; I am in him” (John 10:38, The Message). The greatest evidence to Christ’s claims of deity is his resurrection from the dead. Five times, he predicted he would die. He also predicted how he would die and that three days later he would rise from the dead and appear to his disciples. For evidence of his resurrection, you must turn to the historical record. There are 10 different recorded sightings of the living Christ after his death by crucifixion. In one of his appearances, he was seen by a group of 500 people (1 Corinthians 15:6). For those who still say the Resurrection was made up, I have a question: What was it that changed a group of frightened, cowardly disciples into men of courage and conviction? What turned them into people who were willing to be tortured and killed because they believed Jesus was God? I believe that only the real bodily resurrection of Christ could have produced such a radical change.”
We all have to make our own decisions on what we want to believe and who we want to follow, but for me it makes sense to choose Jesus Christ because He showed LOVE through and through! I encourage you to search your own heart to find out who is worthy enough for you to want to follow.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’” John 14:6-7
Who do you think Jesus Christ is?
Some Wisdom for Today: Proverbs 8:17 – I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
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