What is a Christian?
An inkling too important to ignore ...
The good news is that if you have an inkling that our universe might not be random after all, then you're on the right track. The even-better news is that God has given us much more to go on than that.
Our universe isn't random or abandoned by its creator. Our sense of morality isn't random either. Each one of us is distressed by the senseless acts of tyranny and evil that we see each night on the news. We are rightly outraged that the perpetrators may never be confronted with what they have done and held to account for their actions.
And in our more honest moments we know that sometimes we fail to treat our family, friends, neighbours, or those in need whether locally or on the other side of the world, in the way that our sense of morality urges us to. We know that we have at least some small share in the things we see on the news that arouse our contempt.
Christians believe that God visited our world in the form of a man - Jesus Christ. He held a mirror to his own Jewish society of the time, but he may as well have been holding a mirror to ours. He exposed the personal corruption and impure motives endemic within a man's heart, and rebuked those who may have arrogantly or misguidedly thought that they played no part in this problem.
The creator of our moral sense of right and wrong unsurprisingly shared our outrage at what was wrong with our lives, relationships, and societies. But he asked that we take a look at ourselves if we wanted to understand the source of the problem. And he had great compassion for those who were prepared to humbly do so. A compassion that would take him willingly to his own crucifixion.
Jesus Christ came with good news for those who were prepared to recognise him as who he said he was - the God of both the universe and their lives; and what he said he had come to do - die in the place of sinners like us so that we might live forever with Him. He performed many great miracles so that no-one would be able to mistake who he was. And he spoke with great clarity and authority so that no-one would be unclear about what was at stake in our response to him, or the consequences of ignoring him.
If you feel like you would like more information about the life and claims of Jesus Christ and the importance of what this means for you, please pop in and attend one of our Sunday services, or alternatively please contact us to arrange a private and confidential chat with one of our ministry team. We would sincerely love to hear from you.
