People can be classified under two main headings: a) Christian, and b) non-christian. Christians are followers of Jesus Christ because they have received the free Gift of God’s Salvation. Non-christians are not followers of Jesus Christ. But they can become.
The Bible says. “For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22,23). This situation is the result of Adam, the first man God created and placed in the Garden of Eden. And God told Adam, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16,17).
In spite of God’s clear and specific instructions to Adam; he chose to disobey God. The result of Adam’s disobedience, caused sin to come into the world. The Bible says, “Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
This means no one is exempt because all sinned. When God created man, He gave man a “free will” so man could choose to do right or to do wrong. And this is very evident today.
In the same way, man can choose to be a Christian by accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior and living a life of obedience to God.
Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).
Nicodemus said to Jesus “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus responded, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:4-7).
Being born again takes place when a person comes to accept Jesus Christ as Savior by God’s grace alone, through Faith alone, and in Christ alone. The Bible explains how to do this. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9,10).
To be justified means a person is declared righteous by God because Jesus Christ bore his sins on the Cross, being made sin for him. The Bible explains, “For our sake [God} made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
A non-christian is a person who has never entered into to a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ by accepting Him as his or her Savior. The Bible says, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6).
Although God has provided the means for sinful man to be reconciled to Himself, yet He never compels or pressures anyone to be saved. The fact is “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The key is whoever believes in him [Jesus Christ] will not perish but have eternal life. Whoever believes in or commits himself to Christ will have eternal life. By having eternal life, means a person has the assurance of eternal security. Belief is synonymous with faith and consists of believing and receiving all that God has revealed in His Word.
Believers in Jesus Christ have the wonderful assurance of a glorious future, because they are citizens of heaven. ”Our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:20,21).
The Bible also says, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4).
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, why not do so right now, right where you are. Jesus is available all the time and at any time. How to do so is set forth above in this blog. And this would be a most important decision you make. May the Lord Jesus give you courage to do so. For His name sake. Amen.