Why Am I A Christian?
“King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I
know that you do.” Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade
me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in
a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might
become such as I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:27-29)
This is a difficult passage. For a long time, a debate has been ongoing about
Agrippa’s attitude when he made the statement, “Paul, you almost persuade me to
be a Christian.” (1) Was the king near conversion? Or, (2) was he chastising
Paul for a brazen attempt at evangelizing him? On Paul’s part, there was
boldness in the original not evident in an English translation, a boldness the
king may have considered shocking for a prisoner to make to a significant
authority. However, we could say nothing that would end the argument—too little
information is available.
Perhaps we could ask a fruitful question by each asking self the question, “Why
am I a Christian?” Begin with the observation that the Christian in this
situation was a prisoner. Eventually his appeal to Caesar resulted in a trial in
Rome. Even later, his appearances in Rome resulted in his execution.
Am I a Christian:
1. To obtain advantages and blessings that would not otherwise be available to me?
2. To escape consequences which scare me?
3. To obligate God to protect me from bad things?
4. To express faith in the reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection?
5. To declare faith in the restoration of the Creator God to His rightful position?
Consider some observations. (1) It is common
in talking about salvation to discuss our benefits, but to rarely discuss God.
We focus on matters like forgiveness, redemption, sanctification, justification,
and propitiation as though salvation was primarily about us and not about the
God who gave us Jesus Christ. (2) It is uncommon for us to focus on or discuss
the enormous injustice the Creator endured when His creation honored the evil
that odiously perverted the earthly creation of the Creator. (3) Perhaps the
primary objective of our salvation is to promote the restoration of the Creator
to His rightful place and the secondary benefit of our salvation is our
forgiveness, redemption, sanctification, justification, and propitiation.
Unselfishness focuses on God. Selfishness focuses on us.
“When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be
subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in
all.” (Corinthians 15:28)
Link to other Writings of David Chadwell