I recently received a WhatsApp message from a friend that jarred me to the reality that it’s been a while since I sat and contemplated what my ‘job’ as a Christian really is.

I know many people are in the same boat with me so I thought it would be worthwhile to write on the topic. This also provides an overview of the basics of Christianity and may be beneficial for those new to the faith.

Firstly, it’s important to understand that the work of the cross appropriated to our lives, is fully and wholly an act of grace.

Most of us have read or heard John 3:16, where John talks to Nicodemus about being born again, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” In summary, believing makes us become followers of Jesus Christ. Believing that Jesus is the son, believing that He died and was resurrected to acquit us from the penalty of our sins and to provide the opportunity for us to accept him as Lord of our lives. This process is completely through grace by faith or believing.

John 1:12 &13 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born… of God.” Meaning all it takes to be born of God, or to become a child of God is to receive the gift of salvation, by believing in Jesus’ work on the cross.

As a child born in a Christian home, being born again was part of the natural progression of things. I ate, slept, went to church every Sunday, participated in the age-appropriate activities available during the week, and I got saved (born again), baptized, and filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Phew… that was a long sentence. 😅

With no parent present, when my mother had to work on a Sunday and my dad was out of town, I dressed myself and made it to church, every Sunday, together with my brothers.

For many who didn’t have that luxury, Christianity can be confusing, and may seem like a life of following a bunch of rules in a rulebook called the Bible. I’ve discovered though, that it’s nothing like that. Christianity is all about a relationship with God our Heavenly Father and my job as a believer is all about abiding.

Think of a mango or apple tree with a trunk, branches, and leaves. The responsibility of each branch is to stay attached to the trunk of the tree. Well, it’s the same for believers. We just need to stay attached to Christ as described in John 15:1-17. What’s interesting is that it’s the tree’s responsibility to provide the nutrients for the branches to be able to stay attached and it’s the same for us Christians.

Now for go getters and people with ‘Type A’ personalities, that may sound ludicrous: very lazy and irresponsible. Well a lot of things in Christianity seem ludicrous if you view them through normal lenses. Here are two examples: “give and it will be given unto you….” and “The humble shall inherit the earth….”

In line with our responsibility to abide, Ephesians 5:1 says to, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” The older I get, the more of my parents I see in me. Not only do I look more like them, but I also act and react like them, because I’ve spent a lifetime imitating them.

We have experienced a second birth and are now children of God, it is now natural for us to act and react like our Heavenly Father. Just as I carefully observed my parents: walked around in my mother’s shoes, clothing, and jewelry, mirrored her actions, and adopted her values, likewise I am to do the same with regard to my Heavenly Father. If I’m to imitate Him, I have to first know what He’s like. I learn about Him, understand what He’s like, and what His values are by reading and studying His word.

As imitators of Christ, Ephesians 5:15 tells us “…be careful how you live [live life with honor, purpose, and courage]. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise [sensible, intelligent, and discerning].”

What does that verse say to you. Pause and allow the Holy Spirit to make it personal and practical for your current situations.

We get wiser when we learn and study. Like a student preparing for a test: if she studies and follows the instructions of her teacher, she can expect to do well, but if she doesn’t study and ignores her teacher’s instructions, she can prepare for a failing grade on the test.

The Holy Spirit is our teacher, comforter, counselor, and guide. He also prepares us for living as Christians by giving us gifts that allow us to help other Christ followers. These gifts are outlined in Ephesians 12:7-11 and include words of wisdom and knowledge, healing, the power to perform miracles, and the ability to prophesy.

What are your gifts? Are you actively utilizing them as you should? If you don’t know what your gifts are, this free Spiritual Gifts Survey from Lifeway may prove helpful. You’ll need to block out about 15 minutes to complete it.
https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/women-leadership-spiritual-gifts-growth-service (QC receives NO compensation from, and is not affiliated with Lifeway. It’s just a cool free tool.)

Now, I know that I’ve been using God, Jesus, and Christ seemingly interchangeably and that can be confusing so let me clarify. Christians believe in a triune God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. They are distinctly three, but indistinguishably one. We refer to the concept as the Trinity.

Lastly, we are commissioned like the disciples, to take people to heaven with us. It’s like when you find a product you really like, you tell everyone who will listen and even some who won’t. As believers, our new life leads to an eternity with Christ and is better than any product we have ever tried or ever will try.

Mark 16:15 says, “You are to go to all the world and share the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ with every person.” When we find abundant life in Christ, we can’t be selfish and keep it to ourselves, when there are sooooo many others searching for it. We need to tell everyone we meet: those who will listen and those who won’t.

Telling others about Christ doesn’t mean chasing after people with a Bible and pointing out their faults, that is the Holy Spirit’s job. God’s word says that ‘…we are living epistles read by others.’ Others can learn about Christ by looking at how we live. Quite often because of Christ’s life flowing out of us we also get openings to verbally tell others about the amazing gift of Salvation that we have found.

Here are a few scripture verses to ponder.

“For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. 1 Cor 2:2

“When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the street.” Col 2:15

“And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” Ephesians 1:13‭-‬14 (NLT)

“No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8