Why Am I a Christian?

If you were to ask me why I am a Christian, there are quite a few responses I could offer. I could go all technical and say I believe in God because of the teleological argument and the incredible design we see in this universe. After all, doesn’t design point to a designer?

Or I could highlight the cosmological argument and how the order in the cosmos points to Christ. But then I’d sound smarter than I am. If you were keen on a more extended conversation, we could talk about the ontological argument, but it’s too confusing for me to understand, let alone explain. And then there is the moral argument, one of my favorites, that says there is an innate human need for moral justice.

All of these points are useful. But if I were to shoot straight and give you the real reason Ezra Byer is a follower of Jesus, I would point you to the Gospel of John, chapter 4, and the story of Jesus and a woman from Samaria. If you’re unfamiliar with this story, it’s worth noting there were three major reasons this encounter should have never taken place. The first was because of this woman’s cultural background. Jewish people hated Samaritans, and few Jews would have made the decision Jesus made to pass through Samaria to meet her.

The second major challenge was gender. In an era where a woman’s testimony would not hold up in court, women were viewed as inferior. Nearly two millenniums before the suffragette movement, women held virtually no societal rights or privileges. And the third was her moral baggage. This woman had been married five times. And while John doesn’t tell us why she was married five times, it’s safe to assume from the context of this story that people of her culture held her at a distance.

Still, despite these societal objections, Jesus went to where she was. And the encounter changed this woman’s life. After meeting Jesus, she went into the town and said these compelling words, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.”^[1]

In other words, “I found someone who knows me!”

In Western Culture, we have this isolated, privileged mindset that says people are inherently good. We think that if people are just given the right environment to live in, they will excel and love others as they should. But when it comes to my own story, I know this is false.

I know Ezra pretty well. Left to my own devices, I am selfish, proud, prejudiced, and manipulative. But when I encountered Jesus, I found something neither religion nor culture could offer. I didn’t experience judgment and shame, nor did I receive frivolous tolerance for who I was. Instead, I found someone who told me all that I ever did and still offered me the gift of eternal life.

And since then, I’ve found Jesus to be someone who has been with me in seasons of depression, misunderstanding, hurt, bitterness, shame, and doubt. Because of the gospel, the great longing of my heart to be known is fulfilled. As Timothy Keller says, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

For years, I often thought of the concept of eternal life as a destination—Heaven. But after reading 1 John, I’ve since discovered that eternal life is encapsulated in the person of Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, I have hope. Because of Jesus, I do not need to fear death. Because of Jesus, I have a transformed view of justice for this world. Because of Jesus, I recognize life is less about what I do and all about what Jesus has done.

He demonstrated his authority over death and the grave through his death, burial, and resurrection. And as I place my hope in him, I experience this same reality and confidence. I don’t fear death because I trust the one who overcame it.

Because I know Jesus, I know God. And you can, too.