Being a Christian is simple, living it is the hard bit.

Being a Christian isn’t about being a member of an exclusive organisation or club, with privileges and perks others only dream about, who lock themselves away in secret halls and perform strange and ancient rites.

Being a Christian is simply realising and believing who Jesus was and is and understanding what He did for us and why.

When we have this understanding we try to live our lives as He did and as He wants us to, living in the sure hope of a better, eternal life, either when we die or if we are alive when He returns.

The whole point of what Jesus came for can be summed up in one verse in the Bible, John 3:16, quite a famous verse even if you don’t read the Bible, no doubt you’ve seen it somewhere.

16. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

It isn’t just believing in an idea though, God is a living God and is there to help us through life if we accept His ways and try to live a life that is pleasing to God.

God didn’t make the world a bad place, in fact He made it perfect but because mankind disobeyed God, ‘Sin’ entered our life and death became part of life. People often say, why can’t God just sort it all out, if He’s a loving God how can He watch all the misery that going on in the world?

The answer is He would love to but being a Just God He can’t force people to do what they don’t want to do. The sad fact is we all have a free will and many people use it to do bad things. As a race of people (human race) we have the ability ‘ourselves’ to get rid of hunger, poverty and suffering throughout the whole world, but we choose not to.

Jesus came to show us the way, to tell us we have the power to make the world a better place and get back to what God had originally intended the world to be like, He believed in us so much He died to save us. He became the sacrifice which was needed to save our souls from eternal death.

There is a war raging for our souls, God has shown us the way through Jesus Christ and asks us to believe in Him and follow His example, Satan or the Devil on the other hand wants us to fill our lives and minds with anything that will distract us from believing in God. Contrary to popular beliefs Satan is not a horned red beast who lives in a fiery pit, he is a powerful and wise angel who can use good as well as bad to get what he wants.

All Jesus Christ asks of us is to treat everyone with equal respect, treat them as you want to be treated and put God first in your life. If you do then God will honour your life and decisions, He will guide you and protect you, but it isn’t a get out of jail card, where you will have a perfect life with no stress or worry.

We are still human and live in a non-perfect world and so are open to all the things others go through, but with God in our lives we have a peace and security that all these things are temporary, that the goal which eternal life with him is worth living and fighting for.

The opposite can be said of those who ignore Him, a sad fact which many Churches ignore these days, the uncomfortable side to being a Christian is knowing those around you who you call friends and family may be going to a lost eternity, a Godless eternity of torment because they choose to not believe. It may sound harsh and hard but the reality is the answer is there, God has given us the way out, He has done all He can the rest as they say is up to us, this is what free will is all about.

So when you eventually stand before God, remember you had a choice, to live as Christ wanted or live as you wanted, if you chose to do it your way then you have already been rewarded, and you turned your back on what God wanted to give you, if you chose to do it God’s way then an eternal reward awaits you with God in heaven.