Why are you a Christian? Or maybe, after our last article the question can be better asked as, “how” are you a Christian? Think about it. We showed last time that the Bible teaches that mankind, in this fallen state, is dead in sin and transgression. One of my dear Armenian friends made a comment to me after reading our last post that he thinks that “Calvinists” take the word dead too far. Too far? As I wrote in the last post; words mean things! When God uses the word “dead” to describe the spiritual nature of mankind what else can He mean other than, dead?

Being dead in sin has caused holistic depravity; there is no part of us that is not corrupted in our natural state. So it is more than clear that no man can save himself or even assist in his salvation. He has no power to save himself and no ability to do good. But not only does man lack the ability we also see that he lacks the will to do good, he does not want to do good nor does he even “want to want to”. “All” man has “turned away” from God and none of us sought and no man now seeks God. Paul could not possibly state this any clearer than he did in Romans 3.

So then, again, why are you a Christian? If you had no power to save yourself and you did not even have the will or desire to be saved prior to your conversion, how is that you are saved now? Understanding that we are dead to God removes the notion that “I made a choice” or “I choose to believe” or “I accepted Jesus”. You had no power to believe and no will to believe…yet, now you believe. How can this be?

Volumes have been written about this by far smarter and more educated men than I, so for now, I’m just going to list a few passages that teach how and why those of us who trust Christ are able and now want to do so. Read these scriptures carefully and let's begin to deal with them and others as we wrestle with this question. The first two are repeats from our last post, but read them again, pray and dig into study to help in your understanding, I'm doing the same. Over the next few posts I will pick some key passages and will exposit them and that, God willing, will help us understand how this all fits together.

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, Colossians 2:13 niv

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:1-5 niv

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. John 15:16 niv

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6 niv

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 niv

This ought to be enough to chew on for a while. Next time we’ll stay with this issue and bring other scriptures into the mix, I can’t hardly wait to teach on the golden chain of Romans 8!