Pastor’s Message

The decision to become a Christian is the boldest decision a person can ever make. You may disagree with that statement, but I’d like to explain why I believe it is true. A Christian is someone who seeks to love and follow Jesus Christ, trusts completely in Him as Savior, and obeys Him as Lord. Christians believe what the Bible says about Christ and have opened the door of their lives and have asked Him to enter. Whether it was through a sudden or a gradual experience, they have become certain that it is only Jesus who can make them the person God intended for them to be.

The goal of every Christian should be to become more and more like Jesus. This is where it becomes difficult for most people. Our natural desire is to live to please ourselves and to put ourselves first in every situation. When we do something, we like the credit, recognition, and the praise of others. But the Bible says that we are placed here on earth to glorify God. That means “dying” to self.

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). The apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). And in another place he declares, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

So you see that the fully – committed Christian is one who truly desires that when others look at him or her that it is the Person of Jesus that they see. Participating in the work of God’s Kingdom becomes more important than personal recognition, financial wealth, or having control.

Being a Christian means that everything I have belongs to Jesus – time, talent, treasure; even my body is the “temple of God,” where His Spirit now resides (I Corinthians 3:16).

When a group of like – minded individuals come together to worship and serve the Lord with this conviction, you will see the church as God intends for her to be. People will still have conflicts, differences of opinion, and problems to solve. But personal desire will be put aside for the good of the whole church. That’s because all agree that God’s will comes first.

Those striving to be mature Christians are those who are most eager to obey our Lord’s commission to “go and make disciples of all nations.” Their focus is outward and not inward. They find joy in reaching others for Christ. They have moved beyond quarreling, envying, and gossiping within the church because all that does is keep them from accomplishing the work God has called them to do. The mature in Christ refuse to give Satan a place from which to work inside the church.

So you see that becoming a Christian means a complete transformation of a person’s life. It means the total relinquishing of my will to God’s will. It means that God “calls the shots.” Anything less is not acceptable to Him. You are either a disciple or you are not. There is nothing in-between.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matthew 9:37). Are you willing to give your life for Him? He gave His for you.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Bill Stout Weirton Heights Memorial Baptist Church