Why be a Christian?

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved (John 10:9).

Why should you be a Christian?  What’s the point?  How does following Jesus benefit you?  Who needs religion, anyway?  Aren’t there lots of places you can go for help when life gets you down?

For one thing, God can help you with problems that seem overwhelming.  He made the universe and has the power to suspend the laws of nature if He so chooses.  He can make incurable cancer go into remission.  He can push severe weather in a different direction or make it fizzle out altogether in order to spare a life.  He can also help you make good decisions when life hands you a complicated problem.  He can give you patience and strength to bear with situations that are crushing your spirit.  He says, call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me (Psalm 50:15).

Even more importantly, God can help you with relationships.  No life can be happy when lived alone.  No life can be satisfying if it is spoiled by feelings of resentment, fear, or regret.  God sent His Son Jesus to earth because our relationships need help.  He teaches how to love unselfishly, how to serve others with gladness, and how to forgive those who make us feel miserable.  When Christ suffered on the cross, He made reconciliation possible for every broken relationship—especially our relationship with God.  The LORD God Almighty reconciled us to himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).

Most important of all is the question of what happens when you die?  No question has haunted mankind more than this.  When I bury my parents, my spouse, my children, is that it?  Will I ever see them again?  What about me?  When I die, what comes next?  Christianity has the answers to those questions.  When you die, God has a decision to make—welcome you into His home, or reject you forever as unwelcome.  Thankfully, it is quite easy to gain admittance into heaven—all you need is a loving relationship with God’s Son.  Jesus made this promise: Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me (John 12:26).

Why be a Christian?  Here’s a short list: love, joy, peace, guidance, help, protection, forgiveness, hope, and eternal life in paradise.  What’s not to like about that?