I have repeatedly heard people say they are Christians because they come from Christian homes or families. It’s a blessing to have that heritage, but that doesn’t make you a Christian. Nobody can inherit Christianity, and no one can live a godly life just because they grew up in a religious home. Nobody’s name gets written in the Lamb’s Book of Life because they have Christian parents or grandparents.
Mankind has a sinful nature
inherited from our fore parents as far back as Adam and Eve, who disobeyed God
in the Garden of Eden. Their sin led to a separation between them and God and
subsequently between God and us. In short, being separated from God leads to an
eternity without God in hell. Each person is personally accountable to God.
Nobody can believe in God on another person’s behalf; salvation cannot be
inherited or passed on to another.
So, if you are an individual
who has been making that claim, you should be asking: “How does one account for
themselves?” By doing what your Christian parents did-- they admitted they are
sinners because God says so (see Romans 3:23), and they asked for God’s
forgiveness through Jesus Christ, His only Son, God’s remedy for sin! The
Bible puts it this way--“God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People
are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life,
shedding his blood. … He (God) declares
sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans
3:25-26) (Emphasis mine).
Dear reader, the only way to
become a child of God – a Christian – is to repent of your sins and put your
faith in Jesus because He died in your place. God will credit Jesus’
righteousness to your account because your sins have been placed on Him.
If you are a Christian parent
or grandparent, you are responsible for leading your children to faith in
Christ. You also have the responsibility to help them grow in their walk with
Him through teaching, godly example, and praying for and with them. Make sure
they’re not assuming they are Christians based on your profession of faith. We
each have to have our names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, based on our profession.
Dear parent, ensure your
children understand this right from the start; don’t just take them to church
and Christian gatherings, assuming they’ll automatically understand. Help them
understand who God says they are and the need to have a personal relationship
with Him through Christ. Help them know that when it comes to accountability, they are on their own; they won’t come before God as a member of a group, family, or any other way besides individually.
“For we must all stand before
Christ to be judged. We will each
receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly
body” (2 Corinthians 5:10). (Emphasis mine).
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