Why I Am A Christian

Or Maybe Not....

My friends at #christianbloggers on g+ have started a weekly theme.  I thought it would be a great idea to work on sparking some of my Christian creativity and writing skills.  This weeks theme, announced on Monday, was 'why I am a Christian'.  Well, I started writing my testimony and it turned out to be a lot longer than planned.  I talk way too much.  So I gave my testimony its own page.  

I didn't want the answer to answer the question with my testimony.   That was really just supposed to be background information. I wanted to answer with why I am NOT a Christian. As in what has not influenced me for a strong faith in Christ.  I don't want any confusion here, I AM a follower of Christ.  

I am NOT a Christian because of that evangelist I heard when I was eleven. That just scared me, no terrified me into an alter call and repeating some words.  In fact it gave me a life of doubt in my salvation.  I said a prayer because I was scared.  And you know what?  Every time there was an invitation to pray that prayer again.... I did it. As I got older I quit walking down the isle for alter calls but I still silently followed along for fear that I hadn't prayed hard enough the last time.

Christianity is not about avoiding hell. I have no fond feelings for hell and brimstone preachers (see note!) who scare salvation into people.  At this point I don't think I really became a Christian until after I was married. I certainly did not live as a real Christian, just doing the right things and even pretending to do the basics like pray and read the bible (to fit in more ths anything else).  It wasn't until I passed through the fire a few years ago at a starving church that I was cemented in Christ rather than merely doing good things and repeating phrases I heard at church.  And you know what?  My insecurity in salvation disappeared then too.  

** Please allow me to point out that hell is real.  It is a real place, and those that refuse God will see it first hand. Preachers should teach on hell and satan once in awhile. I do not support 'feel good gospel' churches that never have the guts to touch on the painful subjects.  However, there is a balance between the good warm fuzzy feeling stuff and the scare the socks off ya stuff.  Scaring people will not grow the kingdom of God, though neither will wrapping them in warm fuzzies and handing them a cup of cocoa.