Why I am a Christian and more

Why I am a Christian

This is my essay about why I am a Christian.

I am a Christian because I am going to die and only one person, God-in-the-flesh Jesus Christ, has beaten death with His death and resurrection, which means He is the only One who is able to offer the cure for death, which is His gift of my own resurrection to eternal life.

That was my essay about why I am a Christian.

Of course, there is more to the Christian faith, and you might even argue that I am a Christian because I was born into a Christian family. Every other thing aside—how I was reared, what else the Lord does for me—is in the shadow of this shining light: Jesus Christ gives life which transcends this life, the resurrection to a life when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Since He is the Victor over death, He is my Hero. His gift of life is why I am a Christian. The gift of life is the only gift every human needs.

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How I practice my faith

Many people have expressed their concern for me, wondering if I have changed my faith in Christ or might be losing it. As I answer them, I find the reply a good one for all to know—Christians or not—that folks might be encouraged.

– When I leave my bed: I recite a psalm verse and might offer a specific petition for the events of that day.
– Every day, my first activity is to be in the Word. I listen to a podcast devotion, then read selections from the Psalms, Old Testament, New Testament, and Gospels.
– I pray throughout the day. I turn to Him in prayer dozens of times a day—before and after every meal, when I hear sirens, when I see a car broken down along the road, when I drive by people at work, say on road construction, when I am traveling, when I think of one of my kids or other loved ones, when folks ask for my prayers. I pray regarding myself, seeking the Lord’s guidance.
– When I go jogging each morning, I pray and sing to myself, hymns and parts of the liturgy.
– The last thing I do at night is pray a series of prayers, including the prayer taught to me by my mother, which was our evening devotion, when I pray for my children, grandchildren, siblings, and Julie & me, and others.

Sunday worship is vital.  As a former member used to say: the first thing to do on the first day of the week is worship the Lord.  When I was a pastor, and now that I am back in the pew. I love being in the house of the Lord.

I urge all Christians to make good use of their faith in Christ, to be in His Word (how else can you know it?), and to pray, praise, and give thanks to Him in all circumstances. Without my Lord Jesus, I would be lost.

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Next week’s topic: sin

While I have long worked on and worked through the many facets of this subject, I did not want to get into it too soon, wanting to lay many bricks into the foundation of teaching the breadth and depth of gender dysphoria and the Christian faith.

Here is a working outline for Monday through Thursday:

Monday: because there is so much disagreement whether transitioning is a sin, I will look at several areas in my own Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), where there has been disagreement, where the LCMS changed its stance, where disagreement currently exists, and implore my church that as we have acknowledged disagreement on other issues, even changing our stance on them, we give time to deciding on gender dysphoria and transitioning.

Tuesday: I will talk about the areas where I have been told I am sinning, citing specific Scriptures and themes, discuss how I have responded and how I understand each one and its application to me.

Wednesday: how does one know the entirely of what is acceptable to God? Some things are obvious—do not shoot a person to death for sport. Some raise questions—historically, it was asked if the Christian sinned, who did the work of a hangman for his government. Some, we continue to debate—is the death penalty a just or unjust taking of life? Christians continue to debate the topics of smoking and gambling, some declaring them sinful and others saying they fall into the area of Christian freedom. God’s Word speaks clearly to many issues and, for many others, one needs to piece together the answer from the whole counsel of God. When do we “play God,” and when do we make good use of the resources He has provided? Ultimately, I will bring all of these around to gender dysphoria.

Thursday: putting it all together: my Christian perspective on the gender dysphoric person and whether transitioning from one sex to the other is a black and white issue, if it might be unclear, or that gender dysphoria might not yet be fully understood to be able to provide a conclusive answer.