A Brief Explanation as to Why You are Not a Christian
If you are not a Christian, this fact will not trouble you. In truth, you will hold some degree of animosity toward followers of Jesus. You probably have a word in your mind that describes a typical Christian. It is probable, this word is negative, sometimes bordering on derogatory. Today, you would affirm to a random inquirer that you are confident that you will never be a Christian in the future.
The Bible affirms, left to your own will and ability, it is impossible for you to ever be a Christian (Jn 3:19; Rom 3:10–12; 8:7). First, a Christian, by definition belongs to Christ Jesus (1 Cor 3:23), who is called, “Lord.” A non-Christian would never confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord (1 Cor 12:3),” although this confession will be true for all people following the Day of Judgment (Phil 2:11).
Second, the Christian has been bought for a price (1 Cor 6:20), with the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet 1:19), to become a member of Christ’s church (Eph 4:4), which is a people for God’s own possession (1 Pet 2:9). Of this holy nation, called out from every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rev 5:9; 7:9), God says, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (2 Cor 6:16).” He says to the Christian, “for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Pet 2:10).”
The apostle Paul stated the distinction between Christian and non-Christian with clarity, “but if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him (Rom 8:9c).”
The Spirit of Christ is God Himself, who is sent to particular people (Ps 104:30; Jn 14:26; 15:26). In other words, Christ Jesus lives in the heart of some people (Gal 2:20). As noted, this is God’s prerogative to have mercy, and the Spirit is a gift of God (Rom 5:5), received by the will and work of God (Jn 1:12–23; Rom 9:16; Phil 2:13). The work of God’s Spirit, in making on a Christian, has a name, “regeneration.”
Regeneration is God giving His eternal life to the people He chose to save and make His own, before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4–5). This is the life of Christ (Jn 14:6), so, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 Jn 5:12).” Jesus Himself said, of those He laid down His life to redeem, “…and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (Jn 10:28).”
My prayer is that this explanation of God creating a Christian and giving her new life (Rom 6:4; 2 Cor 5:17) is sufficiently clear, for you to see that Christians are a product of God’s will and work (2 Cor 3:6). We must now explain why most people are not Christians. Suffice it to say that God has not done His work of election, redemption, regeneration and adoption in the one who has not received the Spirit of Christ (Rom 8:9). No one can say why God saves some and not others, for this is kept in His secret will (Dt 29:29). We have discussed, in part, how God saves Christ’s church (Mt 16:18), the Israel of God (Gal 6:16).
The non-Christian is in a perilous position (1 Cor 15:22; Heb 9:27). He has no interest in the things of the Spirit, however (1 Cor 2:14). The reason is that all people inherit the sin of the first man, Adam (Rom 5:12), Sin is rebellious lawlessness against God, our Creator and Law Giver (1 Jn 3:4). Every person conceived in the womb is shapen in iniquity (Ps 51:5). The guiding principle of the natural man is directed by his own sin nature (Eph 2:3). All people, conceived and born, body and soul, have a spiritually dead soul, from the beginning (Eph 2:1). Simply put, all are dead in sin and dead to God.
The course of life leads all to death in their bodies (2 Cor 5). It is appointed for men to die once and after comes the judgment (Heb 9:27). All must appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), who is the righteous Judge (Gen 18:25), having been given all authority in heaven and earth (Mt 28:18). It is for you to know that you are condemned already (Jn 3:18). This is evidenced by the testimony of the Bible, God’s Word, which declares that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men (Rom 1:18).
However you may self-identify, the Bible identifies you as a child of wrath (Eph 2:3), by nature, at enmity with God (Jas 4:4). You are described, as walking in the futility of your mind (Eph 4:17; Rom 8:7), with a darkened understanding (Eph 4:18). You are without God in the world (Eph 2:12) and excluded from the life of God because of your ignorance and hardness of heart (Eph 4:18).
As if this assessment is not bad enough, the Bible calls you, “a child of the devil (Jn 8:44; 1 Jn 3:10).” He is a liar and a thief (Jn 8:44), who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy (Jn 10:10). You are His slave unto sin and corruption (Jn 8:34; Rom 6:19–20; 8:21; Gal 4:8; 2 Pet 2:19). He continues to deceive you, blinding you from the Good News about Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:4).
It is at this point, we must acknowledge your unbelief (Mk 6:6; 16:14; Rom 11:20; Heb 3:19). You have no interest in the Bible’s extensive description and evaluation of who you are in reality. Here we must point out your fatal error. Christians believe the Bible’s testimony about the total depravity of humanity. This is the reason the Bible calls Christians, “believers.” It also calls non-Christians, “unbelievers.” You can agree with that, right?
With your first agreement with the truth of God’s Word, let me close by encouraging you to pick up a Holy Bible, in order to find more things to agree with, by God’s grace. Everything in this world is designed to keep you from reading it. Deny the distractions that so easily occupy you. Reject the naysayers and research for yourself what God has put into print.
Remember, only God can make you a Christian. He will use the Bible to enlighten you to the truth about Him, about you, and about your eternal home, whether that be in heaven or hell. It cannot hurt you to find out; but in discovering your eternal end, you just might become a Christian.
David Norczyk
Albany, Oregon
July 30, 2022
