WHY I AM GLAD I’M A CHRISTIAN

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Whenever I read Paul’s letters, or whenever I read the book of Acts I think I can sense a great amount of feeling in the Apostle Paul.

Paul was a man under tremendous pressures.

He was constantly under attack by those professing to be Christians

He was constantly under threat by those who were avowed anti-Christian

Paul would enter a city and suffer physical violence in order to establish a church.

Then he would leave the city to start a new church only to have the last church infiltrated by teachers of false doctrine.

It is not difficult to see and sense the kind of pressure Paul experienced.

But even with the pressures and attacks he faced there is an overruling sense that Paul was glad to be a Christian.

·   Even though he was criticized, he was glad to be a Christian

·   Even though he was condemned he was glad to be a Christian and

·   Even though he was cast down, he was glad to be a Christian

And he wanted to convey that gladness to others.

I, like Paul, am very glad I am a Christian.

I am thrilled that God called me to be a preacher, but more so I am glad to be a Christian.

And if I can do anything for you this morning I want to stir up in you a joy for being saved.

·   I wouldn’t want to give you something that will wear off in an hour

·   I wouldn’t want to give you something that will fade when the trials begin

I want to try to pass along to you a joy that can make you glad you are a Christian at all times and in all situations.

So I want to remind you of a few things that I believe cause a Christian gladness

I am glad I am a Christian because I enjoy

I. KNOWING I AM RIGHT

2 Tim 1:12

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (KJV)

I am not trying to be smart-allick or egotistical.

I just know that one of the things I like about being a Christian is the confidence that what I believe is right.

I like being right.

Paul said

·   I know and

·   I am persuaded

Those are terms of confidence.

He was sure he was right about eternity.

·   No more guesses

·   No more hope so’s

·   No more questions and doubts

He was saved and he was sure of it.

·   He had confided in the right Saviour

·   He had trusted the right Gospel

And his struggle for his soul was over.

I remember reading about Martin Luther.

Luther was a Roman Catholic priest.

He was so anxious to know that his sins were forgiven and that he would go to hell that Luther went to incredible extremes to try to please God.

·   Luther fasted until he was physically ill - trying to get God to forgive him

·   Luther became a great theologian - trying to get God to forgive him

·   Luther would crawl on his knees in prayer up the steps to his church - trying to get God to forgive him.

But still

·   Luther was a physical wreck.  He was near dead from nerves and anxiety over what would happen to his soul if he died without his sins forgiven.

But one day Luther read in the Bible, “The just shall live by faith.”

The Lord opened his eyes to the fact that salvation is not granted because of how good we can be or what things we might do.

Salvation is given for faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It set Luther free!

He was saved and he knew it

And it changed him

This once nervous, sickly man became

·   Confident,

·   Fiery and

·   Passionate

In telling people salvation is by faith in Christ, not by goods works we may do.

People all over the world are looking for something they can count on.

·   We wonder who really would make the best President

·   We wonder who really knows what to do about Middle East

·   We wonder what church really does teach the truth

When you finally come to the place when your search for right is over IT IS THRILLING!

Praise the Lord we Christian are right

·   Jesus assured us we are right

·   The Apostles assured us we are right

·   The example of 2000 years of Christianity assures us we are right

A. We are right about salvation

There is a heaven

There is a hell

Man does deserve to go to hell but God has provided a means of pardon.

The Christian has no doubts or fears about eternity.

He knows the One who saved and he is sure He has saved us

B. We are right about today

·   We are right about what is moral

·   We are right about what is sin

·   We are not condemning people when we point out sin.

·   We are just telling the truth.

We are not trying to control people by urging them to get saved.

We are just showing them the truth.

I am glad I am a Christian because I am glad I am right.

Secondly, I am glad I am a Christian because

II. I LIKE CHRISTIANS

Whenever you read Paul’s books you have to see that he liked being around Christians.

Romans 16:1-15

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:

Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.

Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.

Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. (KJV)

Romans 16:21

Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. (KJV)

Romans 16:23

Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. (KJV)

Paul had a hard time deciding when to stop naming the people he loved!

I have to tell you - I like being around Christians.

I have had close friends who were:

·   Cowboys

·   Hippies and

·   Athletes

I had some wild times with those guys.

But there is nobody I enjoy being around more than I enjoy being around Christians.

I can look down through the years since I became a Christian and recall Christian after Christian I loved being around.

·   Mike Riggs in Kennewick

·   Pastor Roger Belshaw in Hermiston

·   The Winnons in Boulder

·   Pastor Smith in Platteville

·   I could not name all of the people in Astoria I loved

·   Pastor Ray Wells in Covina CA

·   Jamie Jett at the college

·   Jeff and Jayne Girtz in Spokane

·   And nearly all of you here J

I like Christians.

·   I like the kind of music we sing

·   I like the kind of games we play

·   I like the kind of entertainment we enjoy

·   I like he kind of jokes we tell

I am glad I am a Christian because Christians are right

I am glad I am a Christian because I like Christian people

Thirdly I am glad I am a Christian because of

III. THE JOY OF SALVATION

Psalms 51:12

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. (KJV)

There is a joy that comes form being made a new creature.

Paul said that the fruit of the Spirit is

·   Love

·   Joy

·   Peace

Etc.

When a person gets saved God makes them a new creature and one of the things tat new creature is given is joy.

I am glad I am a Christian because I have joy.

I am a step ahead of the world.

Jesus said in

John 10:10

….I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)

When you are a Christian life is just better.

Sure we suffer - but that doesn’t stop us from living abundantly.

When you are a Christian

·   The mountains are a little more majestic

·   The oceans are a little bluer

·   The grass is a little greener

·   The stars shine a little brighter and

·   The sun is just a little warmer

A man told me once, before I got saved, “You are miserable and don’t know it.”

I laughed at him.  I thought I was a happy-go-lucky person with my whole life ahead of me.

But after I got saved I knew what he meant.

Compared to the joy of my salvation, I was miserable when I was unsaved.

·   I am glad I am a Christian because Christians are right

·   I am glad I am a Christian because I like Christian people

·   I am glad I am a Christian because of the joy of salvation

Fourth, I am glad I am a Christian because

IV. I LIKE HOW GOD IS USING ME

1 Tim 1:12

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; (KJV)

The best thing in the world is to be used by God.

The evolutionist would try to deny it but men are not animals.

We have not been placed upon this planet simply to balance out nature.

The one who wanders aimlessly through life is destined to be:

·   Unhappy

·   Unfulfilled and

·   Unsatisfied

But a life that is lived on purpose, with that purpose being to please the Lord Jesus Christ is a life that is

·   Full

·   Exciting

·   Happy

Conclusion:

More than anything in this world I want you all to be happy.

I want you to wake up each morning anxious to see what the day holds.

I want you to know joy and gladness.

And I know for a fact that life can only be lived that way when we are Christians.

Of course, some Christians lose the joy of salvation through sin.

And all of us have times of stress and trials.

But when we:

·   Trust Christ for salvation

·   Put confidence in the Bible

·   Yield our lives to serve Jesus and

·   Hang around the believers

It becomes pretty easy to wake up every morning and say, “I am glad I am a Christian.”