I Am A Christian

I was just thinking of the simple statement, "I am a Christian".  This is such an incredible truth and a profound thing to say if you think of what it means, BUT I feel so many "Christians" end this statement differently.  What do I mean by this?  Well there are three different ways I think we can say this:

1. I am a Christian. - This statement ends simply with a period.  It's just that, a statement.  This is a person who maybe grew up in a Christian home and calls their self this, or maybe hasn't truly grasped what being a Christian is all about.  It's a simple sentence for them and doesn't really have much meaning.
2. I am a Christian? - This is more of a question (obviously, it ends with a question mark).  This is a person who claims to be a follower of Christ, yet people will look on at their life and see no real fruit, no change, no transformation.  The old has not passed away and there is nothing new.  This is the type of person that others would question if they truly gave their life to Jesus and that may question their own faith.
3. I am a Christian! - This is an emphatic exclamation.  It's something you want to shout out.  You wanna go on the rooftops and yell to everyone that you are sold out for Jesus, He radically changed you, you're not ashamed of the Gospel!  This is how everyone who has given their life to Christ should say this.  Think about this.  Romans 6:23 says "The wages of sin is death...", but it doesn't end there.  It'd be a really sad thing if it did.  It goes on to say "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Because of Jesus' death on the cross, we are no longer going to Hell and facing the punishment we deserve.  We get to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  We should be so fired up about this, that no matter what we're going through, the fact that we are a Christian and are saved should bring about excitement to us.

So think about how your sentence ends.  Is it a period, question mark, or exclamation point?  This makes all the difference in the world to how you view your faith and how others see you.

-Sean Fryer