What should I say if someone asks me if I’m a Christian?

by Matt Slick

Some people are intimidated by the idea of professing their faith, but the Bible says not to be fearful about doing so.  Instead, it urges us to evangelize, to live our lives as Christians, and to have confidence in speaking of Christ.  Our profession can take two forms: our lifestyles and our verbal declaration.  Therefore, if someone asks if you are a Christian, tell him yes.

• For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek," (Rom. 1:16).
• "For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been mistreated in Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition," (1 Thess. 2:1-2).
• "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God," (2 Tim. 1:7,8).

However, there are Christians who don't know very much about Christianity and just don't have the confidence to be able to defend themselves.  Sometimes students in the college setting will keep their faith to themselves so they won't be ridiculed.  Other times family members might not profess their faith to other family members because they don't want to be embarrassed.  It doesn't really matter.  As Christians we are told to speak about Christ.  This doesn't mean we have to be speaking about him every minute of every day.  But it does mean that when the opportunity arises, by faith, we profess our confidence and hope in the work of Christ, who was God in flesh, died on the cross, and physically rose from the dead.

It is not the responsibility of the Christian to prove who Jesus was and what he did.  Rather, it is the responsibility of the Christian to present the truth.  It is God who opens the heart and the mind to understand and believe the Scriptures (Luke 24:45; Phil. 1:29).