Many Christians feel they are already different from others — different simply because they confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, while non-Christians do not. Yet the Lord Jesus is not a narrow-minded God. He is excellent and glorious. He is not satisfied merely with a verbal confession that we believe in Him. Such a confession has little meaning except in a particular context — like during the early church era. In those days, when someone declared faith in Christ, the word “believe” carried with it a complete package: suffering, loss, and even death.
To be a Christian in the early church meant being ready to carry the cross from the very first day. Even children born into Christian families understood that a path of suffering was already set before them. God Himself had prepared the “curriculum” of life to shape them into the likeness of Christ. Therefore, parents played a vital role as mentors and guides, helping their children experience a genuine process of faith. Paul wrote to Timothy that he had inherited the faith of his grandmother and mother. But that did not happen automatically — Timothy saw their example, was guided by their spiritual counsel, and eventually built his own personal relationship with God.
Thus, faith is not something mystical or supernatural that God suddenly places in someone’s heart. Faith must be nurtured, trained, and developed. That is why Scripture calls it “the race that is set before us.” Other things may be optional, but the race of faith is mandatory when someone becomes a Christian — whether by birth into a Christian family or through personal conversion — glory with Christ is already prepared for them. Yet that glory comes at a cost, as written in Romans 8:17: “And if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.”.
Therefore, blessed are we who are Christians. We possess a remarkable, dynamic life as children of God. Like a child who is born an heir, our spiritual inheritance is already provided. But the question is: Are we willing to suffer with Christ? To attain that glory, one must grow into spiritual maturity. The early church matured quickly because suffering taught them to cease from sin and live only for God. Suffering became God’s tool to purify their faith, making it effective for the work of His Kingdom.
So let us repent and choose the Lord. Do not assume that being Christian means there is no longer a need to make a choice. We must choose! Every day, we must renew our commitment to walk with Christ. Be thankful that today God is still shaping us, even though we must go through unpleasant situations. We are His witnesses and messengers in an increasingly wicked world. Do not be carried away by the tide of the times. Let us spend the rest of our lives becoming true followers of Christ — children of God who are pleasing in His sight.
We also bear a great responsibility to pass on faith to our children, and this does not happen automatically. Christianity can be inherited as a tradition, but faith cannot be inherited. Children must develop it themselves through real guidance and example. Thus, parents must become living models — concrete examples of how faith is lived out in daily life. In this way, living faith can be caught, not merely taught.
Truly, there is great power in choice. Sadly, many Christians misunderstand the meaning of faith. Faith is often reduced to mere belief, confession, or agreement that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Yet true faith is not merely acknowledgment — it is the full surrender of oneself to Christ, the decision to follow Him, and the willingness to suffer with Him, and this is the faith that saves, the faith that grows, and the faith that bears fruit for the glory of God.