QKAG: Issue # 18

PAST ISSUE # 18
Questions Kids Ask About God

Question: Why isn't everyone a Christian?

Answer: Not everyone wants to be a Christian, and God doesn't force people to follow Jesus. Some people don't just reject Christ, they also act mean to Christians. That's because they don't understand the love that God has for them. We should try to tell these people about God's love for them.

Key Bible verses:
John 17:13-16; Matthew 7:13-14

My views:
After I have become a Christian, I also ask myself this question. If Jesus Christ is the only key to salvation (John 14:6), why doesn't everyone believe in Him and become a Christian? I soon realize that people who are not yet Christians fall into two categories - the non-believers and disbelievers.
The Non-Believers:
These people have yet to hear the message of salvation and simply cannot become Christians. For example, animists in the Amazon cannot be Christians because they do not have access to the Bible or a church. However, missionaries are sent out all over the world to spread the Gospel to these unreached people so that they too can know Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8).
The Disbelievers:
The disbelievers have heard the Gospel but rejected it because of many reasons. One of the reasons is the government that they are ruled under has an aversion to Christianity. For example, in Saudi Arabia, Christians can be prosecuted and imprisoned for worshipping publicly. Another reason is social pressure from families or friends. These people are brought up in a highly dogmatic non-Christian society that choosing Christianity would be considered taboo or "heresy." For example, it is probably very difficult for a born Muslim to become a Christian. However, the most prevalent reason that makes people disbelieve in Jesus concerns their hearts and minds. It is out of their personal choice and free will that they reject Jesus Christ. Most of these people feel uncomfortable with Christianity or think that Christianity is too demanding, illogical, etc. They have so many personal excuses, and sometimes, their excuses are petty and have nothing to do with the Gospel at all. For example, I once heard from a friend that he chose not to become a Christian because he cannot resolve the issue of whether animals have souls! But this is a another question altogether, perhaps in a later QKAG issue. Anyhow, I urge everyone who have yet to become a Christian to ask him or herself this question: "why am I not a Christian yet?"
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Source: 101 Questions Kids Ask About God, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc