Why does someone want to become a Christian?

For me this says it all:

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus

did that answer your question?

I’m kind of playings devils advocate here and kind of struggling with an answer myself.

Why would these Ephesians verses make someone want to be a Christian?

Yeah, I understand it can be difficult to answer. To answer this I recall my thoughts when I choose to become a Christian:

I think in order for a person to want to become a Christian they have to know and understand what God and Jesus did for us. Although some are driven more by fear (in my case I made the decision based on a fear of going to hell) eventually anyone who is thinking about becoming a Christian will learn that God loves us unconditionally. Although I had been going to church from a very early age it I was initially driven to become a Christian because of fear. It was not until later that I began to truly respect and understand what God has done for us. So the why is either fear or love…

Does anyone else have a different view or thoughts about when they became a Christian?

To be Romanced! Perhaps this is the girl in me, but God is a great Lover! I think sometimes living in America and not being challened on a daily basis in obvious ways we get challened subvertedly and slip into lukewarmness. The challenge here as spoiled Americans is to seek God and allow yourself to be romanced by His word, check out Rev 22! One would want to become a Christian not for behavior modification but because God is God and when you discover even a little tiny bit of his character you can’t help but worship Him. Check out IHOP Kansas City.

I wasn’t actually being metaphorical. I meant it literally, just perhaps with a different perspective on the words. That’s what the whole book of Song of Solomon is about romance both between Solomon and his wife and Jesus and the church. I particuarly find Rev 22 enchanting because John talks about the fullfillment of all things–the end times. It’s so full of hope “v2-5 the tree of life bears a different crop of fruit each month. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God will be in the city (God will dwell with us!! Wow!) [His servants] will see His face…there will be no more night.” If you think about it in the context of Jesus as the bridegroom and the church as the bride how much does one long to see the face of the one that you love, and when you finally do you feel sheer excitement. Several times throughtout the Bible people see the “face of God” and say something to the extent of “woe is me for I have seen God and now I’m gonna die” because God is holy and sin can not be in the midst of holiness and thus must perish, but in the end times His servants will be able to see his face and live! V17 “The spirit and the bride say COME! And let him who hears say COME! Whoever is thirsty, let him COME! let him and whoever wishes take the free gift of the water of life.” I love this part as come is an invitation that requires action. It’s God persistently pursuing us yet allowing us the space to respond, he will keep saying come and reminding us of the free gift of life but he’s not going to drag us there. THis reminds me of the movie Hitch and the idea of the man leaning in 80% of the way for the kiss and then waiting “as long as it takes” for the woman to lean in the 20%.
At IHOP KC, and IHOPs all over actually, they are focusing on worshiping and ministering to God and learning about the promises and hope of revelations. It’s people in a true heart of worship allowing their hearts to be romanced by the beauty of God and his word. If you go to http://www.ihop.org and click on the “beliefs and controversies” tab, check out the “bridal paradigm” and the iterpretation of the book of Solomon.

Hey Ragamuffin, I don’t know if this is at all relevant to you but I thought about it after I posted the last comment. So if it’s not pertinent just forget about. But you mentioned that you are “wrestling with God” and that made me think of how sometimes God will harm us to help us. WHen Jacob wrestled with God in Exodus, Jacob refused to surrender, this translated into other areas of his life he had refused to surrender to God in as well and had tried to get by in his life via deceipt. So God harmed him to help him and he merely touched his hip and it was dislocated. God said to him “let me go for it is almost daybreak,” and still Jacob would not surrender. Then God asked him what is your name. I love this part, because your name is your essence. Jacob then has to surrender and he does he says my name is Jacob (I’m jake the snake, the deceiver, one who grabs the heel of those before, one who trips others…yeah, my name is Jacob) That hurts to say. And then God blesses him and made him Isreal. He had to be hurt before he could be helped. This reminds me of “The Horse and His Boy” from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and ASlan explains to Shasta all the different lions He has been, all necessary all purposeful (end of ch 11). Sorry, I don’t mean to point you off in a ton of differnt directions in all the things I suggest to check out or allude to, it’s just the way my crazy head works, it’s like a spiderweb.