Everyone has certain morals and principles in which they live by.  Some people are religious and others simply have their own beliefs as to what’s important in life and feel free to impose their free will in whatever manner they wish.  Some people don’t believe in faith, and some do, and others need direction to help formulate faith.  As a man of Christian faith I am compelled to inform all that the Christian lifestyle is the only path to a righteous life. 

Life is to be lived the Christian way.  It is of essential importance to accept God as Father and creator, to accept Jesus as God’s son and our personal Savior, and to live according to their preaching.  Therefore, I stress the importance of being a good person according to God’s standards and following his commandments.  The right things to do in life are the things that will give God glory and satisfaction.  Though no man or woman is perfect, God certainly wants all to strive towards being the best servants humanly possible.  Life revolves around pleasing God and honoring his son Jesus so that we can gain acceptance through the golden gates of heaven.

            Having faith in God and loving him more than any other thing in existence is the first and foremost principle to live by.  God is the one who created all things, and he so abundantly provides us with everything we need for physical and spiritual survival.  Everything we cherish and value in life, including those things taken for granted comes from God.  All things in life such as food, shelter, jobs, wealth, power, love, family, and companionship are all given to us by God’s good graciousness.  God is the reason for all happiness and success.  He loves us all and it’s only right to love him in return.  Everyone has so much to be thankful for and to God the thanks should be given to.

God is good and he is filled with love.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, for whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  This bible verse delivers two powerful messages that are key elements of life.  Firstly, God deeply loves us, so much that he planned for his son to go through severe punishment and to die for all sinners, you and myself included.  Secondly, by believing the teachings of Jesus and lying to heart that he is the savior, you will be rewarded by being accepted into heaven.

            Having Christian faith is the foundation of life.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).  It is because of him we can enter heaven.  All a person needs to do to reserve a spot in heaven is to truly love Jesus and accept him as the messiah, as our Savior.  By doing this you would also be devoting yourself to becoming a follower of his teachings.  Jesus is to be idolized and marveled.  Jesus was loving, generous, wise, and much more.  Jesus was the only perfect man to ever walk the planet and his divine commandments are to be respected and followed as best as possible.  People may find it hard grasp this concept of Jesus being so holy and divine, and of course since all of us weren’t present to witness Jesus’ miracles and directly hear his teachings it may be difficult to believe what hasn’t been seen.  This is where faith comes into play.  “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (Mark 16:15).  Scripture tells us Jesus is all that he preached to be, and three days after his crucifixion he risen back to human life as he said he would. 

Love is among the greatest of values we can obtain according to Jesus.  Therefore love is greatly significant.  There are “Golden Rules” taught by Jesus, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39).  It is our duty to love God and to love our self and others.  We should try hard to gain high self-esteem and self-respect, and achieve true happiness.  In our everyday relationships we should reflect our love and kind heartedness.  This will be rewarding to all by promoting peace.

Jesus also taught to love your enemies.  The reason behind this is if we love those who don’t like us we will be rewarded by God in some way.  Loving an enemy clearly seems hard to practice, but being a self-sacrificing person is also a Christian attribute.  God loves all sinners, and forgives all sins, so we should be able follow in his manner.  Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Though shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).  When Jesus was slapped by the Pharisees he turned the other cheek, and showed no violence and maintained his humble self.  Trying to control anger and rage, and training the mind to rid itself of hate is difficult, but Jesus wants us to try.  This is the Lord’s way.

Christian morals also consist of the Ten Commandments of God, which was given to Moses from God to relate to mankind.  The following commandments are from Exodus 20:2-17:

1. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

3. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.

It is also important for Christians to not criticize the lifestyles that other people chose to take.  Since we are all sinners, we have no right judging another sinner, for we are no better than one another and God loves us equally.  “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1).  The only one who has the authority to make judgments is God himself.  By not following this teaching, judging others will lead God to judge you more strictly.  “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (Matthew 7:2).

Along with performing God’s teachings he makes it a point for followers to spread the word of the gospel to others.  When Jesus appeared before his apostles after his resurrection, he told them to spread his teachings to other regions of the world.  “And he said unto them, Go ye into the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Matthew 22:39).  It is our duty to teach about Jesus, salvation, and God’s commandments to other people.  When there is opportunity to inform others about Christianity it should be taken.

Reading the Holy Bible and praying are part of the Christian lifestyle as well.  The best way to become knowledgeable about Jesus and God are obviously by reading the Holy Bible.  Prayer is significant because this is the medium for building a personal relationship with God, plus he deserves our time.

Living as Christ-like as possible is the true way to a satisfying life.  Loving God and Jesus, following their guidelines and teachings, and spreading God’s word are all components to a fulfilling life and afterlife.  Christianity is not only faith in Jesus, but also God’s philosophy.  It’s all in the scriptures of the Holy Bible.  There is no doubt mankind has God given free will and people can believe, think, and act freely.  “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Revelations 22:14).  With this being said, what better philosophy is there than God’s?