Am I Worthy To Be Called A Christian?

Have you ever asked yourself the question ... "Am I worthy to be called a Christian?". I have. I do it all the time. I have a hard time forgetting my past life. My life before submitting to Christ. I believed in God and I was aware of Christ dying on the Cross. But I didn't need to put this in the forefront of my life nor did I need to discuss it with others. I was not against God or His Message. It was just that I didn't feel I needed to read or live this everyday. I really didn't realize just how destructive I was being towards God and his Message. Now that I realize just how wrong I was I can't help but feel guilty. Guilty because I spent a good part of my life doing what I wanted, when I wanted and how I wanted. I didn't spend this time trying to win the approval of God but rather that of Man. It's because of my life of partying and trying to please man that I wonder how can God offer me this new life, this clean slate through the death of his Son, Jesus. Why would Jesus do this for me? Do I really deserve this? Am I really the example God wants for his church in today's society?

Then I read the book of Acts ... Where it tells of a man who not only wasn't living a God Fearing live ... he was actually trying to destroy those who were ... this man came to know Christ and was one of his most important preachers of the gospel ... This man was Paul (also known a Saul in Acts). If God could take a man that had so much hatred for Jesus and turn him into an apostle ... then there is hope for me yet! If you have never read the book of Acts, I encourage you to do so. You may be surprised just how much you and Paul have in common.

The answer I found for my question: "No I was not worthy to call myself a Christian in my earlier years but since submitting myself to Jesus through the waters of baptism just over eight years ago ... God has made me worthy to be called a Christian!"

I leave you with the following passage and question ... Does this sound like anyone you know?

Paul Called by God:
I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.

Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days. I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." And they praised God because of me.
(Galatians, Chapter 1: 11-24)