Becoming a Christian
How does a person become a Christian? When a person believes basically three things it can be understood that the person is a Christian. A person must believe and accept that Jesus Christ is the owner of our whole life, physically and spiritually, and the person acknowledges the authority of Jesus Christ in every aspect of life. The person must accept Jesus Christ as the only Savior of his/her soul. The Bible teaches that a Christian believes that he/she is forgiven of his/her sins and given eternal life, based not on good works or intentions, but on Christ Jesus loving sacrifice for us.
When we accept a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, God does not want a simple mental affirmation of truth from us. He also wants us to return to Him a portion of the love that He has without limitations given to us. Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. Picture, if you will, Jesus Christ standing at the door of your heart (the door of your emotions, intellect and will). Invite Him in; He is waiting for you to receive Him into your heart and life. There is never the perfect time to make this decision. You will always find a reason to wait and an excuse not to come. The Bible provides in Revelation 3:20 (NIV), "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.")
The central theme of the Bible is God's love for you and for all people. This love was revealed when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Because Christ died, your sins can be forgiven, and because He conquered death you can have eternal life.
God's love is referred to in the Bible as the "Gospel." The word Gospel simply means "Good News." The Gospel is the Good News that, because of what Christ did, we can be forgiven and can live forever. But this gift of forgiveness and eternal life cannot be yours unless you willingly accept it. God requires an individual response from you. The following verses from the Bible show God's part and yours in this process.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 (NIV) He wants to bless your life and make it full and complete. And He wants to give you a life which will last forever, even after you experience physical death. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV) You may have heard someone say, "I'm only human and nobody's perfect." This Bible verse says the same thing: We are all sinners. We all do things that we know are wrong. This is the basis why we feel estranged from God because God is holy and good, and we are not. Sinfulness is not your condition alone; it is the condition of all humanity. In the New Testament book of Romans, Chapter 3, verse 23, we read: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Becoming a Christian requires admitting that you cannot achieve God's standard of holiness without God's help.
"For the wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23 (NIV) Sinners must pay the penalty for their sins. If you continue to sin, you will pay the penalty of spiritual death: You will not only die physically; you will also be separated from our holy God for all eternity. The Bible teaches that those who choose to remain separated from God will spend eternity in hell.
"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NIV) The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, has paid the penalty for all your sins. You may think you have to lead a good life and do good deeds before God will love you. But the Bible says that Christ loved you enough to die for you, even when you were rebelling against Him. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) The word grace means "undeserved favor." It means God is offering you something you could never provide for yourself: forgiveness of sins and eternal life, God's gift to you is free. You do not have to work for a gift. All you have to do is joyfully receive it. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you.
God has graciously provided a solution to our inadequacy by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, to become our salvation. Jesus, as God incarnate on Earth, lived the perfect life God demands. Yet he took upon himself the sins of the whole world and was crucified as a common criminal. Through his resurrection, however, he defeated death and sin, offering atonement for all who call upon his name. Romans Chapter 5, verse 8 provides: "But God commends his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." This is God's gift. Romans Chapter 6 verse 23 explains: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
This salvation is God's free gift to be received by faith, not by deeds. In the New Testament book of Ephesians, Chapter 2, verse 8, we read: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." To follow Jesus, repent of your sinful nature and turn to God for help. Romans Chapter 10, verses 9 and 10, tell how to become a Christian: "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Then verse 13 of that chapter adds: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." We invite you to worship with us at Saint John Baptist Church. You will find a friendly and receptive family waiting for your arrival. Please see our worship service times on the Home Page of our website.
If you have prayed this prayer for the first time, find a friend or family member to tell what has happened in your life. If you'd like to share this good news with us, please e-mail the pastoral staff or call us at (803) 254-4170.