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How do I Become a Christian?
Are you a Christian? How do you know? There are many misconceptions about how a person becomes a Christian. Here are a few examples of very sincere, but misguided assumptions about the Christian faith:
1. “I am a Christian because I go to church regularly.”
2. “I am a Christian because I help others.”
3. “I am a Christian because I give money to the church or to the poor.”
4. “I am a Christian because I read the Bible.”
5. “I am a Christian because my parents are Christians.”
6. “I am a Christian because I believe in God.”
7. “I am a Christian because I am a good person.”
Can you think of other misguided assumptions used by close friends or family members? Here are four simple words to remember when trying to describe how someone becomes a Christian: God, Sin, Jesus, and Connection.
God
God loves YOU! He created you to bring glory to his name. God’s desire is for you to know Him. The Lord God wants you to find complete spiritual satisfaction by starting a vibrant relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
God is our loving Redeemer, and God is also our Holy Creator. He’s the one in charge. In other words, God has complete authority over us. We aren’t the center of the universe—God is. We aren’t the source of life—God is. We can’t change the spiritual destiny of people, but God can and God does. And because he is HOLY, he cannot simply “sweep our sin under the rug.” God must judge sin—all of it.
The Lord God is just and right in all his ways. God is gracious and compassionate, merciful, and patient. These truths prepare the way for us to understand the depth of the problem this second word brings.
And because God is HOLY, he cannot simply “sweep our sin under the rug.” God must judge sin—all of it.
Sin
Your SIN has separated you from a holy God.
Knowingly or unknowingly, you’ve broken God’s Law, his standard for perfection. Right now, you stand guilty before God for your sin. What that means is he would be perfectly just to judge you right now, in this moment.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
Did you ever find it strange that you didn’t have to be taught how to sin? That’s because you—and me, and everyone—were born with a sin nature. Your default mode is to think, feel, speak, and act in ways that are contrary to God’s Word. Sin is when you know the right thing to do, but you don’t do it—or when you know the wrong thing to do, but you do it anyway.
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” – James 4:17
Your personal goodness or ability to help others can’t solve your sin problem. In fact, there is NOTHING you can do to pay for the penalty of your sins. There is NOTHING you can do to bridge your separation from God. Good works and right beliefs cannot satisfy God’s perfect standard. And so, you remain totally guilty, condemned before God for your sin, and waiting for imminent judgment.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” – Proverbs 14:12
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” – Hebrews 9:27
No matter what path you may design to reach God, it will never be the path of life. No matter how hard you work to make things right with God, your efforts by themselves will fall short. No matter how much money you earn to try and pay for all your sins, it will never be enough. You can’t buy access to God. It’s not possible.
There is NOTHING you can do to bridge your separation from God.
What’s the result of sin in your life? Sin separates you from God; it makes you guilty before a holy God. Sin produces death and divine judgment.
“For the wages of sin is death. . .” – Romans 6:23
Jesus is God’s ONLY solution to your sin problem.
Jesus
This is where Jesus comes in—to bridge the unbridgeable gap, to pay the unpayable debt. He died on the cross to pay for the penalty of your sins. He could actually do this for a few reasons: First, Jesus was completely righteous and holy. From the start of his life until his last breath, he followed all of God’s laws. Jesus never sinned. Is that really possible? Yes. It’s possible when you’re the Son of God on a mission to do the will of God.
Jesus fully satisfied God’s requirement of absolute perfection. Of course, he did! Because he’s God. But he’s also human, fully, and truly human. Which means that He can represent us as a mediator between God and man. He can both live and die on our behalf. (For more on this, read Romans 5.)
Jesus is God’s ONLY solution to your sin problem.
He died on the cross to connect his people to God. He was buried and on the third day, he rose from the grave. Jesus is the mediator between God and man. There is no other. Jesus died as a substitute, and his death paid the penalty for his people’s sins.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.” – 1 Peter 3:18
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” – John 14:6
Jesus isn’t just God’s only solution to your sin problem. He’s so much more! He’s more than the way of God and the way to God. He’s God’s Son! Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last.
Connection
So, what do you do with all this information? It’s simple: believe, confess, and receive.
You connect with God through FAITH, by believing in Jesus’ finished work on the cross and confessing your sins directly to Him through prayer.
When Jesus came on the scene, here’s the first thing he said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Becoming a Christian means to believe in Jesus—his perfect life, death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 10:9).
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified,
and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” – Romans 10:9-10
Do you believe in Jesus Christ? If you do, tell him: “Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God. I believe in your sinless life and perfect obedience to the Father. I believe in your death on the cross, your burial, and your resurrection. And today, Lord, I rely on you as my Savior and Lord.”
We receive Jesus by faith when we appropriate his message in our lives.
But did you notice the first part of Jesus’ declaration? He starts with the word “repent.” Repentance involves a change of mind, a clear change of direction. Repentance means you no longer follow the sinful desires of your flesh. You abandon the attractive, yet the empty system of this world.
You leave the past, turn around, and follow Jesus. Your life is no longer marked by sin; it’s marked by repentance. Sin is no longer what controls your life because Jesus is your new Master.
To confess means to agree with God about your sin.
Your sin is enough to condemn you to an eternity in hell. You must come to terms with your utter hopelessness against sin apart from God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to change from darkness to light, from worldliness to godliness, from sin to repentance? If you’re ready, tell him:
“Lord Jesus, today I turn from my sin and turn to you. I know that I have sinned against you Lord. I am responsible for my sins; I know that I have wronged you Lord through my sinfulness. I am deeply sorry for my sin. Please forgive me for all my sins. And thank you for offering Jesus as the wrath-bearing substitute for sinners like me! Help me Lord to walk in the light of your Word and never look back.”
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” – John 1:12
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:9
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
Friend, the Christian life is hard. And there will be days ahead that are full of suffering. But keep following after Jesus. When you sin, confess your sins, and remember, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9); remember that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1).
What amazing truths! Keep clinging to Jesus until you get to glory.
Oh, and here’s one piece of advice: Join a church that preaches the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ—and will help you follow Jesus.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38–39
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” – John 14:21
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” – John 1:12–13
Summary
Becoming a Christian centers on one person—Jesus Christ. Jesus left his throne in heaven and descended to earth to solve the one problem that you could never solve without him—your sin. Jesus is God’s only solution to your sin problem. There is no other divine solution.
What’s stopping you right now from opening your heart to God? Although God must judge sin—because He is just and holy—He extends grace, mercy, and love. The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus is God’s exclusive plan to redeem you for eternity.
What’s holding you back?
Now is the time to get right with God. Now is the time to…
Start your relationship with God
Are you ready for God to change you from darkness to light, from worldliness to godliness, and from sin to repentance? If you’re ready, tell Him with a humble and sincere heart. Use the following prayer as a guide as you speak with Him:
“Lord Jesus, today I turn from my sin and turn to you. I know that I have sinned against you Lord. I am responsible for my sins; I know that I have wronged you Lord through my sinfulness. I am deeply sorry for my sin. Please forgive me for all my sins. And thank you for offering Jesus as the wrath-bearing substitute for sinners like me! I believe in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Help me Lord to walk in the light of your Word and never look back.”
This is not a magical prayer, but if you spoke these words to God with a sincere heart, you have started a new journey of faith and a life filled with purpose and hope.
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