There are four simple steps that lead to becoming a Christian, which is also called being "born again" or "being saved."  Please read them carefully.

First, realize that God loves you and wants you to live with Him forever in heaven.

The Bible says, For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). 

God loves you so much He was willing to sacrifice His only Son so you could have eternal life.  To begin to realize how much God loves you, just look at the Cross that symbolizes the horrible death Jesus died for you and me.

Second, realize that you are sinful, and your sin separates you from God and all the good things He desires for you.

God is holy and no sin can come into His presence.  The Bible says, Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne (Psalm 97:2).   Because God is absolutely righteous, nothing sinful can inhabit His heaven. 

Everyone is sinful, for the Bible says, All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The only perfect person to ever  live is Jesus Christ.

Sin separates us from God.  The Bible says, But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you . . . (Isaiah 59:2).

The Bible also teaches that compared to God's righteousness . . . all our righteousness are like filthy rags . . . (Isaiah 64:6). 

First, realize that God loves you and wants you to live with Him forever in heaven.  Second, realize that you are sinful, and your sin separates you from God and . . .

Third, realize that only in Jesus Christ can you have forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).  Jesus is not one of many ways to heaven; He is the ONLY way.  

Even though you are sinful, God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the Cross to provide the way to heaven.  The Bible puts it like this: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).  God loves you just the way you are, a sinner, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.

For example, do you believe that Adolph Hitler lived?  You probably do, but are you a Nazi?  In the same way, simply believing in Jesus doesn't make you a Christian.  The Bible teaches you must act upon what you know about Jesus to have a home in heaven.  The Bible says, You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble (James 2:19).  The devil and demons believe in Jesus, but they certainly are not Christians.  You must act on what you believe, which brings us to . . .

Fourth, receive Jesus Christ personally as your Savior and Lord.

To become a Christian Jesus said you must "repent, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15b).  To repent means to turn around.  You turn from living your life the way you want and start living like God wants you to live.  It is a change of  mind followed by a change in behavior.  This means that you are willing to let Jesus Christ be the Lord or the "boss" of your life.

To believe in the gospel means you believe two things.  First, you must believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins. Second, you must believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.

If you believe these two things, you can become a Christian and be what the Bible calls saved by praying:

"Dear Lord, I know I have sinned and need forgiveness.  Right now I repent of my sins and ask You to forgive me of all my sins.  I want Jesus Christ to be the Lord or "boss" of my life.  Please help me become the person you want me to be.   In Jesus name, Amen."

If there is the slightest tugging at your heart or the least desire to get right with God, that is the Holy Spirit of God speaking to you.  The Bible says, Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Hebrews 4:7).  Every time God speaks to your heart and you refuse Him, your heart gets a little harder, until the day will come when you can't sense God speaking to you at all because your heart is so hard.  If you feel in your heart that God is calling you to repentance and to faith in Christ, do it now and do not harden your heart. 

No matter who you are or what you have done, God will receive you like the father received the prodigal son, with open arms (Luke 15:20).  The only place in the Bible where God is pictured as running is when the father ran to welcome his repenting son home.

If you have any questions, or would like a free Bible study on the basics of the Christian faith, please e-mail virginia@journeyseries.com