Why am I here? Who am I? What will happen when I die? These questions have intrigued people throughout the ages. And the answers can be discovered by understanding God’s plan of salvation.
You have probably heard the story of God's love referred to as the "Gospel" or "Good News." What is the Good News? Simply this: Because of what Jesus has done, your sins can be forgiven and you can live forever.
What did Jesus do? 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 to pay for our sins, your sins can be forgiven. And because He conquered death, you can have eternal life—you can know for sure what will happen to you after you die.
But this gift of forgiveness and eternal life cannot be yours unless you willingly ask for it. God requires an individual response from you.
How To Become A Christian
- 1. Ask
- 2. Believe
- 3. Pray
- 4. Receive
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, "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."
What does this mean? Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. He is waiting for you to receive Him into your heart and life. All you have to do is invite Him in.
But your first step is to ask for forgiveness:
Repent...that your sins may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord. —Acts 3:19
Once you’ve asked for forgiveness, your next step is to believe and trust in the gift God is giving you.
Understand, this gift of forgiveness and eternal life is free. It’s something you can’t earn.
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
The word grace means "undeserved favor." It means God is offering you something you could never provide for yourself. You don’t have to work for this gift. All you have to do is believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ died for you. Do you believe?
The Bible promises that when you sincerely ask God for forgiveness and trust in Jesus, you will experience new life in Christ.
That 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. —Romans 10:9
Today, with all your heart, surrender your life to Jesus Christ. Confess your sins. Ask God to forgive you. Say that you'll trust in Jesus. And thank Him for the gift of everlasting life. Pray now:
"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.
"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."
There is nothing magical about the words you use. It is the attitude of your heart that God cares about.
Your final step in becoming a Christian is to receive this free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. The Bible teaches:
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. —John 1:12
When you receive Christ into your heart, you become a child of God. You have the privilege of talking to Him in prayer. At any time. About anything.
The Christian life is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity. Joyfully receive it!
If you just made a commitment to Christ today, let us know. We’d like to follow up with you to make sure you are connected with a local church family.
Read these other scriptures to help you in your new life:
John 3:16
Ephesians 2:8,9
1 Corinthians 15:3,4
1 John 1:9
1 John 4:14,15
1 John 5:1
1 John 5:12,13
All scripture references are from the New International Version (NIV)
