Becoming a Christian
If you're wanting to know how to become a Christian, this page will help you in the steps to coming to know your Savior Jesus Christ and being born-again.
Our Sin
Wherever you are in life, right now God is focused on you because you are looking towards Him. Anyone can change their life, find peace with God and leave their failures behind. This is the beauty of the Gospel. I hope you read on and make a decision to follow Jesus.
Let's starting at the beginning: our sin. No matter who you are or where you are in life, you have sinned. Maybe it was a lie, anger, selfishness, or something you might feel was not right. The Bible says we all have sinned. Sin has a way of destroying our lives and bringing us trouble. That's why God instructs us to turn away from it. Though we may think at the times it's fun or exciting, sin always comes back to ruin us. What's worse is that sin will not only ruin this life, but it leads to spiritual death in the next life.
Most people realize this and try to come up with their own ways of dealing with sin. We think that if we do enough good it will somehow remove the sin. Also, we think if we go to church and get baptized it will cleanse us from sin. The Bible is clear that we cannot save ourselves. Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly teaches that we are saved by grace and "not by works so no one can boast."
Jesus is the Way
So, if church and good actions do not remove the sin, what does? Well, the only way is Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This means that the only way to receive salvation and spend eternity with God is through Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for our sin. In fact, the Bible teaches that Jesus took our sin on Himself (1 Peter 2:24). Why would God do this? Jesus says in John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The truth is God loves you even if your life is a mess and covered with sin. His love and grace extends to you. The offer of forgiveness and new life goes out to everyone. That's why Jesus used the word "Whoever" in John 3:16. It simply means anyone. That includes you.
Choosing to Follow Jesus
So where does this leave you right now? You realize that you have failed and sinned. You realize that God loves you and Jesus came to die for you. You realize that God offers you forgiveness and a new life. How do you make this a reality?
The first thing you must do is decide if you're ready to change the leader of your life. Up until now, you have been the leader. You have been deciding what is right and what is wrong. A change in life means a change in leadership. Jesus must become your life leader. There is no way around this. The church word for this is repentance, which means to change your direction. When people asked Peter what they had to do to be saved, his response was "repent" (Acts 2:38)
Once you're ready to follow Jesus, you pray. You talk with God. You confess your sins and ask God to forgive them. You declare that He is Lord. You declare that He is the new leader of your life. You trust Him that He alone can and will forgive you without any works on your part. You simply cry out to God and receive Him as your Savior and God. The Bible says in John 1:12, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
What happens if you reject Jesus and ignore God's offer of forgiveness? God makes it clear that you are condemned to judgment. In other words, you will die in your sin and will have to pay for your sin for eternity. Jesus says in John 3:18, "whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." Though God gives us a chance to believe in Jesus, there is a penalty for our unbelief. That is eternal death.
This is your decision time. What will you do with this God who loves you and offers you eternal life? It is your choice. All the church can do is tell you about God's love and offer. We invite you to come to Jesus. With Jesus, we have the promise of salvation that we can cling to in times of joy and in times of despair. This world is temporary, but Jesus is forever, even when we pass on from this world. We encourage you to join us in this wonderful life of forgiveness and grace, but the choice is yours.
If you're ready for a new life in Jesus, then right now stop and talk to God. He will hear you and He will save you.
You may pray your own prayer, or you could pray something like this:
Lord Jesus, I confess my sins and ask for your forgiveness. Please come into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Take complete control of my life and help me to walk in Your footsteps daily by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for saving me and for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
If you made that decision, we would love to hear from you. We encourage you to attend a gospel-preaching church. Also, you need to be baptized to show that you are a child of God and have accepted Jesus as your Savior. Though baptism doesn't save you, it's still important because it is a representation of your faith. The next phrase that Peter says in Acts 2:38 shows this importance. He says, "and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ."
We would love to have you part of our church here at First Baptist. If you already attend a church, go tell your pastor about this wonderful decision that you have made. If you would like learn more about this decision or would like to come to our church, please contact us down below or go to our Contact Us page.