Have you wondered what it means to be a Christian? Has someone explained it to you, but it just hasn’t clicked yet? Do you know Christians that seem to have something different and attractive to you? Did you grow up going to church, or do you go to church now, and wonder if you might be missing something? Are you unsure if you want to be a Christian?
Understanding how to become a Christian, or even what that means exactly, can be puzzling.
Just like you, I used to have a lot of the same questions gnawing at me.
Prior to becoming a believer, I was an atheist. I spent many hours contending with Christians. At times, I became frustrated because some believers were unwilling to say “I don’t know” if they didn’t have an answer to my questions. They seemed to feel a need to spell out everything.
So, as I begin, it is important to stress that I cannot explain all spiritual things, and anyone that claims to have complete understanding is in error. There is the physical world in which we operate, and there is the spiritual world that God reveals to us…in part. I have done my best to use our human language to disclose what I do know, and I have included links for you to look at the source of Truth, which is the Bible.
If you take one thing from this article, it is this:
Anyone that seeks God with an open heart will find Him. You can ask God to reveal Himself to you in a way you can understand, and He will! (Don’t be surprised if, when that happens, you are unable to adequately express with words what you experienced spiritually.)
In this article, we'll cover:
Simply put, a Christian is a Christ-follower.
It is living in the truth that God, your Creator, made a way for you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus’ payment for your sins.
Being a Christ-follower not only secures you a place eternally in heaven but also gives you fulfillment here on earth.
Because Jesus conquered sin and death when He rose from the dead three days after being crucified, He can save you from death: spiritual death when your physical body passes away, as well as heart and soul death here on earth as you are freed from sin’s snare and power over your life.
Immediately upon inviting Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, you receive forgiveness for all your sins, reconciliation with God, and restoration of the abundant life God wanted you to have when He made you.
God is pure and, therefore, He cannot tolerate sin without defiling His purity.
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, sin is “transgression of the law of God.” God’s law was first expressed through the Ten Commandments. (Jesus later identified the core message of all the laws: to love God above all else and to love others as yourself.)
Everyone has sinned and no one is able to wash themselves of sin. Only God can erase sin and save us from its penalty, which is death.
Before Jesus’ crucifixion, God’s people needed to make regular sacrifices to atone for their sins. Then, out of His great love, God sent the Savior of the world to die in our place; and in so doing, He removed the need to make regular sacrifices because Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for sin, which is offered to all people, for all time.
Take these two life-saving steps
Confess to God that, because you have sinned, you need Jesus to be the Lord of your life. It may sound something like, “Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. I have been [divisive, dishonest, violent, selfish, etc]. I know that you died on the cross for my sins, and I am asking you to forgive me.”
Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead
Believe that it is only Jesus’ death that can pay the price (death) for your sin; and that sin and death were conquered for you when God raised Jesus from the dead. The only way for your sins to be forgiven is by receiving Jesus’ gift of salvation through His crucifixion and resurrection. Receiving that gift happens simply by believing that God sent His only Son, Jesus, the Messiah so that you can take on the righteousness of God.
Remember what I said earlier: “God is pure, and therefore, He cannot tolerate sin without defiling His purity.” You need to be right or pure in God’s eyes in order to be reconciled to and connected with Him; God makes believers right through Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life and took on our sins, making all believers pardoned and righteous.
Does that sound too easy? Is that really all that it takes?
Yes!
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Now, let me stop for a moment to remind you that if there is anything I am not adequately explaining for you, call out to God (prayer) asking Him to speak to your heart in the way that makes the most sense to you.
No longer does sin separate you from God. When He looks at you, He sees you as sinless because Jesus took on your sins (past and present). This allows you to have peace with God and to hear His voice.
You can never be condemned for your sins. God’s enemy, Satan, will try to condemn you. But you do not need to listen to these lies, because, in Jesus, you are not condemned - you are forgiven.
You are a new person. Your old life is gone. Now you can live out the good plans God has for you with Jesus interceding for you and the Holy Spirit helping you.
You will always be loved and never rejected by God. His love is unending, unconditional, and complete.
Now what?
Do you want to learn more about what to look for in a church? Check out these articles:
Are ready to start understanding and applying the Bible to your life in tangible ways? Check out these articles:
Do you want to learn more about the reliability of the Bible? Check out these articles:
Do you live in the Greater Concord, NH area? Come check us out!