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| Becoming a Christian … |
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| If
you are born in the United States, the law says that you are automatically
a U.S. citizen. Some people believe that being born in the U.S. automatically
makes them a Christian as well. Others believe that being born to Christian
parents automatically makes one a Christian. Still others think that attending
church or being baptized automatically makes one a Christian. Actually,
there is no automatic way to become a Christian. The only way to become
a Christian is by entering into a personal relationship with God. Fortunately, God has made it possible for anyone to enter into a relationship with Him. But that doesn't come about by being born in the U.S., by having Christian parents, by being baptized, or by attending church. No, it comes only through a personal faith in God's Son, Jesus Christ. If you are looking for this personal relationship with God, here are five steps that will lead you into your own relationship with God. You might call it the ABCDE path to becoming a Christian: |
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| Admit | |||
| The road to a relationship with God begins by admitting we need that relationship. Too often we make the mistake of thinking we're good enough on our own, or that we don't need God. But the Bible says otherwise: | |||
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"No
one is good -- not even one. No one has real understanding; no one is
seeking God. All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No
one does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12, New Living Translation) |
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| According to the Bible, all of us have strayed from God's ways and tried to run our own lives. We have lived as though God didn't really exist or as though God didn't have the right to direct our lives. That's the essence of sin. And the first step is to admit that the Bible's diagnosis of the problem applies to each of us as well. | |||
| Believe | |||
| The second step is to believe that God's Son Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to enter into a relationship with God. As the Bible tells us: | |||
| "But
to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become
children of God." (John 1:12, New Living Translation) "For 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 it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved." (Romans 10:9-10, New Living Translation) |
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| We can never do enough good deeds to work our way into a relationship with God. We can only accept what God offers as a free gift. That's what faith is all about: believing and accepting what God tells us concerning His Son. The Bible teaches that God sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross, and that through His death we are given the promise of eternal life. Jesus' resurrection from the dead is God's validation of this truth. This is what we are called to believe and to freely accept. | |||
| Confess | |||
| Next we need to confess our sin to God and accept His forgiveness. Confessing sin is simply a matter of owning up to God for both our wrongdoings and our shortcomings (the things we have done and the things we have failed to do). In confessing our sin before God, we should strive to be as specific as possible. But once we have confessed our sin, we can know that God truly has forgiven us. | |||
| "But
if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and
to cleanse us from every wrong." (I John 1:9, New Living Translation) "In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God." (Acts 13:38-39, New Living Translation) |
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| Dedicate | |||
| When we are genuinely sorry for our sin, we want to turn from it. So the next step after confessing our sin and accepting God's forgiveness is to dedicate ourselves to being fully devoted followers of Jesus. As Jesus told his would-be followers: | |||
| "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." (Luke 9:23-24, New Living Translation) | |||
| Jesus calls us to turn our lives totally over to Him, and, paradoxically, He says that is how we discover real life. Dedicating ourselves to following Jesus means that He becomes the Lord, or Leader, of our lives. We look to Him for direction. We adopt His value system. We follow His teachings. Now that's not always easy (that's where the cross comes in). We would much rather run our own lives, but Jesus promises that we will find true life when we allow Him to run our lives instead. | |||
| Express | |||
| The final step is really an ongoing one. This is to express our new faith and dedication in public ways. This can (and should) be done through the public act of joining a church and participating in its life and ministry. But it is also done as we seek to follow the ways and teachings of Jesus in our daily lives and as we bear witness to others of what God has done in our lives. Here is some of what the Bible tells us: | |||
| Jesus
says, "You are my friends if you obey me." (John 15:14, New
Living Translation) "Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other." (Hebrews 10:24-25, New Living Translation) "With my authority, take this message of repentance to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who turn to me.' You are witnesses of all these things." (Luke 24:47-48, New Living Translation) |
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| If you are ready to start on this path to God, you can begin your journey with this simple prayer: | |||
| Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. I want to have that relationship with God which you have made possible. So I confess that I am a sinner and that I have been living my life apart from you. But I now want to invite you into my heart and accept your forgiveness. Thank you for dying for my sins and for the gift of eternal life which you have promised. Take control of my life now and enable me to dedicate myself to following you. For I ask this in faith, believing in your promises, Amen. | |||
| Once you embark on this journey, or if you have questions about it, we would like to help you grow and be of encouragement to you along the way. Please contact us by email (jessrc@standalerc.org) or by phone (616/453-0005). May God bless your new journey with Him! | |||
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