How to Become a Christian

How can I become a Christian? How can I be forgiven? How can I know that I have peace with God?

There are many ways to ask this question, and the answer is always the same. You are not the first to ask this question. In fact, a man in the Bible asked the very same question at a critical moment in his life. He asked, “What must I do to be saved?”. That’s just another way to say, “How can I have peace and forgiveness from God?” The answer then, and today, is so clear that anyone can become a Christian. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”. Believe. Trust in Jesus and you will be forgiven, you will have peace with God, and you will become a Christian.

Jesus Christ is God. He is God who loved you so much that He came to the earth to rescue you from the punishment that you deserved.

ALL HAVE SINNED

The Bible says, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Every single person on planet earth is a sinner. Sin is failing to do what God has commanded and actively doing what God has commanded that we do not do. Every person is a sinner. This includes you.

SIN MUST BE PUNISHED

Sin must be punished. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death”. Because every sinful action breaks the law of God and the heart of God, sin must be punished. The punishment for sin is ultimately separation from God and eternal judgement in a place we know as Hell. This is what the Bible calls “the second death”. This punishment is what every sinner deserves. This includes you.

THAT IS WHERE JESUS COMES IN!

The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Punishment is what we each deserve. The gift of forgiveness and peace is what God offers to everyone. This is possible because Jesus was punished for you! The Bible says, “God commendeth (displays, shows) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus, the Son of God, was perfect and sinless. And He showed you how much He loves you by accepting your punishment. Jesus died on the cross for you so that you could be made right with God. This gift is offered to everyone. This includes you!

BELIEVE

This is what it means when the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved”. It means realizing that you are a sinner. It means understanding that your sin must be punished. It means accepting the forgiveness that is God’s gift to you. Jesus died on the cross. He was buried. He was dead for three days and nights. Then He rose from the dead. He rose so that you could be made right with God, so that you could become a Christian. The Bible says, “Believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

God did all this for you. What He asks of you now is your trust. Simply believe. Your forgiveness does not come from church rituals or moral actions; and peace does not come from our efforts. You can become a Christian right now if you will truly believe this message from God. If you will turn to Jesus and trust Him now, He will change you. He will forgive you. He will give you peace with God. He will make you a Christian.

If you are ready, in your heart, to become a Christian, you can pray a prayer like this. God will hear, and God will forgive you. 

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I am sorry for my sins. I know that my sin must be punished. And I believe that Jesus was punished for me. I believe He died. I believe He was buried. I believe He rose again from the dead. So, now I receive Him as my Savior. I trust Him for peace and forgiveness. Jesus, thank you for saving me. I pray you will help me to live a life that pleases you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

We would love to celebrate with you your new life as a Christian. Please click here to let us know and to receive more helpful information about what’s next now that you are a Christian.