Tag Archives: how-to-become-a-christian

How to Become a Christian

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When I was a young man, living in sin and darkness, just finishing law school, life was painful. By God’s providence, and I would say by His eternal plan, I was introduced to a group of students who had come on a somewhat covert missionary trip which had the form of a “cultural exchange student project” for a month. A couple of them one morning at breakfast approached me visibly nervous and as nervously blurted: “You have to commit your life to Jesus!”

Being the pagan and the sinner that I was, yet God had been working already in my heart for many months, I gladly retorted: “Sure! How do I do that?”

I am positive that many people in their young age, and as they mature with the years, ridden by the anxiety and loneliness of life in the godless information age, have a similar question. Is God real? What does this mean for me? Can I find God?

Read on to understand what does it take to commit your life to Jesus.

Christianity is not a new concept in the West. Unfortunately, familiarity with Christian concepts is not the same as being a Christian. The question is what is real Christianity? Who is a real follower of Jesus? There are countless “cultural Christians” who can recite Bible verses or who go to church regularly, but not many seem to be the true followers of Christ who are the real Christians.

There are several simple steps or stages of the maturation of your search for God to becoming a follower of Jesus or a Christian:

  1. You have to be searching for God, and address honestly your fear of death;
  2. You must be convicted of the fact that you are a sinner and you live in rebellion to God;
  3. Witness. Someone must witness to you about Jesus and the good news of the gospel. As they did to me.
  4. You have to make a decision. Once you have heard the gospel it is up to you to make a choice: are you going to follow Christ and his teachings, or will you continue to live for yourself;
  5. Accept Jesus: repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness from God, commit your life to Jesus as you promise that you will live for him and through him as a faithful follower and witness of his name.
  6. Become baptized in water as you profess your new faith;
  7. Read the Scriptures daily, pray daily, get together with faithful believers on a regular basis for teaching, studying of the Word of God, for praise and worship, and encouragement in the faith;
  8. Find out your gifts from God and dedicate yourself to doing good works and to ministry to God and others; be filled with the Holy Spirit.
  9. Keep the faith until the end. You will be an heir of the kingdom of God from your day you were born again by placing your faith in Jesus until the full revelation and consummation of the soon coming kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A significant part in the above described process is to become “born again” or “born form above” as Jesus teaches in the gospel of John, chapter 3, in the conversation with a Jewish leader, Nicodemus. Jesus speaks here of a spiritual birth, by the work of the Holy Spirit but based on faith in him.

To be born again in Christ, you must spiritually receive Jesus through faith, repent of your sins, and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. According to Christian teachings, this spiritual rebirth is a gift from God rather than something earned by good works.

Steps to Be Born Again
Here is a further and similarly explained plan of seeking to be spiritually reborn:
• Acknowledge your need: Understand that everyone falls short and needs God’s grace and forgiveness.
• Repent of your sin: Turn away from past wrongdoing and decide to live in a way that honors God.
• Believe in Jesus Christ: Trust that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose again to give you eternal life.
• Confess Jesus as Lord: Call upon His name in prayer, asking Him to forgive your sins and come into your life.

Growth After Rebirth
• Read the Bible daily: Learn God’s word to understand His will and guidance.
• Pray consistently: Build a personal relationship with God through ongoing conversation.
• Find a church community: Fellowship with other believers to grow in your faith and support one another.
Be baptized in water and participate in the Lord Supper in remembrance of the work of Christ.

The concept of being “born again” is rooted directly in the New Testament, emphasizing spiritual renewal and eternal life through faith. Below are the key Bible verses that explain the meaning and promise of the new birth:

The Conversation with Nicodemus
• John 3:3 — “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'”
• John 3:5-7 — “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again.”‘”

A New Creation
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 — “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
• 1 Peter 1:3 — “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
• 1 Peter 1:23 — “…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.”

The Gift of Mercy and Faith
• Titus 3:5 — “…not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit…”
• Ephesians 2:8-9 — “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

A sample prayer of commitment based on these principles

This prayer is a simple way to express your faith, repent of your sins, and accept Jesus Christ into your life. The words themselves do not have magical power; rather, it is the sincerity of your heart and your trust in God that matter.

A Prayer of Commitment

“Lord Jesus,
I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead to give me eternal life.
I turn away from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I accept You as my personal Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, change my heart, and guide me by Your Holy Spirit from this day forward.
Thank You for Your love, Your grace, and the gift of eternal life.
Amen.”

If you meant sincerely the prayer, or any other prayer with the same intent and meaning of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and believing that God has raised him from the dead, you are now born again and will be led by the Spirit of God who lives in you. The heavenly Father, the Father of Jesus Christ, is your Father also. Welcome to the family of Christians!

What to Expect Next
Saying this prayer marks the beginning of a new spiritual journey. Being born again means you are a new creation in God’s eyes, and you can now focus on growing closer to Him through reading the Bible, praying, and finding a community of faith. Seek a community of Christians where you can receive water baptism and empowerment by the Holy Spirit for the ministry of being a witness for your Savior. Life of freedom from sin and victory over death has just begun.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES REGARDING THE 9 STEPS OF BECOMING A CHRISTIAN

Here are the scripture references that correspond to each step of the above outline, based on standard Christian theology and the Bible.

1. Seeking God and Facing the Fear of Death

The Bible teaches that God is the one who initiates the search for people, and that overcoming the fear of death comes through faith in Christ’s victory over the grave.

  • Seeking God:
    • Hebrews 11:6: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
    • Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
    • Acts 17:27: “…that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.”
  • Overcoming the Fear of Death:
    • Hebrews 2:15: “…and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
    • 2 Timothy 1:10: Jesus Christ “has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
    • 1 Corinthians 15:55: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

2. Conviction of Sin and Rebellion

This step is about realizing the gap between human behavior and God’s holiness.

  • Universal Sinfulness:
    • Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
    • Psalm 14:3: “They have all turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
  • Rebellion:
    • Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
    • Isaiah 59:2: “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God…”
    • Romans 8:7: “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”

3. Hearing the Witness (The Gospel)

Faith comes from hearing the message about Jesus.

  • The Necessity of Hearing:
    • Romans 10:14: “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
    • Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
    • Acts 8:26-35: The story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, where Philip explains the gospel (Isaiah 53) to someone who was seeking God but didn’t know the answer.
    • 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: The core definition of the gospel: “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

4. Making a Decision (The Choice)

Scripture presents salvation as a choice to follow Christ or to walk away.

  • The Call to Choose:
    • Joshua 24:15: “…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
    • John 1:12: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
    • Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
    • Matthew 16:24: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

5. Repentance and Acceptance

This involves turning away from sin (repentance) and trusting in Jesus (faith).

  • Repentance and Forgiveness:
    • Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
    • 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
    • Luke 18:13: The tax collector who prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”
  • Acceptance/Commitment:
    • Romans 10:9: “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.”
    • John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

6. Water Baptism

Baptism is the public profession of faith and identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.

  • The Command:
    • Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…”
    • Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
    • Romans 6:3-4: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
    • 1 Peter 3:21: “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience…”

7. Daily Disciplines (Word, Prayer, Fellowship)

The “means of grace” that sustain the Christian life.

  • Reading Scripture:
    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…”
    • Psalm 119:11: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
  • Prayer:
    • 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.”
    • Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
  • Fellowship:
    • Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another…”
    • Acts 2:42: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

8. Discovering Gifts and Serving (Ministry)

Every believer has a role to play in the body of Christ.

  • Spiritual Gifts:
    • 1 Peter 4:10: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
    • Romans 12:6-8: “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…”
    • 1 Corinthians 12:7: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
  • Good Works:
    • Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
  • The Holy Spirit:
    • Acts 1:8: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
    • Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.).

9. Perseverance and Eternal Hope

The call to remain faithful until the end.

  • Perseverance:
    • Matthew 24:13: “The one who endures to the end will be saved.”
    • Hebrews 3:14: “…for we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”
    • Revelation 2:10: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
  • The Kingdom and Future Hope:
    • 2 Timothy 4:7-8: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness…”
    • 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: Describes the “soon coming” rapture and the gathering of the saints. Here “rapture” should not be understood in the dispensationalist (also enhanced by Hollywood movies) terms as a secret event. It should be considered along the event of the visible and universally manifested return of Jesus and at the sound of a trumpet as he will gather his faithful from the four corners of the earth and heaven. This return is described in the eschatological chapters of the gospels: Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 17 and 22.
    • John 14:3: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”