How to Become a Christian

God created you because he wanted to be in relationship with you. He loves you. He wants you to know him personally and intimately, not just know about him.

Choosing to receive Jesus is a once-for-all decision. A process of getting to know God will follow, but you have to begin by inviting him into your life. This seemingly simple decision has huge eternal consequences. You may not recognize it, but your wrong moral choices (called sin) have condemned you to spiritual death (eternal separation from our holy God).

Jesus, who had no sin, chose to die to pay for your sins. When you recognize your sinful condition and accept by faith Jesus’ death as payment, you receive his life, which is eternal. Receiving this free gift of salvation is as simple as saying, “Jesus, I acknowledge my sin and your payment for it on the cross. I now ask you to forgive me and I willingly give my life to you.” At that very moment, he will come into your innermost being through the power of his Holy Spirit and start you on a wonderful journey toward intimacy and eternal life with God.

Here is a brief four-step system explaining why we all need Jesus in our lives, and how we can go about making that decision. It includes key Scripture passages supporting each statement; using the reference, you can look up these verses if you’d like to read more of the context.

First:
Realize that everyone needs to be saved. No one is righteous; we are all guilty of breaking God’s law in some way, and therefore already condemned and sentenced.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin (Romans 3:19-20).

Second:
Understand that there is hope in Jesus Christ. Salvation does not come by keeping laws or being good, but only through faith in Christ. All have sinned, but anyone who receives Christ can be forgiven and accepted by God as righteous.

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished… (Romans 3:21-25).

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

Third:
Know that God forgives and accepts unconditionally anyone who believes in Christ.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1-2).

Finally:
Trust Christ in your heart and confess that he is Lord with your words.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).

Repeat aloud this prayer or something similar (what you mean is what matters, not the exact words you use):

“I thank you, heavenly Father, for sending your own Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and pay the penalty for sin. I now believe in him and accept him as my Lord. Thank you that I am saved in him. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Next Steps

You may be wondering what kinds of practical steps you might take to guide you as you discover your personal path toward knowing God. Consider some of these ideas:

• Ask God to reveal himself to you if you’re not sure he’s there.
• Talk to people who display a genuine relationship with God—those who obviously love him and who live by a different set of principles than others you meet.
• Spend time enjoying God’s creation.
• Listen to the stories of people who have walked with God for a long time.
• Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. You can trust God’s “gentle whisper” to give you direction. If you lack understanding, ask him for it.
• Be aware that moments of doubt and questions are normal and legitimate as you discover your personal path.
• Be alert to your presuppositions—the things you already believe—and your personal roadblocks. Try not to let them stand in the way of your discovery process.
• Determine to spend time each day walking the pathway toward faith, and keep evaluating your progress.
• Act on what you decide.

Drawn from the NIV Jesus Everywhere Bible.