The Christian Life
How to Become a Christian
Becoming a Christian can be as easy as ABC:
Acknowledge – we must acknowledge that we have sinned against God, be sincerely repentant and ask His forgiveness. Jesus Christ took the punishment for our sins so that when we repent we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.
All of us like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, each one, to his own way; but the LORD has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] to fall on Him [instead of us]. – Isaiah 53:6
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable, overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Roman 6:23
Believe – we must believe that Jesus is God’s son, receive Him as our Lord and personal Saviour and get to know God through Jesus Christ.
For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. – John 3:16 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent. – John 17:3 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Confess – we must confess our new faith in Christ to God and to men.
…If you confess with your mouth the lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. – Romans 10:9,10
By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source]. – 1 John 4:2
If you wish to become a Christian, take the ABC steps sincerely then say THE PRAYER FOR SALVATION
A Prayer for Salvation
If you would like to give your life to Jesus please say this prayer:
‘Father God, I acknowledge that I am a sinner and deserving of death.’
‘I come to you today. I believe that Jesus is the son of God who came down to earth as a man to die for my sins. I believe that by His death on the cross Jesus has paid the price for my sin so that I may have everlasting life.’
‘Today I accept Jesus as saviour and Lord of my life. I receive forgiveness for my sin and eternal life.’
If you would like to give your life to Jesus please sIf you have said this prayer sincerely then you are now a born again Christian. This means you have died to self and sin and you now have a new life in Christ, you are a new creation.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. – John 3:6
Who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:13
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17
After you have become a Christian you need to grow in your new faith. To grow in your new faith see HOW TO GROW AS A CHRISTIAN next.
How to Grow as a Christian
Now that you have believed in Jesus Christ and received Him as Lord and saviour, you are born again. You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Like any new born baby you have to grow.
Here we share six tips to help you grow in your Christian faith:
1. Feed on the Word
Like new born babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation
– 1 Peter 2:2
The food for the spirit man is the word of God. We grow spiritually by feeding on God’s word which is the Bible. This we can achieve by studying the Bible and by listening to good Bible based messages. A practical way to get fed is to attend a good Bible-believing church, regularly.
2. Pray
And when you pray… But when you pray… This, then, is how you should pray… – Matthew 6:5, 6, 9-15
As Christians we communicate with God through prayer. Jesus demonstrated this while He was on earth. He spoke about prayer as a requirement for the believer and not as an option. God also invites us to bring our needs to Him and we do this by praying in the name of Jesus.
3. Fellowship with other Christians
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – Acts 2:42
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts – Acts 2:46
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together. – Hebrews 10:24, 25
The company we keep plays a role in our growth as Christians. The early church had a habit of gathering frequently to pray, listen to the word and share a meal. Great things happened when
they gathered in unity. It is important for our growth that we be committed to a good church family.
4. Share your Faith
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. – Mark 16: 15
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. – Mark 8:38
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. – Romans 1: 16
Jesus not only saved us but sent us out to tell others the good news about salvation through faith in Him. Having been saved, we have a responsibility to share this treasure with others. We
must be pro-active in sharing our new faith.
5. Be filled with the Holy Spirit
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. – John 20: 21, 22
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. – Acts 1:8
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. – Acts 10:44
When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[a] and prophesied. – Acts 19:6
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. – Romans 8: 9, 10
Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to those who would believe. As believers we need the Holy Spirit to live an effective Christian life – a life of joy, power and victory over sin. We can receive the Holy Spirit by laying on of hands or directly from God by asking.
6. Obey the Lord
Walk in obedience to all that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess. – Deuteronomy 5:33
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. – Matthew 7: 24, 25
If you love me, keep my commands. – John 14:15
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. – James 1:22
Obedience to God is key in the life of the Christian. Our obedience to God is proof of our love for Him. We cannot make progress in our Christian life if we do not obey the Lord.