How to Know Jesus
How to Become a Christian
Admit. The Bible teaches that through one man (Adam), everyone is born in a sinful state and is need of redemption and forgiveness of sin {Romans 3:23; 5:12}. Since we are all sinners, the first step to head toward true salvation is to admit that you have sinned.
Believe. The Bible also teaches that, not only do we need to admit we are sinners, butwe also need to believe that God is who He says is and will do what He says He will do. Below are a few essential beliefs necessary for salvation:
1. You must believe that Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully man; that He came to earth, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross for man.s sin and rose from the grave showing God.s eternal victory over evil, sin, death and hell; and that He is the only way to true salvation {John 1:1-12; 3:16; 14:6}.
2. You must believe that God can and will forgive you of your sin (past, present and future). {1 John 1:8-9.}
3. You must believe that the salvation God is giving you is a gift and is not by works. The Bible teaches that salvation is the .gift of God. and is only offered to man because of the atoning work of Christ on the Cross. {Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8; 6:23}
4. You must believe that Jesus Christ truly rose from the grave and that the salvation He offers you is eternal. Since you could never .earn. it, you can never .lose. it. {Romans 5:9-10; 8:28-39; 10:9-13}
Confess. Lastly, the Bible teaches that you must confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. There are several things you need to be aware to truly understand this:
1. You must confess Him with your lips. The Bible says that we must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord {Romans 10:9}.
2. You must confess Him with your heart. The Bible also says that we are to love God with ALL of our heart. In other words, we must give God our whole heart and ask Him to come and dwell within us, allowing us to live each day in His strength and power. {Matthew 22:37-38; Romans 8:11}
3. You must confess Him with your mind. The Bible says that .the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace {Romans 8:5-10}. In other words, we must ask God to completely change our way of thinking {Colossians 3:2}.
4. You must confess Him with your life. Jesus was very clear that anyone who wanted to be His disciple must .deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. {Luke 9:23-26}.
While salvation is a gift and is not earned by our works, it is necessary to understand that true salvation will produce a change in your heart, mind, and life.s direction. The fancy Bible word for this is .repentance,. and all genuine salvation requires one to .repent. (turn) from their sin and trust completely in Christ and Christ alone {1 Corinthians 7:9-11}.
If you have never surrendered your life to Christ and are ready to do so, sincerely pray the following prayer: Dear Father, I admit I am a sinner and that I am in need of Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ died on the Cross for my sin and rose from the grave to give me life, and right now I repent of all my sin and place my trust completely in Christ and Christ alone. I confess you Jesus as my Lord and Savior and ask that you would help me to live my life in a way that honors and glorifies you. Thank you for forgiving me of my sin, and for giving a new life. I mean this prayer with all my heart. In Jesus. Name I pray, Amen.