That is a great question to ask, and we are really excited that you are interested to find out. God loves you and He wants you to find out the purpose of your life and be set free to fulfil it.
It sounds like a simple question but to answer the question in language everyone understands is not so simple. We would rather discuss it with you in person, but we understand that many people want to explore this question privately before talking in person.
A Christian is someone who has accepted Jesus as Lord of their life.
But who is Jesus? What does it mean to make Him Lord of your life and why would you want to do that?
There are some excellent online resources to help you explore who Jesus is, what He taught, how He died and rose again from the dead and what all this has to do with you. The Alpha Course is a great way to explore these topics. Contact us if you would like to attend a course in person or you can find Alpha Courses online. Or if you like videos 321 is a great app.
If you would like a shorter guide, you could look at Unite Christian Broadcastings excellent answer to this question.
You can read more about who Jesus is, what He did and taught by reading one or more of the four gospels found in the Bible. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
To fully understand those books, you need the rest of the Bible, but the gospels are a great place to start. Come and visit us and we will gladly give you a free Bible. Or you can find online versions or an audible version.
You may already know all this and decided that you want to commit the rest of your life to following Jesus. Wonderful! What do you need to do? Several people asked Jesus this question and He gave a slightly different answer to each person because we are all unique. He spoke about being born again, being born of the Spirit, living life to the full, taking up your cross, denying yourself, not looking back, He even challenged someone who was very rich and thought they had already done all they needed to do, to give away their money.
So, there is no fixed formula but if you want concise answer, the Apostle Peter gave one of the best…
…Repent and be baptised, 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.
Acts 2:38
Repent
To repent means to change your mind. When you come to believe that Jesus is God in human form, that He died in our place so that we can be forgiven, and rose again from the dead, you will see life and your purpose in it very differently. You will begin to see some of the many things which you have done wrong which mean you have no right to enter heaven. Recognising your only hope is that God will show you mercy and giving up all hope of making things right with God by being good, you are able to accept God the reconciliation which God offers through Jesus, so that we can be forgiven.
We make this decision based on the promises of Jesus in the Bible and the evidence of His resurrection. Trusting God in this way is what the bible calls faith. We are saved by trusting in Jesus and His death in our place. God Himself, taking the punishment we deserved to bring us back into right relationship with Him. A relationship where we know God loves us and wants the best for us and we love Him and know following King Jesus is the most important thing in our lives.
Be Baptised
Baptism means to be immersed. Jesus taught His followers to symbolically immerse in water all those who trust in Him and promised He would immerse them with His Spirit. We are not saved by baptism. Baptism in water is an important symbolic demonstration of our acceptance of Jesus as Lord, because He called us to be baptised. It is also a public declaration of what happens when we become a Christian. Dyeing to our old, life, being buried with Christ and being raised again to a new life immersed in Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
If you decide to accept God’s offer of forgiveness and new life by becoming a Christian, then your next step is to contact a church about how to prepare for baptism.
Receive forgiveness
We are do things wrong. Jesus reveals that our wrong behaviours have consequences. They separate us from God and if we do not accept His forgiveness but demand justice, we will get justice, which is to be separated from God forever. God wants everyone to come to repentance and be reconciled to Him. Everyone needs forgiveness from God and anyone can receive forgiveness by trusting in Jesus. This doesn’t mean we can avoid the consequences of our wrong actions in this world but it does mean we can experience God’s acceptance and love now and have confidence that He has forgiven us.
Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
Becoming a Christian is a unique event. The moment we decide to accept God’s gracious gift of new life we move from spiritual darkness to spiritual light. From death to life. But light can get brighter and new life is an ongoing experience. It is impossible to live a perfect life, however hard we try we fall short. As followers of Jesus we make mistakes and wrong choices. We need ongoing repentance and ongoing forgiveness. The Holy Spirit is given to everyone who believes in Jesus. He assures us that God loves and accepts us. He convicts us when we do things which are wrong and leads us to repentance. He also empowers us to do what Jesus asks us to do. We can not become a Christian or continue as a Christian without the Holy Spirit.
I hope that has answered some of your questions, though it may have raised a lot more! Come and visit us one Sunday and find out more are ask specific questions by emailing us.
If you are ready to accept Jesus as your Lord and Rescuer, you can find below a prayer to help you to put that desire into words. It is often helpful to say this either with a Christian friend or in private. Say it out loud and pause to make it personal to yourself. It is not a formula or a spell it is a guide to help you make your own response to God’s love for you displayed through Jesus.
Lord Jesus Christ, please reveal the things which I have done which meant you had to die for me.
I am sorry for these things, and I confess them now before you.
Please forgive me.
I turn from everything that I know is wrong.
I trust in you alone to be my rescuer.
Thank you for inviting me into your amazing plan.
Thank you that you died on the cross for me, so that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank you that you rose again conquering death and that you ascended to heaven to ask the Father to send Holy Spirit.
Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Spirit.
I now accept those gifts and the invitation to become part of Your story.
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to empower me and show me how to follow Jesus as my Lord.
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
Amen.
If you have prayed that and meant it, you are a Christian! Congratulations on making the best and most important decision of your life. It is time to contact a church to talk about preparation for baptism and how you can join with other believers who are seeking to follow Jesus. They are now your brothers and sisters. The bible is clear, we can’t say we love God and not love our fellow believers. This will often require us to forgive each other, bear with each other and stop judging each other. However, being part of a Bible believing church really is the best way to grow in our relationship with God and experience His love.
We would love to pray for you and offer you free resources to help you to begin your journey as a follower of Jesus. Please contact us.