Christianity 101

How Do I Become a Christian
and What Does it Really Mean?

Most of us have heard terms like "salvation", "conversion, "born again", etc., but what do they really mean? Unfortunately, there are so many things floating around out there that the meanings sometimes get confused and you can be left wondering what's the bottom line. Hopefully, this page will help wipe away some of the confusion by clearly communicating

What a Christian IS and IS NOT
How Do I Become a Christian?
What Do I Do After Becoming a Christian?

What a Christian IS and IS NOT

According to surveys, most people in the United States today say they believe in God. Of those, the majority claim to be Christian. But what exactly do we mean when we say we're a Christian? Does simply believing in a higher being constitute being a Christian? Are we Christians because we try to be "good people"? Does going to church on Sunday distinguish the Christians from the non-Christians?

No. None of these define a Christian. The Holy Scriptures define a Christian simply as a follower of Jesus Christ. But what does being a "follower" mean? Surely it does not refer to someone who simply adheres to an intellectual belief in Jesus Christ. We can say this with certainty because the Bible says that "even the demons believe this -- and they tremble in terror!" (James 2:19 NLT). No, simply possessing an intellectual belief does not make one a Christian.

Then what? While belief is obviously a necessary ingredient, it must be complimented with submission if one is to truly call themselves Christian. This is what truly distinguishes a believer from a non-believer, for while many say they believe there is all too often a lack of submission. True followers of Jesus Christ both believe and submit to the authority of God over their lives. According to the teaching of scripture,

A Christian IS a person who:

Has recognized the truth about themselves and about God and, as a result, has understood their need for a savior.
Believes Jesus Christ is God himself and that he came as a man and allowed himself to be killed to pay the penalty of sin on behalf of all who would accept it.
Has asked Jesus into their heart as Savior and Lord. Accepting Jesus as Savior signifies our belief that we need a mediator to restore our broken relationship with God. Accepting Jesus as Lord indicates our willing submission to his rightful authority over every area of our life.

A Christian IS NOT a person who:

Is more highly favored by God than somebody else.
Does everything right.
Knows all the answers.

How Do I Become A Christian?

The entire message of the Bible is to explain why we are separated from God and how we may be reunited. As with any relationship, the process of restoration requires efforts on the part of both parties. The scripture references given below outline both God's part and our part in restoring the broken relationship.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16 NLT)
- God loves you more than anyone else ever has or ever will. Our world often confuses real love with simply an emotional feeling. The Bible explains that real love is not an emotion but a choice, a conscious decision to act for the higher good of someone else no matter what the cost may be. This is very different from the kind of love the world normally thinks about which is more self-centered (what makes me feel good) than other-centered. God demonstrated this kind of love for you by acting for your higher good (providing a way back into relationship with himself) despite what it cost him.
"For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23 NLT)
- Scripture is clear when it comes to the holiness of God. To be holy means to be "set apart", to be different from other things. To say that God is holy is to say that he is "set apart" from all other things in this world. Unlike everything we see around us, God is perfect. He is pure. He is uncontaminated. He is good. He is just. Let that sink in a moment. Being himself holy, God cannot have relationship with anything that is not holy. The Bible defines "sin" as anything that separates us from God. The verse above clearly says that all of us are guilty of sin; hence, unless the gap is bridged we exist separated from God.
"For the wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23a NLT)
- Sin is serious. The world around us has tried to trivialize sin, even so much as to say there's no such thing - everything is relevant. However, like God, the truth doesn't change. What was once sin is still sin. Scripture tells us that sin is so serious that "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). I cannot explain why this is so -- scripture simply says that it is. Because God is just, sin cannot be simply ignored. If God chose to ignore sin, then evil, disgraceful things would be treated exactly the same as good and wholesome things. There would be no justice - no sense of honor left in the universe. No, the penalty for sin must be paid so that justice and honor remain. Just as everyday life teaches us, scripture affirms - our choices in life have consequences.
"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8 NLT)
- This is the good news! Yes, the penalty must be paid but God has already paid it for you! And don't miss the last part of this verse: Jesus Christ paid your penalty while you were "still a sinner". That means you don't have to "get your life straightened out" before you come to God. God died for you while you were still messed up! That's because He sees you as you can become - not as you are. That is what true love is all about. Think about it.
"God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it." (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)
- It is not uncommon today to hear someone say "All religions are the same." Well, look again. This is one of the things that sets Christianity apart from every other major world religion. If you'll take the time to study for yourself you'll see that every other major religion, when it's boiled down to the basics, is about becoming "good enough". The Bible makes it clear that we will never be "good enough" no matter how hard we try. (If we could we would end up proud which was the sin that messed everything up to begin with - read the first few chapters of Genesis.) The God of the Bible says, "No, you can't restore our relationship by being 'good enough'. Here, I offer restoration as a free gift. You don't have to earn it - in fact, you can't. Just receive it."
"Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal as friends." (Revelation 3:20 NLT)
- As you are reading through these scriptures, God is speaking directly to your heart. Be still and listen. The Bible contains the very words of God himself. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right." (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT). The verse above says that Jesus himself is asking to be invited into your heart. All you have to do is invite him in.
"But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12 NLT)
- There are no further qualifications required! Simply accept the truth. You are loved no matter what. The one who loves you most longs to have your relationship restored. By accepting his invitation you can instantly become a child of God! There's nothing better.

If you truly accept and believe the truth outlined above in your heart, you can become a Christian right where you sit in front of your computer! You don't have to be in a church and you don't have to talk to a minister or a preacher or a priest. God just asks that you understand the truth and are sincere in your heart. If that describes you, then you can pray right now to receive Jesus into your heart and walk away from the Internet with a new life! If that's what you want than all you have to do is pray to God and let him know. An example of what you might pray is given below to help, but there are no "magic words" to say. Simply use your own words to talk to God just as if you were talking to a friend - because you are.

"God, now I understand what it means to be a sinner and admit that is exactly what I am. Up to this point I've really lived my life for myself. I've been wrong. God, your Word says that you became a person, like me, so that you could pay the price for my sin by allowing your blood to be shed. I believe that when you did that the price was paid for every sin I've ever committed or ever will. Thank you so much. God, I believe you love me. I believe you sent your son Jesus to earth to die for me. And I believe he rose from the dead just like the Bible says and is now in heaven preparing a place for me. Lord, I invite you into my heart and want to live the rest of my life becoming more like you. Take control of my life and make me into the kind of person you want me to be."

If you prayed a prayer like this and really meant it in your heart, you have just become a Christian! Congratulations! We'd love to hear about it. Please send us an email by clicking on the rotating icon below or by addressing your email to webmaster@nomatterwhatonline.com.

What Do I Do After Becoming A Christian?

So now what? Is that all there is to becoming a Christian? Not at all -- in fact, it's just the beginning! A Christian is not simply something you do, it's something you are. A whole new life begins when you allow Jesus to have control of your life. Scripture says "What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT). This promise gives all kinds of hope for those wanting to start over.

There is no formula for living the Christian life. Listed below are a few suggestions to help you get started on this new adventure. But remember, Christianity is not about a bunch of do's and don'ts -- it's about life. Anytime we generate lists we run the risk of falling into the trap of thinking in terms of tasks instead of in terms of relationship. Christianity is about relationship. The purpose in giving the list of suggestions below is not to generate a "to do" list but to provide tools for achieving the goal -- a deep, intimate relationship with the living God, Jesus Christ.

Start reading God's Word every day
- Getting to know God is no different than getting to know anybody else -- we spend time with him on a consistent basis. The Bible is our primary means (along with prayer) of spending time with God and getting to know him. When someone you love writes you a letter you treasure it. You read it over and over, sensing the presence of the writer by the words on the paper. The Bible is God's letter of love to us. Begin to devote a set time to being alone and reading God's Word every day. Your faith in him will increase as you get to know him more and more.
Develop the habit of praying at a consistent time every day
- In addition to reading God's Word, we get to know him by speaking with him day in and day out. One of the incredible things about being a Christian is that we can walk into the presence of the King of the universe anytime we want and he is always willing to take time for us! We don't have to go through somebody else to get to God -- we can go straight to him ourselves. How do we know this?
  - "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy 2:5 NLT)
  - "So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
  These verses tell us that Jesus himself is the only mediator needed between us and God and that he has paved the way for us to have direct access to the throne of God. What a privilege!
  
  Prayer is simply speaking with God. There are no specific words you have to use, no particular way you have to talk to him. Just talk. And remember, prayer is speaking WITH him, not AT him. Be sure and spend time just listening, too!
Start memorizing scripture
- The ancient Jewish King David wrote, "I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin." (Psalm 119:11 TLB) David knew that his heart had a tendency to go his way instead of God's. To help guard against getting off course David stored God's words in his heart; that is, he memorized them.
  
  Sometimes we can get a bit intimidated about memorizing something -- don't. Start slow. You might begin by spending two weeks committing one verse to memory. It's not a contest to see how much you can memorize. The point is to begin tucking away little parts of God's word into your heart so that when you need to call upon God's wisdom it is right there with you. (3x5 cards work great for carrying a verse or two around with you as you memorize!)

Find a Bible-teaching church and attend regularly
- Scripture admonishes us not to try to "go it alone" as a Christian. Hebrews 10:25 says, "And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near." (NET, emphasis added).
  
  Some people are fond of saying "I don't need to go to church to be saved." Well, strictly speaking, that's true. You don't. However, when this statement is made it usually says more about the condition of the speaker's heart than it does about theology. A sincere follower of Jesus Christ desires to be with other Christians. It's not a requirement, it's a privilege. When that desire is missing, it's a sign that it's time for a heart check.
  
  The simple truth is we need each other. As humans, we all have the tendency to revert back to old habits if we do not constantly guard ourselves and surround ourselves with healthy, godly relationships. Find a good church and get involved.
Look for a place to give of yourself
- The highest compliment is imitation. Show your love and gratitude to God for what he has done for you by beginning to imitate him. Jesus showed us that loving someone means giving yourself for them. Giving yourself may mean giving of your services, your talents, your time, your finances -- or any combination of all of them! Begin to pray and ask God how you can best serve him. And then keep your eyes open. He'll show you the way!

Notes

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.