How to Become a Christian?
By Shawn Abigail
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What is a Christian? Is a Christian a person who goes to church?
Well we would certainly hope so! Is a Christian a person with good
morals? Well this is obviously important! Is a Christian devoted to
his or her family? Well this is certainly expected of a Christian! How
does a person become a Christian? By attending church, acting
morally and being devoted to his or her family?
No. This sort of good behaviour is expected of a person once he or
she becomes a Christian but it is not how he or she becomes a
Christian in the first place. Consider this question for a moment:
how does a woman become a mother? Is it by changing diapers? Is
it by dressing her child warmly? Is it by feeding her child good food?
No. This is the behaviour we would expect of a mother, but it is not
how she becomes a mother in the first place. In the first place, she
becomes a mother by having a baby!
Many people think that if a person lives a certain way, it makes that
person a Christian. But this is simply not true. A good life is
expected of the person who has become a Christian but it is not the
good life that makes a person into a Christian in the first place. In
the first place, to become a Christian, you must be born again.
The need to be "Born Again"
Regretably, the term "born again" has become much confused in
today's society. If I say I am born again, many people will
automatically think I subscribe to a right wing political agenda, am
politically active and watch a lot of "televangelists" on television.
However, the term "born again" is a phrase used by Jesus, and I
prefer to use it in the same sense as He used it, not the modern
sense.
In the first 7 verses of John chapter 3 we read:
"Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a
member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and
said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God.
For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God
were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no
one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." "How
can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he
cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom
of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to
flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised
at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He was a religious leader, and
certainly would have been thought of as a moral man. He would
have known the first 5 books of the Old Testament (the Jewish Law)
like the back of his hand. Surely if anyone could become a Christian
by their own good works, it would have been Nicodemus. But what
did Jesus say to him? "You must be born again." Jesus went on to
describe what He meant. If a person is going to be alive physically,
he must have a physical birth. And similarly, if a person is going to
be alive spiritually, he must have a spiritual birth. This is what it
means to be "born again". It means that there has been a time in
your life when you have had a spiritual birth.
How to be "Born Again"
So how can I be born again? In John 3:16-18, Jesus goes on to
describe this concept, and what a person must do to be born again.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned
already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and
only Son.
To "believe in him" obviously doesn't mean to simply believe He
exists. Even the Devil believes that much! But rather, to "believe in
Him" means to trust that He died to pay the penalty for your sins,
and that through trusting in Him, you can be certain you will go to
Heaven.
But what about my good works?
If you have read carefully to this point, you will notice that I have
declared that forgiveness of sins and the assurance of going to
Heaven when you die can be obtained simply through personally
trusting that Jesus Christ died in your place. But what about your
works? Can good works get you into Heaven? Can they at least help
you get into Heaven? Here was Paul the Apostle says about this in
Ephesians 2:8,9:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one
can boast.
Grace is unmerited favour. It is not something you can earn.
Salvation is a gift from God, not something you can earn by your
good works. But you might ask, "Aren't good works important to
God? Isn't it important that I attend church?" To both these
questions we must reply, "Yes, they are certainly important, but they
don't make you into a Christian. They don't earn you forgiveness." To
be saved from your sins, to become a Christian, to have the
assurance of going to heaven when you die - these things are
obtained through faith in Jesus Christ, that He died to save you.
Doing good works, praying, attending church - these things are
expected of the person who has exercised faith in Jesus Christ.
They are the effects of salvation, not the cause.
Do you need to become a Christian?
Perhaps you were raised "Christian", or perhaps at some point in
your life you came to the conclusion that you needed a spiritual
aspect to your life. Does this make you a Christian? No. Becoming a
Christian is a personal faith and trust that you exercise in Jesus
Christ. It is the relationship between a Saviour and someone
needing salvation.
How can I be saved right now?
You can be saved right now, if you want to be. The best way I know
of to be serious with God is to get down on your knees and pray to
Him. What should you say?
- admit that you are a sinner. The Bible says in Romans 3:23,
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Admit
that you have sinned in your life and that you need
forgiveness.
- admit that you can't save yourself through your good works.
Remember Ephesians 2:8,9 which says, "For it is by grace
you have been saved, through faith--and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one
can boast."
- admit that God is forced to judge you for your sins. Romans
6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- repent of your sin. The Bible says in Luke 13:3, "But unless
you repent, you too will all perish." To repent not only means
to feel sorry, but also to have a change of mind about sin.
Instead of trying to get away with sin, the repentant person
will try to avoid it!
- believe! Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died to save you
and to bring you to Heaven to be with Him. "For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Will you respond to this message right now. Will you enter into
Eternal Life this day? What will prevent you from obtaining salvation
today?
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