God loves us all. More then any human is capable of loving us. This love is called agape love, which is unconditional, regardless of what we did or do. God IS Love. However, we all have a freedom of choice. Including a choice to turn to God and believe in Him, or not.
To know God is to know Jesus Christ. And knowing Him comes from God’s Word, the Bible. Specifically New Testament. So in order to actually KNOW who Jesus Christ is, one must read and find out. What He said, what He stands for, what was His purpose on earth. By reading you will get understanding of who died for us and why. Old Testament is a first part of the Bible, however by reading New Testament you will learn what Christianity is all about. Word ”Gospel” means “Good News” and it is good news indeed, for everyone who makes a choice to believe in their hearts and minds that God loves us so much, that He sent his only (begotten) Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, so we can get a brand new life, Eternal life. Books (Gospels) of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament are the best way to start learning about Jesus Christ.
Believing in Jesus Christ is not a religion. Once you start reading the Bible, you will find that Jesus was opposed to religious figures who were abusing their positions while they themselves were not following God’s law. He was for love among people, life and everything good. And most importantly, He is our connection to God which, without Him being sacrifice for our sins, is simply not possible to achieve on our own.
Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior gives us a brand-new heart and renewal of our mind. This is known as being “born again” or "born from above", of which Jesus spoke of. The way this manifests in the beginning can be different from person to person. Some people experience indescribable peace. Some extreme joy. Some just “know” in their heart that they are saved. Some get instant deliverance from addiction they may have. Some experience healing. Some experience understanding and joy gradually, as they open their hearts and minds to God, while reading the scripture, praying, etc. The fact is, more we turn to God, more of God we have. Choice is ours. Becoming a follower of Christ is not a one-time thing or a prayer - it’s repenting, accepting Eternal life and salvation (forgiveness of sins) through Jesus Christ, believing in Him (John 3:16) and choosing to obey God’s commandments, by "loving one another" and avoiding sin.
God is always ready to accept us just as we are. Basically, what matters is that you:
- Admit that you have sinned (as every human being is and has).
- Believe that Jesus was a sacrifice for your (personal) sins, and accept Him as your Savior.
- Repent and be willing to turn away from sin from now on, as your sins will be forgiven.
- Put your brand new heart and life in God’s hands, as you grow as a believer.
General definition of sin is: Transgression of the law of God. My personal way to explain sin to someone is: Any wrongdoing (by actions or words) toward someone or God, done not in love, that is: due to lack of God's love and understanding of what God's love and "loving one another" means. (Regardless of being aware of it or not at the time is commited).
To be forgiven of sins, receive eternal life and turn to God through Jesus Christ, this is the confession:
Father God, thank you for giving your only Son Jesus Christ to be sacrifice for my sins. I now acknowledge that I have sinned and repent of all my sins and unbelief. I believe that Jesus is my Lord and Savior, crucified and ressurected so I can have Eternal life. Through Him I am now forgiven, saved and sanctified, and I accept New life, as a new creation and as your child. Please guide me further in His Word. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you have said this confession, or prayed in your own words according to the guideline above, thank God and Jesus Christ for your salvation and receiving eternal life. Truly repenting and accepting Jesus as Savior means to be forgiven of previous sins and/or sinful life. That is what Jesus died (was crucified) for. Next step is growing as a new creation in Christ, and that is the work of God manifested through you.
If you deliberately continue sinning and see no change from old attitude toward sin (feel no conviction), true repentance may not have happened. This page is not created to lead people into false,”instant salvation”, but to be a simple guideline about what salvation is. Please read more in New Testament about what is considered to be sin or a sinful act.
You do not have to automatically go to church or agree with every pastor’s preaching, but it’s beneficial to have a fellowship with other Christians one way or another. It could be someone in your family, a friend, a church member.
As you continue your life in Christ, you will understand more and more that God is love and wants only what is best for you. Forget about what you heard before. Forget about your already formed opinion about what Christian is or should be like.
May your example of being a Christian be Jesus Christ, first and foremost, so get to know him through His Word. Open your mind and heart to Word of God and remember: it is your relationship with God that matters the most, before everything else.
