Becoming a Christian
A Christian is a follower of Christ. A person is not born a Christian, nor is he a Christian because his parents were. He is not a Christian because he attends church or because he was born in the United States. He is one because he has asked Jesus into his life to be Lord and Savior. Let me explain.
The Bible states that God created mankind in His own image (Genesis 1:27). We are His finest creation, and He loves us immeasurably. When God created the first people, Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, He gave them a choice. They could either follow Him or do their own thing (Genesis 2:16,17). Sadly, they chose the latter (Genesis 3:1-15). They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God had forbidden. When they did, they sinned. To sin means to miss the mark. It is like firing an arrow; but instead of hitting the target, the arrow falls short.
The Bible teaches that all of us have sinned and fall short of God’s ideal for us (Romans 3:23). The Bible also says that our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). Being a sinner does not mean that a person is an ax murderer, it simply means that he has fallen short in his thoughts, words, or actions. In addition God's Word teaches that there is a penalty or "wage" for sin. That wage is death (Romans 6:23).
There are two kinds of death: physical death and spiritual death. When Adam and Eve sinned, their physical days on this earth became numbered. They would eventually die physically. The aging process would take its toll. More importantly, however, they became spiritually dead. They were spiritually separated from God.
It is possible for a person to be physically alive and sprititually dead. That is the state of many people today. The most serious problem occurs if a person dies physically before something has been done to remove his sin. In that case he will be eternally separated from God because the Bible teaches that after physical death comes judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who die in their sin (those who have not come to Christ as Savior and Lord), will wind up separated for eternity from God in Hell, also known as the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15).
Many people know that they are separated from God and desire to be made right with Him. They try to earn their salvation by living righteously. The problem is, that our righteousness is like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). The Bible also teaches that if we keep all of God’s law and yet sin only once, we are guilty (James 2:10). All of us are guilty because all of us have sinned in thought, word, or deed. The truth is, we aren’t sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. From birth we have a sin nature that has been passed on to us all the way back to Adam through a fallen human race.
Some men try to bridge the gap between themselves and God through doing good deeds. They treat people well, give to charitable causes, give to the poor, and do other noble tasks. Even though these things please God, they will not save a person because Ephesians 2:8,9 states that no ones good works can save him, otherwise he could boast.
Every bridge that men try to build to God through their own efforts falls short. Man can do nothing to wipe away his own sin.
The wonderful news is that God has done everything! Romans 5:8 teaches that God proved His love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still dead in our sin. God never would have sent His Son to die if there was any other way to save us. 1 Peter 3:18 states that Jesus (the just One) died for us (the unjust ones) in order that He might bring us to God. Salvation, however is not automatic. We must receive it by placing our faith in Him.
John 3:16 states that God loved mankind so much that He sent Christ to die to pay the penalty for our sin so that we can be forgiven if we place our faith in Him. In other words, in order to be saved, a person must come to God, admit that he is a sinner, and ask Christ to forgive his sin and to come into his life to be his Lord and Savior. Christ comes into our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Asking Christ to be Lord of our lives simply means to surrender the control of our lives to Him. It means taking His values as our values. Asking Him to be Savior means asking Him to save us from the penalty of our sin.
Some folks want Jesus as Savior, but not as Lord. He doesn’t come that way. He does not give cheap salvation so that a person can turn around and live any way he chooses. Jesus is in the business of coming into a person’s life and making him brand new. If a person wants to follow Christ as Lord, he obviously wants Him as Savior. If a person simply wants fire insurance and doesn’t desire to give his life over to Christ, then Christ will not save Him.
If you truly want to follow Christ, here is a simple prayer you can pray. There is nothing magic in the words. God is much more concerned with the attitude of your heart. If you truly want to ask Christ to be your Lord and Savior, you can ask Him into your life right now. Here then is the prayer:
Lord I need you. I admit that I am a sinner and can’t save myself. I believe that you came into this world and died on the cross for me, and rose from the dead on the third day. I ask you to come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I turn away from my sin and choose to follow You. Make me the person you want me to be. I give myself to you.
If you prayed this prayer and truly meant it, you are a child of God. It is not based on feelings, but on God’s promise that He would save you if you placed your trust in Him.
If you prayed the prayer, congratulations! To help you grow in your faith, I encourage you to get a Bible and begin reading it, talk to God on a regular basis through prayer, find a good church to attend each Sunday, and find a Christian friend who can encourage you in your faith.
If we at Valley can encourage you in any way, please call us at 415-479-3390.
Sincerely,
Pastor Chris Losey
