Throughout human histroy, there have been many world views and religions, all claiming to be a path to God. Are all religions basically the same? Will any sincere belief connect you with God? Jesus answers that question without hesitation. He said,“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

What Is a Christian?

The path to God goes exclusively through Jesus. He was quite clear on that. A Christian is one who has expressed belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and has embraced him as a savior and leader for life. To put it more simply, a Christian is a committed follower of Jesus Christ.

You can read about the life of Jesus in the first four books of the New Testament, the "back half" of the Bible. These historical records written by the earliest followers of Jesus present first-hand accounts of all the Jesus said and did while here on earth. Read through these records. Understand who Jesus is and consider how you will respond to his invitation to come follow him.

The Choice Is Yours

No one is born a Christian. Your family cannot decide this for you. Each of us is asked to make this decision for ourselves. You must decide whether you believe: (1) Jesus is the Son of God, (2) he died to pay the penalty for your sins, and (3) he rose physically from the dead and (4) he is your only hope for forgiveness and eternal life. Are you willing to trust Jesus totally with your life and eternal destiny? The choice is yours.

What Does It Take To Begin?

That’s the same question people asked when a man named Peter proclaimed the truth about Jesus before a huge crowd around 2,000 years ago. His answer to that question found in Acts 2:38 is the answer we give– nothing more; nothing less.

Spend some time reading through the Bible passages below. The Bible is very clear about what it means to surrender your life to Jesus Christ.

Admit you are a sinner and ask to be forgiven. All of us have failed God. Just being good (or better than somebody else) is not enough. God's standard is perfection, and only God can (and will!) perfect us.

Read: Romans 3:10-12, 23, James 2:10, 1 John 3:1-10

Acknowledge Jesus Christ for who he really is. You must believe and declare…

• Jesus is God’s only Son.
• Jesus paid the penalty for your sin by his death on the cross.
• Jesus made a new life possible for you through his physical resurrection.

Read: Romans 6:4, 6:23, 8:6, 10:9, John 3:6, 10:10, 1 Peter 1:28, 1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Totally trust Jesus by…

• Apologizing to God for past wrongs (sin).                                                      Acts 3:19
• Accepting his free forgiveness.
  Ephesians 2:8-9
• Submitting to water baptism.
  Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:38, Galatians 3:27

Once you surrender your life to Jesus, the guilt from sin is gone. What a relief! It’s a gift you don’t deserve and can't earn. It is a gift from God in exchange for our total submission to him. The Bible word for this undeserved gift is grace. It's an offer almost too good to be true - new life in exchange for the old (and it's true)!

Can I Be Sure?

The Bible says you can be 100% sure that you are saved. The reason for such confidence is that salvation depends not on what you can do for yourself, but on what only Jesus can do (and did do) for you.

Even though we will fail God from time to time, we are assured of continued forgiveness because of our relationship with God through Jesus (1 John 1:8-9). All we have to do is ask.

Now What?

What hapens after I have decided to follow Jesus? You can expect faith-stretching challenges and new discoveries each day.

The Bible offers two daily requirements:

• Submit to the absolute authority of God’s Word (the Bible)
  2 Timothy 3:16, James 1:22-25
• Live your life in the way that Jesus leads
Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 6:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 2:5

Christianity is not a list of rules. It is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each day is different as you interact and grow to know him more intimately. We will encourage you as that happens. To discuss this further, please call any of our staff at 231-9482, and we will gladly set up a time to talk. God bless you, as you discover abundant life in Jesus.