The Way to God - How to Become a Christian

You do not become a Christian by being baptised or by becoming a member of a Christian church. These rather are the logical consequences after having become a Christian. You also do not become a Christian automatically because you live an a Christian family or society.

The way to God is a very personal decision. Each human being has the choice between saying "yes" to God or refusing him. You cannot be forced or persuaded to such a decision. Here I will show you the way how to find God. There are several steps one after the other. The foundation of this text is the Bible. May your heart show you the right answer.

The basic knowledge: God is our Creator

Our whole universe has not come to exist due to several coincidences in evolution. There is somebody with an infinite intelligence; He created the universe. This Creator we call God. This God also created the human beings. God loves his creation, and He also loves us, the human beings. Because He loves us, he wants to be in contact with us.

 

 

 

 

 

Mankind and sin

Man, however, turned away from God. We are egoistic, and we claim to get along without God. This is our main sin. In addition to that every day we commit all kinds of more or less serious sins.
For all alike have sinned, and are depriving of the divine splendour. (Romans 3, 23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Separation from God

Through sin we are separated from God. Our egoism and our selfishness prevent us from getting into contact with God. This situation of being separated from God we call death. We are alive here on earth, yet our fate is death and thus eternal separation from God. For sin pays a wage, and the wage is death, (Romans 6, 23a)

 


   

 

God’s offer for solution

For God is love; and his love was disclosed to us in this, that he sent his only son into the world to bring us life. (1 John 4,9)

God realises the gap between himself and mankind, and he is sad about this. Therefor he offers us a solution. This solution is Jesus Christ, God’s son.
Jesus who had been in the world about 2000 years ago, did never in his whole life do anything evil. He has never committed any sin. In the Gospels of the New Testament of the Bible you can read a lot about him.
Nevertheless Jesus had been executed like a criminal. God permitted it. With his death Jesus paid for all sins of all mankind of all ages.
Yet God resurrected Jesus from the dead. Jesus lives. God offers us humans to live together with Jesus. ..but God gives freely, and his gift is eternal life, in union with Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Romans 6, 23a)

 

 

 

Accepting this gift

Here is God’s offer to have eternal life. It depends on each individual one of us whether we want to accept this offer or not.
But to all who did receive him (Jesus), to those who yielded him their allegiance, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1, 12)

What to do now

If you seriously and honestly want to become a child of God, if you want to have Jesus in your heard, if you want to have eternal life with Jesus, then you will have to do the following steps:

  • You have to realise that you are a sinner and that you are separated for God
  • You have to confess your sins to God, and you have to feel sorry for having committed them
  • You have to be ready to accept God’s gracious gift.

Here is a suggestion for a prayer which you may now speak to God. Of course, you may also speak simply the way you personally feel.

"Lord Jesus, I realise that I have done a lot wrong in my life. I am very sorry for all these sins. I know that you love me, and I love you, too. Please, forgive me all the evil that I have done so far. Please, cleanse me from all my sins. I am opening my heart to you. I am accepting your gift. Please, come into my heart now, and stay there forever. – Thank you, Lord Jesus, for having done this for me."

If you have spoken this (or a similar) prayer with an honest heart, then you may be sure that Jesus is in your heart now. He loves you, and he will stay there forever.

What follow

When loving somebody with all one’s heart, it is just logical that one wants to know more about him.

  • Read in the Bible!
    In the Old Testament you will learn a lot about God and how he had been in contact with his people Israel.
    In the New Testament you will learn a lot about the life of Jesus when reading the Gospels, and you will learn a lot about the first Christians during the years after Jesus had ascended into heaven, when reading the Acts and the letters.
    It is very thrilling to read in the Bible. You will experience that through is Word God will also speak to you.
  • Pray!
    When praying you have the most intimate contact with God. You will experience that God does not only listen to your prayers, he also answers. You will find great peace and a lot of joy.

Get into contact with other Christians
God does not want us to be lonesome. God wants us to be happy and to share the company of other Christians.
Look for a Christian congregation in the area where you live. Attend the Sunday services there for several weeks, and speak with the people there. When you are convinced that the majority of the people there also have a Jesus in their hearts, then become a member of this congregation and get baptised if you feel so. Ask for advice from God concerning this step.

Jesus says: "I am the way; I am the truth, and I am life; no one comes to the Father except by me." (John 14,6)