Become a Follower of Jesus

What is a Christian?

The first step to become a Christian is to understand what the term “Christian” means. A Christian is a person who follows Jesus Christ.

Christianity is first and foremost about relationships rather than rules. It’s about a Person more than a philosophy. It’s about the most important relationship with the God who made us.

Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment is to love God. The second is to love our neighbour. So, it is also about our relationships with other people.

How do I become a Christian?

First, you need to understand that everyone has sinned, including you and me. Adam and Eve were the first humans to walk with God and enjoy all the goodness that God had intended us to live in. But the devil, who is our enemy, came and tempted Adam and Eve to sin by disobeying God.

Because they disobeyed God, sin entered the world. For that reason, all people have inherited a sinful nature from Adam. In other words, we are all born sinners-We are born into a sinful state. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The Bible also says that sin separates us from God. The reason why sin separates us from God is because God is holy and perfect. God cannot be in communion with you and have a relationship with you when you are still covered in that sin. Sin creates a gap between us and God.

But the good news is that sin gap between you and God can be removed making it possible for you to have a relationship with your heavenly Father. Want to know how? Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross made a way for that to be made possible.

When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for the sin of humankind. Jesus died in our place as our substitute and received the punishment that we deserved. The Bible explains this more in Romans 6:23. It says, “For the wages of sin is death”.

“the wages of sin is death” means that we are getting what we deserve because of our sin. And what we deserve is eternal separation from God.

There was no way that we could ever pay this debt (“wage”). Not even if you’re a really good person. Only a perfect sacrifice would be able to pay the debt, which is why Jesus paid our debt with his own life when they crucified him on the cross.

1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness”.

When Jesus died on the cross, He bore our sins. In other words, He carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we would be free from the penalties of sin and live for Him.

Jesus’ death on the cross bridged the gap between us and God making it possible for us to be forgiven of our sin and to have a relationship with Him.

So, how can we have a relationship with God?

The only way to have a relationship with God is through Jesus Christ.

There is no other way!

John 14:6 says, “I [Jesus] am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

This scripture makes it clear that a person becomes a Christian by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. This is known as being saved or born again.

When a person is saved, they begin a relationship with God, and they receive eternal life-A friendship with Jesus that never ends (Romans 6:23).

What must you do to be saved?

To put it another way, what must you do to have a relationship with God and receive eternal life?

Number 1Believe
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross for you, and that it is His sacrifice that restores our relationship with our heavenly Father.
John 3:16 says, “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.”
Number 2Confess Jesus is Lord
Romans 10:9 says, “if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Number 3Repent
You have to ask God to forgive your sins and turn from everything which you know is wrong in your life. This is what the Bible means by ‘repentance’.
Number 4Receive
God never forces His way into our lives. You need to accept His gift and invite Him to come and live within you by His Spirit.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (1 John 1:12)

Are you ready to become a Christian?

If you would like to have a relationship with God and become a follower of Jesus Christ, then here is a very simple prayer which you can pray, and which will be the start of that relationship…

Salvation prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ,

I am sorry for the things that I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Spirit. I now receive that gift.

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me forever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen.”

WHAT NOW?

We’re so excited that you decided to Follow Jesus!

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome you to the family of God.

Receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour is just the beginning of your Christian life. So, what’s next?

1.
Join a lively church

It’s important to be a part of a group of Christians who get together to worship God, to encourage each other and to make friends.

Our church meets in Kirkwood, (Eastern Cape). Come and visit us if you’re in our area. Otherwise look for a church in your area.

2.
Get equipped

We have an amazing course available for you to do that will help you walk through the 7 essentials to Following Jesus! This course is called the Following Jesus course and it will help you to know Jesus in a personal and powerful way.

3.
Read the Bible

Start by reading the book of John.

Read short portions of scripture everyday (10-15 minutes).

John’s gospel is all about the life of Jesus.

4.
Start to speak to God everyday

This is what we call prayer.

Prayer is simply talking to God.

Extra resources

1. Why Jesus?

This booklet is a concise and easy to read walk through of the very real questions surrounding Jesus that you might be thinking about. Including questions like: Who is Jesus? Why do we need Him? Why did He have to die? Why is He relevant to my life today?

2. Resources page

We have a resources page on our website that will help you to grow in your spiritual life.

3. Watch video about becoming a Christian