How To Become A Christian
Do you have a sense that something is missing in your life, a void that you can't explain or fill? At New Salem, we believe that the purpose of the Bible is to communicate God’s desire for us to know him personally. We believe that there is only one way for us to be made right with God and that is through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross as payment for our sins. Being a
Christian means that you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following Biblical truths:
GOD IS SOVEREIGN CREATOR
In this contemporary world, Many believe that man is the product of evolution. However, the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals that it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3 ; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship. GOD IS HOLY
God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3), therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. 1 Peter 1:16 says, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." MANKIND IS SINFUL
According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: "There is no man who does not sin" (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn't mean we are incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we're utterly incapable of
understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12). SIN DEMANDS A PENALTY
God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4. That's why simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences. JESUS IS LORD AND SAVIOR
As Creator of all, and Ruler over all, Jesus Christ has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegience, obedience, and worship. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised from the dead, you shall be saved." Even though God's justice demanded death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26). THE CHARACTER OF SAVING FAITH
True faith is always accompaied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9) and pursue Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3) and obedience to Him (1 John 2:3. It isn't enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don't love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10). Salvation is available only through God’s free grace, not as a result of our human effort. We can access God’s grace through faith alone. God saves you by His grace when you believe. You can’t take credit for it; its is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. So you realized that you want to be saved, now what? Start by praying this prayer:
Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life. Help me to live every day in a way that pleases you. Thank you for making a way for me to spend all eternity with you. If you have questions about what it means to become a follower of Jesus Christ we would love to talk to you! Please see Pastor Chris or contact the church.
