Would you or someone you know like to become a Christian? Or, if you have previously put your faith in Jesus but, for whatever reasons, have not been walking with Him, would you like to rediscover your faith?

This week—continuing in our series based on the book What If Christianity Is True?—we’re demystifying how to do exactly that.

It’s As Simple As a Story

Becoming a Christian is about making a change, but it’s not a change that takes place by someone like me telling you how you should live. Likewise, it’s not a change you can make by willing yourself to be “good.” We’ve all tried that and failed, haven’t we?

Instead, becoming a Christian is about understanding and embracing the story of Jesus—who He is, why He came, and what it means to believe in Him. Noted theologian J. Gresham Machen put it this way in his 1923 book, Christianity and Liberalism:

“The strange thing about Christianity was that it adopted an entirely different method. It transformed the lives of men not by appealing to the human will, but by telling a story; not by exhortation, but by the narration of an event.

“It is no wonder that such a method seemed strange. Could anything be more impractical than the attempt to influence conduct by rehearsing events concerning the death of a religious teacher? … But the strange thing is that it works. … Where the most eloquent exhortation fails, the simple story of an event succeeds; the lives of men are transformed by a piece of news.”

Let’s review this “simple story of an event”—

The Story of Jesus

First things first, Jesus is God:

• Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9b, NLT)
• Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.” (John 10:30, NLT)
• “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…” (Colossians 2:9, NIV)
• “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15a, NLT)
• “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…” (Hebrews 1:3a, NIV)

Jesus Christ is how God saves sinners and brings them to eternal life:

• “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15a, NIV)
• “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9, NIV)
• “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.” (John 3:16, NIV)

Jesus loves you very much, has compassion on you, and came to give you an abundant life:

• He said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” (John 15:9a, NIV)
• “When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36, NIV)
• He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10, NIV)

Even though He lived a sinless life, because of God’s great love for you, Jesus Christ died for your sins:

• “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:8, NLT)
• “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV)

After His death, Jesus was raised from the dead.

• The apostle Paul said, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6a, NIV)

Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus made an atoning sacrifice for your sins. “Atoning” means that if you believe in Him, He has actually taken the punishment you deserved when He died on the cross:

• “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, NIV)
• “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:10, NIV)

There is no other Savior but Jesus:

• Jesus Himself said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6b, NIV)
• “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NIV)

In summary, the story that transforms lives is this: Jesus, the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, became a man, lived a sinless life, was crucified as a sacrifice for the sins of all men, was buried, was resurrected to life, ascended to heaven where He lives today with God the Father, and will come again to redeem those who believe in Him.

How You Can Receive Salvation: Joining Your Story With His

Understand that we are saved by grace through faith; it is God who changes our minds and hearts, by His grace:

• “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

We must personally believe in and accept Jesus:

• “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12, NLT)
• “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.” (1 John 4:15, NIV)

We must personally acknowledge that we are sinners who need a Savior and Lord:

• “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, NIV)

Becoming a Christian means believing that Jesus is your Savior and Lord, that He died for your sins, and that through faith your sins are forgiven:

• “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. (Romans 10:9, NLT)

You become a Christian by making a decision (as an act of your will) that, based on the evidence, you are convinced beyond a reasonable doubt, and you believe Jesus loves you and died on the cross for your sins. You can ask Jesus to come into your life as Lord, forgive your sins, and give you the gift of eternal life. You can begin the great adventure for which you were created, and you can begin it now.

Here’s How, Practically, Right Now

There is no “standard” way to surrender to God and become a Christian. You could be weepy with the salty taste of repentant tears running down your face. You could just as easily come to Him with an analytical, cerebral approach, or in reserved, reverent silence. Your experience could range from the blinding light of a “Damascus road” to “the still small voice of God.”

And you only need to go as far as you can comprehend. Archbishop of Canterbury William Temple reportedly said, “Conversion is simply giving as much of yourself as you can to as much of God as you can understand.”

If you are ready to discover or rediscover Jesus, all you have to do is simply tell Him, in your own words, silently or out loud:

• That your heart is restless and you need God
• That you are truly sorry for your sins
• That you know you need a Savior
• That you put your faith in Jesus
• That you humbly and gratefully receive His love and forgiveness
• That you humbly and gratefully accept His gift of salvation and eternal life
• That you want Him to transform you into a disciple who leads a powerful life in right relationship with God and right relationship with others

If you don’t know exactly how to put it, pray the following prayer, or one like it:

Lord Jesus, my heart is restless, and I need You. I am filled with a deep sorrow for my sins. I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe in You, Jesus. I believe You came and died for my sins. By grace through faith, I receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for Your forgiveness, for giving me the gift of eternal life, and for the promise of an abundant life. Please change me from the inside out. Amen.

If you prayed, welcome to the family—and welcome back. Once you invite Jesus into the center of your life, by the power of the Holy Spirit He starts changing it! Next week I will suggest a few steps you can take to develop a deepening relationship with Him.

Much love,

Pat

For Reflection and Discussion 

1. Did anything surprise you or catch your attention when you read the story of Jesus as told through the verses of Scripture above?
2. Do you understand what Jesus offers you and how to receive salvation? If not, who can you reach out to today for further clarity?
3. What is meant by, “Conversion is simply giving as much of yourself as you can to as much of God as you can understand”?
4. Did you pray to become a Christian or come back to Jesus? If so, congratulations! What are you feeling right now? Who can you share your Good News with?
5. If you reject Christianity, what is keeping you from placing your faith in Jesus and trying His way?