On Christianity
Here are some of the basics of becoming a Christian. Being a true Christian is a lifelong commitment to Jesus Christ, so this is just the start. Study your Bible and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit to continue living the life Jesus wants you to live.
- Repent and Believe. Acknowledge your sin and your need for God's help in your life and then commit to turning your life around (repent). Having made that decision you must then commit yourself to following Jesus' way. If you're going to follow Christ, then you have to trust in Him, trust what he's done and trust Him when he leads or tells you to do something.
- Obedience. Being a Christian is being a disciple of Christ. A disciple is someone who follows someone else's discipline or instructions in life. Believing and obeying are so closely linked you might not see any difference.
- Baptism. This was one of the main ways early believers publicly identified with Christianity, and it's still part of Christian identification with the gospel. Baptism is just a Greek word for immersion, or being dunked under water. It symbolizes dying to your old way of living and being reborn, and living Jesus' way. Baptism is often a Christian's first act of obedience, an act that exemplifies your willingness to trust Jesus, and an act that publicly declares that you have decided to live for Jesus.
- The Holy Spirit. When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit begins to live in and through you. It's His presence that makes living the Christian life possible. As you yield to the Holy Spirit, He will develop in you the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience and other characteristics.
- Religious Systems. There are many churches and organizations vying for new members. Some are Christian, some aren't, some will be anything you want them to be. Before you're compelled to join any of them, consider just how it will blend with your true desire to follow Jesus. Many churches exist just to get bigger and fatter. The offices, programs, and performances of the typical church are poor replacements for the living body of Christ the Bible talks about.
- Fellowship. But, don't give up on fellowship, either. Like anything, sharing with people who have the same interests gives us encouragement, and helps us learn from others and gives us someone to share what we've learned and experienced. There's so many churches that exist to give people some kind of social status, without much real Christian sharing, you may be constantly in search of this kind of fellowship.
- False teachers and the Anti-Christ. Jesus warned about these when he was teaching His disciples, and there are many. The true believer needs to be aware, but also confident that the Lord will show us the truth.
- Bible study. The Bible is the one book that God gives us to let us read about Him, what He has done in the past, what He will do, and what His will is for our life. It IS the Christian's resource. Combined with the work of the Holy Spirit, the believer can be sure that the Lord will lead him into all truth. It's true that we may be able to learn from teachers and other believers, but the Bible is the ultimate standard of truth.
- One good reason to become a Christian is to have Jesus' help in this life, and the presence of the Holy Spirit helping you live. The cool thing about this is knowing God personally and knowing that God loves you and is watching out for you.
- Another good reason to become a Christian is so you can go to be with Jesus when you die, instead of going to hell. That's one reason so many people talk about becoming a Christian the same as being "saved". The Bible talks about this. When you know you will spend eternity in Jesus' presence with no more troubles, the troubles in this life seem so trivial.