Receiving Christ In Your Life

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How Does a Person Recieve Christ and Become a Christian?

Five Basic Truths You Need to Know.

Truth Number One:

God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

• For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him may not be lost but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NCV)

• I came to give life - life in all its fullness. John 10:10 (NCV)

Truth Number Two:

God hates evil and wrong and must punish it.

• God’s anger is shown from heaven against all the evil and wrong things people do. Romans 1:18 (NCV)

• God’s law says that those who live like this should die. Romans 1:32 (NCV)

Truth Number Three:

God’s verdict against mankind is that all of us have failed God and therefore deserve to be punished. We cannot know God or experience His love.

• “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. Romans 3:10-11 (NIV)

• All have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory. Romans 3:23 (NCV)

• When people sin, they earn what sin pays - death. Romans 6:23 (NCV)

Man was created to have fellowship with God. But because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way - to live life without God. As a result, man has become eternally separated from God. Nothing he can do (such as living right, being religious, doing good works) can help.

Truth Number Four:

God the Father sent Jesus his son to take the punishment for our sins. That is why he died on the cross. Through Him, God can set you free to know him and experience his love.

• But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 (NCV)

• While we were God’s enemies, he made friends with us through the death of his Son. Romans 5:10 (NCV)

Jesus’ death bridged the gulf that separated us from God. What we could not do through our own efforts, God did for us! He provided a way for us to come back to Himself.

Truth Number Five:

We must individually receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Only by committing our lives to Jesus can we be saved.

• God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NCV)

• Jesus is the only One who can save people. His name is the only power in the world that has been given to save people. We must be saved through him. Acts 4:12 (NCV)

• To all who received him, . . . he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NCV)

Have you ever received Jesus?

Would you like to now?

If so, the next few pages will tell you how to receive Jesus into your life.

How to Receive Jesus Christ Into Your Life.

Step One:

Understand that receiving Christ has everything to do with the attitude of your heart.

• We believe with our hearts, and so we are made right with God. Romans 10:10 (NCV)

• Walking through a series of steps in a check-list fashion won’t save you. Neither will just doing a set of prescribed outward actions or rituals. Salvation rests on a heart transaction between you and God. Any outward actions you do (even if they are actions God commands such as in step four) must reflect what is actually in your heart. God will not honor what you do not mean from your heart!

Do you understand this?

Step Two:

Understand that receiving Christ has everything to do with repentance and surrender.

• (Jesus speaking) If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing even to give up their lives to follow me. Mark 8:34 (NCV)

• Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19 (NIV)

• What is repentance? Take a moment and read through the following paragraphs.

Before we can understand repentance we must first understand the problem we have that has separated us from God. To gain that understanding, let’s look at Genesis 3:1-7 where we have the story of the initial separation between God and man.

3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

What was Adam and Eve’s problem? Was it eating the fruit? Or was it something deeper? The key is found in v. 6 where it says
that Adam and Eve saw the fruit was “desirable for gaining wisdom.” Why was gaining wisdom such a temptation for Adam and Eve? After all, they already had God’s wisdom. Up until this moment they have relied on God’s wisdom to guide every aspect of their life. The reason gaining wisdom was such a temptation was because if Adam and Eve had their own wisdom, they could be their own god. They could live life without God. The bottom line: Adam and Eve wanted their independence. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit, Their disobedience was just the result of an interior attitude that desired independence and rebellion against God.

The same is true with us! Our main problem is not our actions - they simply flow out of our heart. The core problem is a corrupt heart, an interior attitude of rebellion and independence. When there is an attitude of independence in my inner self (“I am my own ruler.” And “I will do what I want to do.”), the consequence is that my actions and the things I do in my day to day life are not going to please God.

So let us ask this question: When someone receives Jesus, is it enough to just abandon some of the more serious sins (like addictions, immorality, and drugs) without ever dealing with this fundamental problem of independence? The answer is NO! God wants us to get to the root of the problem. (See the diagram)

• Repentance, therefore, is a decision to change from a life lived in independence of God to one of dependance upon him.

As we make this interior change, our exterior actions will soon come to line up with God’s will.

Do you understand this?

Are you willing to do make this interior change?

The next step will explain this interior change more.

Step Three:

You must place your complete hope and faith in Jesus to save you.

• Remember, nothing you do can help you. No religious actions. No good works. Jesus is your bridge to God!

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

• He brought them outside and said, “Men, what must I do to be saved?”

They said to him, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” Acts 16:30-31 (NCV)

• What does it mean to trust in Jesus to save us?

            A tightrope walker walked across Niagra Falls. On the other side he asked how many thought he could push someone
            in a wheelbarrow over the wire across the falls. The people enthusiastically shouted their confidence in him. Then turning
          to one man he said, “Hop in.”
            The people had intellectual belief. But he asked the one man to trust him with his life.

Jesus asks us to “hop in.” Intellectual belief isn’t enough. We must entrust our lives to him.

• Understand there are basically three kinds of people in the world.

           The Unbeliever. This person has never accepted Jesus into their life as both Lord and Savior. They still lived life with
            themselves at the controls. They are independent of God. They decide how to spend their time and money. What
            to do. How to behave. Etc. This person has a big “I” at the core of their entire existence.

            The Religious Person. This person is different than the unbeliever. They say the believe in God. They go
            to church. They may even read their Bible and be involved in some official ministry capacity. But they
            have never truly dealt with their independence problem. They still have “I” at the center of their life. They make the
            decisions about their life. God is given a piece of it - but is not in control. God basically exists to bless, heal, serve, and
            save this person. But he is not their Lord and master. This person is worse than the unbeliever because they are being
            deceived.

            The Disciple of Jesus. This person has made the decision to cut down the tree of independence. This doesn’t mean they
            are perfect. But it does mean they have made an authentic decision to turn their lives over to God and allow him to direct
            their lives. They look to God for the decisions they make. They look to God for how to live life. Their love for God, and
            their surrender to Him, becomes the calibrating truth of their life. This internal change is the result of true repentance and
            surrender.

• When you make a decision to receive Jesus, you are making a decision to become a disciple. You are turning over the throne of your life to Jesus. From this point forward you are making a promise to God to allow him to direct all aspects of your life and to be the center of all you do.

This does not mean you will be perfect. It is sort of like marriage. On the day I was married I gave myself completely to my wife. I told her I would love her with all my heart. However, I have lived that out imperfectly. Some days I am selfish. Some days I take things out on her that aren't her fault. However, my failures at those times don't suddenly mean we aren't married.

In the same way, to become a disciple is to say, "I am giving myself completely to the Lordship of Jesus." I do that whole heartedly, knowing I will live it out imperfectly. It is the decision and the commitment to come back to that decision when I have failed that represent the change of heart we are talking about here.

Do you understand this?

Are you willing to trust Jesus to save you by his death and resurrection?

Are you willing to surrender your entire life to Jesus’ control and Lordship?

Step Four:

You need to verbally acknowledge Jesus to be your Lord.

• If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

• This is an outward action that God asks you to take to express what is in your heart. Remember, taking this action without the interior change will mean nothing. Only as it reflects your heart will God honor it.

Would you like to confess Jesus to be Lord now?

If so, simply use the following as a guideline to verbally profess your faith.

• “Dear Jesus, today I am giving you my life. I acknowledge that you are Lord and that I have sinned against you. But today I am trusting in you to forgive me of my sins by what you did on the cross. I believe you are the promised savior, the Son of God. Today I place my trust in you and give my life to you. Today I want to declare your lordship over my entire life. Jesus, I also acknowledge that in many areas of my life I have allowed Satan, the evil one, to lead me away from you. So today I formally declare that not only will I no longer be lord over my own life, but I also reject any control I have allowed Satan to have and reject him as my lord and master. My life belongs to you alone Jesus. Amen.”

Step Five:

God asks you to express your faith surrender through believer’s baptism.

• In the scriptures, baptism served to express a person’s initial surrender to Christ and marked the beginning point of their Christian life. Read the following scriptures.

• Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 (NIV)

• Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NIV)

• You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26-27 (NIV)

• Did you forget that all of us became part of Christ when we were baptized? We shared his death in our baptism. When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and shared his death. So, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the wonderful power of the Father, we also can live a new life. Romans 6:3-4 (NCV)

• Baptism is another expression of your faith that God asks you to make. It expresses your faith surrender to Christ (Galatians 3:26-27). It is a moment of powerful spiritual transaction where your faith reaches out to God's grace. In this moment, as you express your faith surrender, the scripture says you participate in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).

• Remember, baptism doesn’t cause you to be saved. It serves as the expression of the heart transaction you are making with God. Jesus doesn’t want you to trust your baptism to save you. He wants you to trust Him to save you! What it does serve as is a moment of time where your faith touches God's grace as you receive his forgiveness and new life.

• In the scripture, baptism was always done by immersion. The Greek word for “Baptize” actually means, “to dip, plunge, or immerse.” This is why we ask everyone to be baptized by immersion.

• If you were baptized as a baby, we want to celebrate that moment of dedication with you, because at that time your parents were dedicating you to God. However, in the Bible God wants baptism to be the time where we give ourselves to God. Don’t forget, baptism means nothing to God if it is not an expression of our own personal faith commitment to God.

• Because in the scriptures baptism served to mark the initial surrender of a person’s life to Christ, we want to encourage you to be baptized as a part of coming to faith. This is the Biblical example. For the rest of your life, your baptism will always serve as a spiritual marker, identifying the time when you first gave your life to Jesus.

What Happened to You When You Received Jesus?

♦ You passed from death to life.

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he
has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24 (NIV)

♦ God has come into your life. You now have a relationship with God!

                   Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
             with him. John 14:23 (NIV)
              Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with
             me. Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

♦ Satan lost the battle for your soul.

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, Colossians 1:13 (NIV)

♦ You were forgiven of all your sins.

                   God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people
               are the same: All have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory, and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which
               is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. Romans 3:22-24 (NCV)

♦ You were promised a home in heaven.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NIV)

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
I John 5:13 (NIV)

♦ You became a citizen of God’s Kingdom and adopted as God’s child. You are now a part of God’s
family - the church.

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be
adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV)

♦ You were given power over sin in your life.

If you use your lives to do the wrong things your sinful selves want, you will die spiritually. But if you use the Spirit’s help to stop
doing the wrong things you do with your body, you will have true life. Romans 8:13 (NCV)

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Romans 6:22 (NIV)

♦ You will now begin to “work out” what God has already done.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflec the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NIV)

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

God has made you new! You are a new creation. What that means is that at your core - you have been reborn. However, you bring much of your old life into this new one. So now there is a process of working out this rebirth in every aspect of your life! There is a process of transformation. Biblically, this process is called sanctification. The following diagrams illustrate this! They are from Clinton Arnold’s book Three Crucial Questions About Spiritual Warfare. The person who took you through this book can explain this more fully.

Have you just accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord for the first time? Welcome! You have just made the most important decision you will ever make! Your decision marks the beginning of an exciting journey - your journey with Christ. If you will turn over to the section entitled “Where Do We Go From Here?” we will help you get your journey started on the right foot!