Accepting Jesus as Your Savior
Do you feel you are being led to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If so, read this page and learn of what it means to be a follower of Christ and to join the fellowship of believers all over the world!
What does it mean to become a follower of Christ or a Christian?
When someone decides to be a follower of Christ, they are expressing the desire to follow the path Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16:24-25: “Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it”
Accepting Jesus as your Savior is not about church membership, reciting some creed, or performing some ritual work. It is about allowing Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior and believing who He is and recognizing who you are. It is about laying down your own selfish desires and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide your journey from this day forward. It is walking in the light of His Word with the question, “What Would Jesus Do?” ingrained on your heart.
No matter how good a life you have led and are leading, we all fall short of God’s required level of being good. In Romans 3:23, Paul writes that, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
We have to realize there is no amount of good works we can do to earn eternal life—it is solely a free gift from God (Ephesians 2:8-9). We all have one thing in common: we are all sinners in need of grace. No one is saved by the faith of others, for we must each choose for ourselves.
The Good News is that God made a way for us sinners to still be reconciled with Him in the Person of Jesus Christ. In John 3:16, the apostle writes, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you and for me. His death and the shedding of His blood on the cross provided the sacrifice for all time so that we who believe in the only Son of God are now reconciled to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:21). Believers of Christ know that they will spend eternity in His presence when our time on earth is through.
What Must We Do?
To become a follower of Christ, you must first repent of your sins. Repent means to turn away from. By repenting, you are willing to follow a new direction in your life that is now running towards God instead of running away from Him.
If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, say this prayer now, but understand that by saying this prayer or any other prayer, this alone will not save you. Only believing in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross can save you from the eternal punishment for your sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation:
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You are the Son of God and that You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to You. I confess You right now as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.”
If you have just said this prayer now as a first-time believer, praise God and welcome to the Christian family!
Now, the work begins—the process of sanctification. As a believer in Christ you have a responsibility to know Him more. This can only be accomplished by personal study and works. No, works will not give you salvation, but they will provide you with spiritual growth. Your faith in Christ begins a life now that should show a progressive transformation into serving others (James 2:17).
You must commit to reading the Bible regularly. Only through His Word can you know Him better and know what He wants from you.
Pray every day and confess your sins to Him. This is the greatest privilege we have as Christians. We do not need an earthly intermediary for our Father to hear us. Through our Savior, we can go direct to the Father for our petitions. Prayer strengthens our faith. Pray not just for your needs, but of those around you, In this, you will realize many blessings.
Find a church to attend. While church membership is not required to be saved, fellowship with other Christians will keep you spiritually active and give you much needed encouragement and support. Become baptized as an outward public expression of your inward change. Church also provides you with instruction from God’s Word and gives you the training and opportunity to use your God-given gifts and abilities to serve others.
Share your faith. God wants you to share your faith with those around you. You need not be a Bible expert. Use your testimony of what Jesus has done for you to draw others into their own personal relationship with Christ.
If you have just now accepted Christ, let me know so I can pray for you! May God bless you on your road ahead!
If you’re not quite there yet and still have questions, please consider joining my Narrow Road Seekers Facebook Group. We’ll be starting up soon and are accepting members now. If you have questions or just need additional information in a safe forum to ask, this is the group for you!
