Being a Christian is more than just identifying with a certain religion or belief system. It means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation.
God Is Sovereign
Understanding your relationship with God begins with realizing He is the sovereign Creator of the universe. Modern thinking teaches that man is a product of evolution. However, the Bible teaches mankind was created by God to enjoy personal, eternal fellowship with Him and to rule the world, take care of it and to enjoy its beauty (Genesis 1:26-30). The Bible teaches that God exists as a triune being and reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence or being. The New Testament further teaches that Jesus Himself is the one who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). That means He has authority over us and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience and worship.
God Is Holy
The Bible teaches that God is absolutely and entirely holy (Isaiah 6:3). As such, He cannot commit evil nor approve of evil (James 1:13). Therefore, God requires holiness from us as well (1 Peter 1:16).
Mankind Is Sinful
From the beginning, men and women have rebelled against God’s authority. We want to be in charge of our own lives and do as we please. The Bible calls this rebellion sin. None of us have lived up to God’s standards of holiness. Although we are still capable of doing kind things, there is no man or woman who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:10-12, 23).
Sin Demands A Penalty
God takes our sin very seriously and He will not let us continue in it forever! God’s holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by death (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). The Bible teaches that everyone is destined to die once, and then face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
Jesus Is The Savior
The Bible teaches that those who confess with their mouths Jesus as Lord and believe (trust) in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead will be saved (Romans 10:9). Jesus paid the penalty for sinners through His death on the cross (1Peter 3:18). His death satisfied the demands of God’s justice and His sinless life satisfied the demands of God’s holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, God is able to forgive and save those who place their faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Saving Faith
True faith in Jesus Christ is ALWAYS accompanied by repentance from sin. That means we agree with God that we are sinful, confess our sins to God, and make the conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), follow Christ (Matthew 11:28-30; John 17:3), and submit to Him (1 John 2:3). Saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).
What Is Your Response?
Now, you must make a choice. You can continue to live in rebellion against God and in the end, get what you deserve. Or, you can turn to God and ask Him to forgive your sins through faith in Jesus Christ. God accepts Jesus’ death as the payment for sins. Whoever believes (trust) in the Son (Jesus) has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him (John 3:36).
If you DO NOT believe you are a sinner, or don’t believe God will judge you, a good place for you to start would be to start reading the Bible for yourself. It is recommended you start in the Gospel of John and the book of Romans.
If you DO believe you are a sinner and in danger of God’s judgment, you should do the following: