Christian Joy Center
Eternal Life?
Eternal Life?
I have decided to accept Christ as my personal Savior
It is wonderful that you have decided to become a Christian. This means you want to be a follower of Jesus Christ by accepting Him as your Savior and Lord. Be assured, you will not be disappointed. Here are the steps to becoming a Christian as explained in the Bible.
1. Realize God loves you and wants you to have eternal life.
Eternal life means a full and meaningful life right now, and life in heaven with God after we die. The Bible explains it,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NIV)
Jesus said,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10 (NIV)
Since God planned this kind of life for you and wants you to have it, why don´t you have it automatically:
It´s because....
2. You are a sinner and your sins separate you from God.
Sin means to disobey God, to do wrong. Since none fo us are perfect, we are all sinners. The Bible declares it and the diagram illustrates it.
For all have sinned, and fall short of the Glory of God.
Romans 3:23 (NIV)
For the wages of sin is death (separation from God)...
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
This means that you are separated from God now by your sins and if you die in your sins you are going to be separated from God forever in a place the Bible calls hell.
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3. You cannot save yourself.
You cannot save yourself by living a good life. None of us is perfect. We all sin, and sin separates us from God. Neither can you be saved by doing religious things like joining a church and being baptized. None of our human efforts will bridge the gulf! They all come short. There is only one way.
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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 man can boast.
Ephesians 2:8 - 9 (NIV)
4. Jesus Christ alone can save you from sin and separation from God.
Jesus answered
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6 (NIV)
The only way we can get into the family of God is through Jesus Christ. The Bible explains,
But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
When Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave He paid the penalty for our sins so that we might have life with God forever. The diagram illustrates it.
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Jesus has done His part. Now....
5. Your part is to repent of your sins to God and trust Jesus as your Savior. The Bible tells us
... they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:21b (NIV)
Repentance means to be sorry for your sins and to turn to God for forgiveness. It involves turning from living life your way to living life God´s way. The Bible says
Repent, then, and turn to God to restore everything...
Acts 3:19 (NIV)
Faith in Jesus means two things:
- Believing that Jesus is God´s Son who died on the cross for us.
- Inviting Jesus into our lives to be our Savior and Lord.
The Bible says,
Yet to all who received Him (Jesus), to those who believed in His name, He (God) gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:12 (NIV)
6. The decision is yours to make.
- Do you admit you are a sinner?
- Are you willing to turn from your sins to God for forgiveness?
- Do you believe that Jesus is God´s Son who died for you?
- Are you willing to invite Jesus into your life to be your Savior.
If you answered "YES" to these questions, then the next step is to pray. The Bible says,
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Romans 10:13 (NIV)
Repeat this prayer:
Dear God,
I know that I have sinned and done wrong. I ask you to forgive all my sins. I want to live your way with your help. Jesus, I do believe you are God´s Son who died on the cross for me. I now invite you into my life. I want to live for you and serve you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus´ name. Amen.
If you prayed a prayer like this and meant it, you are now a Christian. You possess God´s gift of eternal life.
7. Now you must follow up your decision.
- Publicly profess your faith in Jesus. Matthew 10:32-33
- Become a member of a Bible believing church in your community.
- Be baptized as Jesus has commanded all His followers. Matthew 29:19-20. The examples in the Bible show that when people were saved and became Christians that they were baptized shortly thereafter. Acts 2:41
- Establish a daily habit of Bible reading and prayer.
