Most recently, I had an encounter with a young man who said he wants what his girlfriend has. As I was speaking with him, I asked him if he had any spiritual beliefs? He said that he did. He said that he was a Christian. Then I asked him a point-blank question to determine if he really was or was saying it because he wanted me to think that he was. I asked him “How did you become a Christian?” What did you have to do to become a Christian?” His response was almost priceless as he stared at me and could not even move his lips. He looked as if he were a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck! He could not respond because he had no clue of how he became a Christian. As I delved a bit further, he still did not comprehend the actions one must take before they become a Christ Follower.
His first response was that he met his girlfriend and he decided to go to church with her. Therefore, his first response was “salvation by association.” Unfortunately, no one can become a Christian by association. It does not work that way. Then after many analogies given by my wife, he stated that he was “interested” and wanted to believe. But he still could not tell me the three simple steps of becoming a Christian. Unfortunately, we are seeing this all over the United States because these young people do not know the simple steps of coming to Christ. With the great number of churches in America, why aren’t we doing a better job in sharing our faith? Is it because of the politically correct and not wanting to “offend” anyone? I would rather not be popular and tell someone about the saving grace of Jesus than to find out they were killed driving down the road and having the guilt of never saying anything to them!
As born again Christians, our faith is not private. Our Christ died a very public torture and crucifixion and suffered greatly for our sins. How can we remain silent and not share the most precious gift with another human being? Therefore, to share the three simple steps in becoming a Christian, one must know the steps themselves. The Bible is very clear on this. These are the three simple steps: Believe, Confess, and Ask Forgiveness of one’s sins. One is to believe and then confess their wrongs and their sins to God. Then they are to pray and ask Jesus to forgive you and to come into your life. And once one does these three simple steps of faith, He will send His Spirit to dwell in the person and guide them in their walk with Christ. Three simple steps: Believe, Confess, and Ask Forgiveness.
Let’s review some Scriptures that substantiate this requirement.
- Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
- Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death (hell), but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- John 3:3 – “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
- John 14:6 – “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
- Romans 10:9-11 – “9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:15 – “And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again.”
- Revelation 3:20 – “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.”
If you believe these scriptures and confess with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God and has risen from the dead, you will be saved. You must acknowledge that you are a sinner. You must ask forgiveness of your sins. Are you willing to surrender your life to Jesus Christ and invite Him into your heart? If you are, then pray this prayer:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I have sinned against you. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give you my life to do with as you wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus name. Amen.”
I hope that those who do not really know Christ as their savior asks Him in. You cannot get to heaven on your Grandmothers, Parents, or your Girlfriends coat tails. If you have never prayed a prayer like this, and never have had a heart change, according to scriptures, you are not saved and not a true Christian. I pray that those who are not will make a commitment to come to know and accept the saving grace of Jesus!
(Subject matter and prayer taken from William Fay’s “Share Jesus Without Fear.”)
If we never take the time out and ask people what they had to do to become a Christian, then are we really showing the love of Christ to them? Are we loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind? Are we loving our neighbor as our self? If we never ask people about how they came to know Christ, then we are not doing what Jesus asked us to do. We are not loving our neighbor, our loved ones, and our friends. Then there will be millions that have the “Deer in the Headlight” look!
Bibliography
Fay, William, and Linda Evans Shepherd. Share Jesus Without Fear. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1999.
Joseph T. Lee © 2017, The Lantern & Shield Times LLC
Marketplace Evangelism Today 