Begin a relationship with Jesus
Congratulations on deciding to become a follower of Jesus! This is the most important decision you will ever make. There are some important things to do now that you have made this decision.
- Admit that you are a sinner and in need of Redemption. There is no formula for this. That being said, it is important that you tell someone, preferably a pastor or more mature Christian.
- Confess that Jesus is Lord, that He was crucified for the forgiveness of sins and that God raised Him up on the third day. This is the most important part, recognizing that Jesus is Lord and submitting to His will.
- Ask God to forgive your sins and adopt you as His child.
There is not a specific method to accomplish these first three steps. You simply speak openly and honestly to God. You could pray something like this: Jesus, the Bible tells me that I am a sinner and deserve to go to hell and it also tells me that you offer forgiveness for my sins. Please forgive my sin, heal my heart, and bring me into the family of God.
This is very important: That prayer, by itself, is not proof of salvation. Obedience to the next steps is the proof of salvation.
4. Contact your local church to get baptized. Baptism is our first act of obedience and is our public confession of being united to Christ.
5. Receive Communion. Holy Communion is our act of remembering the graciousness of the Savior whose body was broken and whose blood was shed for us.
6. Start attending corporate worship immediately. We, as the Redeemed, are commanded to gather together for worship, communion, and to encourage one another
7. Buy your very own Bible and begin to be taught by one of the men (or women as appropriate to your specific gender) in your church. The pastor of your church can help you to decide which Bible is the best one for you to use. He will probably also recommend a faithful member of the church to guide you in your new walk with Christ
Lastly, I do not want to discourage you or give you false hope. You are going sin again after you start this journey. That does not mean that you are not saved; it means that just like when you were a baby, you have growing to do. Please do not give up. When you sin again, talk to your pastor or a deacon, confess what happened and grow from it. Also, some people are going to treat you differently. Do not let that discourage you. There are some people who, because they do not want to, cannot go to Heaven when they die. They may persecute you and that’s ok, Jesus was persecuted too.
I am proud of you and I rejoice that you are going to follow Jesus. I encourage you to email me with any questions you have. Email [email protected] with any questions you may have.
