How to Become

A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

STEP ONE: Realize God has a purpose for you.

God’s purpose is that you are at peace with Him and that you have eternal life with Him. The Bible says:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ — Romans 5:1 (NIV).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved –John 3:16-17 (NKJV).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord –Romans 6:23 (NIV).

STEP TWO: Admit that sin separates us from God’s purpose.

Not everyone is guilty of the same kinds or the same amount of sin, but everyone is guilty of sin. Sin is not only overt actions, like breaking the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), but sin also involves our thoughts (Matthew 5:22, 28) and our motives (James 4:17).

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear –Isa 59:2 (NIV).

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. –Romans 3:23

STEP THREE: Accept Jesus Christ as God’s only solution to my sin.

To be at peace with God and have eternal life with God, you have to come to God on His terms. Jesus Christ is God’s provision to restore us into a real relationship with God and cancel the separation caused by our sin.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. — Acts 4:12 (NIV)

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life — John 5:24 (NIV)

STEP FOUR: Place your trust and commit to the truth of Jesus.

That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says:

Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”… For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. – Romans 10:9-11,13 (NKJV)

Commitment

Becoming a follower of Christ is more than saying a prayer and being baptized, it is surrendering self to Christ as Lord/boss/ruler. We can confess our genuine desire to surrender to Christ when we:

  1. Admit you are a sinner and cannot solve your own sin problem.
  2. Declare your complete belief that the Jesus of the Bible is real and God’s only solution to restoring you into relationship with God
  3. Turn from sin and self to God.

Many people make such a commitment by sincerely telling God something like this: “Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinful person and in need of your forgiveness. I believe that You died to pay the penalty for my sin. I want to turn from my sin and follow You instead. I know Jesus is the only way for me to have a relationship with You, Oh God. So with all I am I surrender to Jesus as my Lord and Savior.”

Once you have made such a commitment, you will want to tell us or another group of Christians and they can help you with the next steps you need to take as far as connecting to a Church and Baptism.

Making such a commitment gives you not only eternal life in heaven but peace with God this very moment.

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Email

office@mcclendonbaptist.com

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318.322.2782

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206 Downing Pines Rd.
West Monroe, LA 71292

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