Become A Christian

Building God’s Kingdom Together, Inc. God loves us - all of us. No matter how good or bad you are, God loves you! He revealed this love for us when He sent his son, Jesus Christ into the world as a human being. Jesus lived his entire life without sin, He died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Christ died so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins and live eternally with Him. He conquered death so that you can have eternal life. I am so glad that each of us can know for sure what will become of us after we die. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, you will live eternally with Jesus in heaven.

You may have heard of the story of God's love referred to as the "Gospel." The word Gospel simply means "good news." The Gospel is the good news that, because of what Christ has done, we can be forgiven and can live forever.

This gift of forgiveness and eternal life can only be yours if you willingly accept it. God will not force himself on you. God requires an individual response from you. You are not a Christian just because your Mom or Dad is a Christian. You are not a Christian because you were raised to be a morally upstanding citizen. The following verses from the Bible show God's part and yours in this process:

God's Love Is Revealed in the Bible

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." —John 3:16 (NIV)

God loves you. He wants to bless your life and make it full and complete. He wants to give you a life that will last forever, even after you experience physical death.

We Are Sinful
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." —Romans 3:23 (NIV)

You may have heard someone say, "I'm only human—nobody's perfect." This Bible verse says the same thing: We are all sinners. We all do things that we know are wrong. That's why we feel estranged from God—because God is holy and good, and we are not.

Sin Has a Penalty

"For the wages of sin is death." —Romans 6:23 (NIV)

Just as criminals must pay the penalty for their crimes, sinners must pay the penalty for their sins. If you continue to sin, you will pay the penalty of spiritual death: You will not only die physically; you will also be separated from our holy God for all eternity. The Bible teaches that those who choose to remain separated from God will spend eternity in a place called hell.

Christ Has Paid Our Penalty!
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." —Romans 5:8 (NIV)

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, has paid the penalty for all your sins. You may think you have to lead a good life and do good deeds before God will love you. But the Bible says that Christ loved you enough to die for you, even when you were rebelling against Him.

Salvation Is a Free Gift

"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 one can boast." —Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)

The word grace means "undeserved favor." It means God is offering you something you could never provide for yourself. He is offering you forgiveness from your sins and eternal life. God's gift to you is free. You do not have to work for a gift. All you have to do is joyfully receive it, and believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ died for you!

Christ Is at Your Heart's Door

"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." —Revelation 3:20 (NIV)

Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. Picture Jesus Christ standing at the door of your heart (the door of your emotions, intellect and will). Invite Him in! He is waiting for you to receive Him into your heart and life. He will not force himself upon you, but He loves you so much that He died for your sins. He wants you to be with Him forever!

You Must Receive Him

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." —John 1:12 (NIV)

When you receive Christ into your heart you become a child of God, and have the privilege of talking to Him in prayer at any time - about anything. The Christian life is a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity.

To accept Christ today, pray the following prayer and mean it with all your heart!

Dear God, I want You in my life. I know that I have not lived as you want me to live. and I can't change without your help. Please forgive me of the sins I have committed in my life and help me to be what you want me to be. I believe that Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead. I know that your love and forgiveness is a free gift. I am asking for that gift and accepting it. I know that I can't do anything to deserve that gift. Thank you for leading me to this place in my life and help me to live a new life for you! Amen.

If you are making this commitment to Christ today, please let me know. I would love to pray with you and for you. E-mail or call Pastor Dave at (208) 697-8047 and simply let us know that you have given Christ your life and you would like to know what to do next. We will pray with you and send you some Bible study materials to help you grow in your faith.