How To Become A Christian

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HOW TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN

Pastor Mike here.

I want to talk to you about how to become a Christian today.

DECISION THEOLOGY IS NOT BIBLICAL

Now this title is a little misleading.

Because it suggests there are steps like step 1, 2, 3, and so on, and then now you’re a Christian!

Like being born again is something a person can just decide to do.

“I want to be a Christian. So I’ll just pray this prayer and then I’ll be one.”

But decision theology is not biblical.

A person cannot just decide to be a Christian and voila!

Just like a dead person cannot just decide to be alive.

And that’s exactly what we are.

We are all spiritually dead.

HOW THE BIBLE DESCRIBES MANKIND

Listen to how Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1 through 9, puts it…

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

2 in which you once walked,

This is describing a person before he’s a Christian.

And it goes on…

following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

Now I don’t want you to miss any of this.

Dead in trespasses and sins, worldly and devilish, slaves of our sinful flesh and the wicked desires of our bodies and our minds, children of wrath – meaning we are God’s enemies who deserve and are destined to spend eternity in hell just like the rest of mankind.

We are all spiritually dead!

Somebody outside of a dead person has to raise them back to life.

And this is exactly what happens to anyone that becomes a Christian!

Notice, Ephesians 2, verse 4 goes on…

4 But God

God is the One who makes a person a Christian.

Did you hear that?

We don’t decide ourselves.

We don’t have the capacity to decide ourselves.

We are dead!

4 But God,

Ephesians 2, verse 4 starts out.

And it goes on…

being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

Verse 5…

5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

Did you see that there?

[God] … made us alive together with Christ

It’s God’s work!

Verse 5 goes on…

—by grace you have been saved—

And v. 6…

6 and [God] raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

What have I been talking about?

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

And v. 9 closes…

9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

HOW GOD MAKES A PERSON A CHRISTIAN

Now the title of this video really should have been: How God Makes A Person A Christian.

Because it’s God who does the work from start to finish.

The Word of God comes to us.

We hear it.

And then the Holy Spirit creates faith in us.

…[F]aith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)

We repent (which is also the Holy Spirit’s work!).

We sorrow over our sins.

And along with that we believe that Jesus died in our place on the cross to save us from our sins and give us eternal life.

And Christ’s righteousness is afforded us and our wickedness is taken away.

[A]s far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

If you’re a Christian today, it isn’t because you followed steps.

It isn’t because you made a decision.

It isn’t because you prayed the sinner’s prayer.

If you’re a Christian today, it’s because of one thing.

God has had mercy on you and raised you back to life who were once spiritually dead.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)