How do you become a Christian according to the Bible?

[Deeje]

Every "contradiction" can be explained. Their are no contradictions. The Bible is very clear on the matter of salvation.

I agree. The Bible is very clear, but misinterpretation is common.

Hear-Romans 10:17
Believe-John 3:16
Repent-Acts 17:30
Confess-Matthen 10:32-33
Be Baptised-Mark 16:16
Examples-Act 2:38,Acts 8,John 3,Acts 16:25-40,etc

People forget one very important component in their quest for salvation......God.
Everyone can hear the message if they want to, but not everyone has their ears or their hearts open. Some just want God to conform to what they want to believe, but it is we who must adjust to his requirements, not the other way around.

According to John 6:44...
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."

"No one" means not a single person can come to Christ unless he/she receives an invitation from the Father.
So hearing is the first step.....which needs preachers of the message. (Romans 10:13-115)

Then that message is processed by the heart and, in some (not all) a spark is ignited. That spark in turn, is detected by God who knows what is in the hearts of all (2 Chronicles 6:29-30).....and that one is then "drawn" to learn more about salvation through Christ. To some it is like God allowing the scales to fall from their eyes so that they can "see" (spiritually) for the first time.

"Belief" results from taking in knowledge and allowing that knowledge to motivate our thinking and actions. It creates a desire to 'want' to obey God and his Christ (as opposed to forcing us to obey under threat of punishment).

It creates a desire to repent...to be genuinely sorry for all past misdeeds and to to know that through Christ's sacrifice, and our own admission (confession) of the sinful way we once lived, we have been completely forgiven. But repentance also means to "turn around".....to make a strong commitment to "sin no more".

Baptism is a large part of our progression since, like Jesus, we are presenting ourselves in public as dedicated servants of God....henceforth to follow the teachings of his son, which he received from his Father. (John 7:16-18)

This is how it was for me.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

To be a Christian you need to believe in Christ.

Hallelujah, somebody finally got it. Except you left out the part where He has to accept you.

 

[74x12]

I know this answer, but many do not seem to know this answer these days. The truth has been twisted and misrepresented. How exactly do you guys go about this process? I want every step please!

Acts 2:38

 

[CohenDavidson]

the Bible doesn't state how to become Christian. There were no Christians during the time in which the books of the Bible were being written. At least not in the sense of today. To be a follower of Christ, one could argue that the Bible (or different books) argue that you must become a Jew first. Others could argue that it has to do with being baptized. Others could argue that it has to do with becoming a God-fearer. There really is no cut and dry answer.

Umm... I'm really not following you. The Bible does not state you have to be a Jew to become a Christian. In fact it says that is for the Jews and Gentiles (those who aren't Jews) You cant make any of those arguments when you dive deep into the Bible. Its just not what it says. Their were plenty of Christians during the time the Bible was written. Many of the book in the Bible were Paul writing to congregations of Christians. Finding the cut and dry answer comes by looking at the whole context of the scriptures. When you do that the answer of the salvation question is clear.

 

[CohenDavidson]

Hallelujah, somebody finally got it. Except you left out the part where He has to accept you.

What?

 

[CohenDavidson]

Acts 2:38

Exactly!

 

[CohenDavidson]

I agree. The Bible is very clear, but misinterpretation is common.



People forget one very important component in their quest for salvation......God.
Everyone can hear the message if they want to, but not everyone has their ears or their hearts open. Some just want God to conform to what they want to believe, but it is we who must adjust to his requirements, not the other way around.

According to John 6:44...
"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day."

"No one" means not a single person can come to Christ unless he/she receives an invitation from the Father.
So hearing is the first step.....which needs preachers of the message. (Romans 10:13-115)

Then that message is processed by the heart and, in some (not all) a spark is ignited. That spark in turn, is detected by God who knows what is in the hearts of all (2 Chronicles 6:29-30).....and that one is then "drawn" to learn more about salvation through Christ. To some it is like God allowing the scales to fall from their eyes so that they can "see" (spiritually) for the first time.

"Belief" results from taking in knowledge and allowing that knowledge to motivate our thinking and actions. It creates a desire to 'want' to obey God and his Christ (as opposed to forcing us to obey under threat of punishment).

It creates a desire to repent...to be genuinely sorry for all past misdeeds and to to know that through Christ's sacrifice, and our own admission (confession) of the sinful way we once lived, we have been completely forgiven. But repentance also means to "turn around".....to make a strong commitment to "sin no more".

Baptism is a large part of our progression since, like Jesus, we are presenting ourselves in public as dedicated servants of God....henceforth to follow the teachings of his son, which he received from his Father. (John 7:16-18)

This is how it was for me.

The first four steps sound excellent, maybe all of it. Just clarify on the baptism part. Are you saying baptism is the point you become a Christian, or before?

 

[Deeje]

The first four steps sound excellent, maybe all of it. Just clarify on the baptism part. Are you saying baptism is the point you become a Christian, or before?

Was Jesus a dedicated worshipper of his God before his baptism? Of course he was, but his baptism was not John's baptism to symbolize repentance for sins against the Law of Moses. Jesus' baptism is what all Christian baptism represents IMO. It was a symbolic death to one's former life-course and a burial under the waters, then a resurrection to a new life, to fulfill the will of God as long as we live. Jesus' baptism was the beginning of his role as Messiah.....only then did Jesus the man become Jesus the Christ.

To me baptism is as binding as a marriage vow, which is why it cannot be performed on infants.
You spend a long time getting to know your prospective marriage mate and then you decide that you want to spend the rest of your life with them....its the same with God and his son. To know them is to love them. (John 17:3)

Our baptism is the first day of the rest of our spiritual life....I see it as a beginning, not an end.

You do not become a Christian by simply joining a church.....you become a Christian by going through the steps that lead to you dedicating your life to spiritual pursuits first....selfish pursuits second.

Matthew 6:31-34....Jesus said...
"So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. 34 So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles."

I see God guaranteeing that if we continually 'seek first God's kingdom, AND his righteousness', then we will have what we need. (though not necessarily what we want.)

 

[dfnj]

I know this answer, but many do not seem to know this answer these days. The truth has been twisted and misrepresented. How exactly do you guys go about this process? I want every step please!

Stop thinking. Let other people think for you. Do exactly what they tell you to do. Obey authority.

 

[CohenDavidson]

Stop thinking. Let other people think for you. Do exactly what they tell you to do. Obey authority.

Sadly many do not see truth for themselves. They want to hear others say it. When you look into things for yourself, you will be surprised what you find!

 

[metis]

Belief in the bible assumes that one who believes will obey... That's why John #:16 says that those who believe SHOULD NOT perish. This is because if you believe the scriptures, then you should seek the path of obedience.

Which is why you'll sometimes see me post about the necessity of believing in Jesus and not just some things about Jesus.

I hate to say this, but over and over again I see people who identify themselves as being "Christian" who take positions or do things the polar opposite of what Jesus taught. Ignorance is one thing as that is possibly correctable, but intentionally taking positions that are contrary to what Jesus clearly taught is another. When I hear racist remarks, unconcern for the poor, stereotyping people, unwillingness to help those in need, lying, hedonism, materialism, etc., I have to wonder which "gospel" they're following? Ya, we all make mistakes, but some just keep rolling on in defiance of what the gospel says.

 

[David1967]

I know this answer, but many do not seem to know this answer these days. The truth has been twisted and misrepresented. How exactly do you guys go about this process? I want every step please!

I agree that what it means to become a Christian has been twisted and turned in many directions. Why else would there be so many denominations? So according to what I have read in the New Testament, I believe that becoming a Christian means to believe the teachings of Jesus and follow them. All the legalistic nonsense is just extra unnecessary junk. IMHO of course.

 

[David1967]

When I hear racist remarks, unconcern for the poor, stereotyping people, unwillingness to help those in need, lying, hedonism, materialism, etc., I have to wonder which "gospel" they're following?

Agree 100% my friend.

 

[David1967]

OK, my sermon is over, so now I'm passing you the collection plate.

I'm a little short on cash...will you take a check?

 

[metis]

I'm a little short on cash...will you take a check?

I hear that this is not the only place where you're short.

 

[David1967]

I hear that this is not the only place where you're short.

Not true! I am not short tempered.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Various denominations have their teachings about this, some differ.

However the process is:

repentance,
dedication to serve God through Christ
baptism into Christ, which enters a person into the New Covenant of blood of Christ that is the basis for the ransom; this is what forgives sins
Living in Christ, avoiding sin that damns.​

Thus, infant baptism is without value, as is baptism of small children. You have to be able to agree to the contract.

The Bible describes whole families being baptized when the male head of the household decided to do it. I think you're assuming a modern degree of autonomy that wasn't accepted - or even contemplated - in Biblical times.

 

[Kenny]

the Bible doesn't state how to become Christian. There were no Christians during the time in which the books of the Bible were being written. At least not in the sense of today. Others could argue that it has to do with being baptized. Others could argue that it has to do with becoming a God-fearer. There really is no cut and dry answer.

Can you support this position? It seems pretty clear to me.

To be a follower of Christ, one could argue that the Bible (or different books) argue that you must become a Jew first

In my 35 years, I don't think I have ever heard this position.

But, in today's society that include the Spaghetti god, anything is possible.

 

[Kenny]

The Bible describes whole families being baptized when the male head of the household decided to do it. I think you're assuming a modern degree of autonomy that wasn't accepted - or even contemplated - in Biblical times.

It is true that when the male head of the household dedicates his life to Jesus, the rest of the family tend to follow but not always.

Certainly, the Bible lists that there were times when one did and the other didn't.

 

[Kenny]

As a non-Christian, I can only comment based on the Bible as I understood it when reading it. The Bible seems to treat faith and Baptism as equally important in the salvation department. The New Testament, I ought to say.

While the Bible says faith saves you, it also says it is useless without works, and says in another place that Baptism 'saves you also'.

I'd say honestly that Catholics, Anglicans, and Eastern Orthodox do seem to have the best grasp on what the New Testament says about salvation. That isn't surprising- given the Church when it was still one compiled the New Testament using it's tradition.

The Bible covers every aspect of living and life. A cursory reading is just the first layer of life-long seeking and understanding.

There are many baptisms and there are different types of salvation.

The word salvation itself is complete wholeness, (spirit-soul-body) in which the word "salvation" would have different applications depending on what part one is talking about. Likewise, there are more than one baptism with each using a different element in the process.

So the "faith without works" doesn't have anything to do with the born-again experience that Jesus mentioned addressing the spiritual part of man. There are various applications to faith and works depending on what one is talking about.