How to become a Christian? The ways and benefits of becoming a Christian

when we recognize and confess our sinfulness and our need for God’s grace to save us, and humbly and faithfully accept His gift of salvation (whether through praying the sinner’s prayer or making a heartfelt decision), we become Christians.

If someone asks you what it means to be a Christian and how one can become a Christian, you might give several answers. You might talk about religious practices like attending church or having a list of do’s and don’ts. Or you might talk about believing in God or having faith in Jesus Christ.

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In today’s world, the diversity of ideas about Christianity has led many to confusion or a completely incorrect Christian identity. We might have heard that becoming a Christian is described in several different (though inadequate) ways, such as:

• Being saved (which is not immediately clear without biblical context).
• Inviting Jesus into your heart (which is a somewhat misleading phrase but perhaps easier to envision than other expressions).
• Accepting Jesus as your Savior (which some might argue is stated too softly).
• Turning to Christ (which might be considered overly practical or action-oriented by some theologians).

Personally, I prefer the phrase “surrendering to Christ” (based on Jesus’ command to “deny …”) or “following Christ” (based on Jesus’ invitation to His first disciples to follow Him). Whatever phrase we choose, becoming a Christian involves the extraordinary work of God in bringing us to life in Christ (Ephesians 2) and being “justified” before God (Romans 5:9).

But becoming a Christian also involves our sincere and heartfelt confession that Jesus Christ is our Lord in response to God’s grace (Romans 10:9). The proportion of God’s grace versus the human activity required in our salvation has been debated by theologians for centuries. But whatever the precise mix, it’s clear that at least some overlap is explained in the Bible.

When we become Christians, our lives are changed spiritually and eternally, and we become “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17) as we enter into a new relationship with our Creator. We can cite countless examples of the transformative impact of salvation on people’s lives. In presenting their “Three Circles” approach, the North American Mission Board describes this effect as “recovering and pursuing God’s original design” for our lives.

How do we become Christians?

First, we must understand that it is nothing less than a miracle performed by God Himself, as He takes a spiritually dead person and “resurrects” them to new life. If anyone could save themselves from their sins, then Jesus’ earthly mission to die for the sins of the world would have been unnecessary. Becoming a Christian is a “gift” (Romans 6:23) given only by God and never something we can achieve, so that “no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:9). We sin not just because we commit sins, but because we are sinners.

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil (John 3:18-19). Recognizing and accepting this sinful and corrupt state of our spirit is the first important “step” in becoming a Christian.

Secondly, while salvation cannot be earned, it can (and must) be received or accepted. In Mark 4, Jesus compares the real opportunity to believe and accept the good news of the Gospel to fertile soil that deeply “receives” the seeds planted by a farmer. Jesus says, “…those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:20, ESV).

Jesus also preached in John 1:12 that anyone who receives Him and believes in His name, “…he gave the right to become children of God.” And again, Jesus declared in John 12:48 that anyone who “rejects” Him and “does not receive His words” will ultimately be judged by God based on that truth.

Paul repeated this idea of the necessity of accepting salvation in several of his letters, including in Romans 5:17 where he wrote: “…those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ” (ESV).

I’ve heard it said that Jesus is a “gentleman” and never forces His salvation on anyone, although He offers it to everyone. As Jesus said in His famous nighttime conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.”

Thirdly, when we recognize and confess our sinfulness and our need for God’s grace to save us, and humbly and faithfully accept His gift of salvation (whether through praying the sinner’s prayer or making a heartfelt decision), we become Christians. Immediately, the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) takes up permanent residence in our lives (Acts 2:38) and brings us “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV). Then with God in our lives, we will never have to face spiritual death in hell. This salvation is for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord,” as Paul explains in Romans 10:13.

What happens when we become Christians?

Becoming a Christian is the only thing that can fill the void in our lives. It is the only answer to the questions of our soul, the only cure for our sin sickness, the only hope in our despair, and the only peace for our troubles.

And we can only become Christians through Jesus Christ because He is the only “mediator” between us and God. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth (1 Timothy 2:5-7).

If you want to become a Christian, you can pray a prayer similar to this one provided on my church’s website: “Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the grave so that I could have eternal life in heaven with You. I willingly turn away from my sins and ask You to be the Lord of my life. I place all my trust in You alone. Control my words, thoughts, and actions. Amen.”

When you become a Christian, be sure to share your new faith with as many people as you can, especially with the pastor of a local church you can attend. Then you can publicly demonstrate your salvation through believer’s baptism! Becoming a Christian is the most amazing step you can take in your life.