Become a Christian
What do I need to do to become a Christian?
Becoming a Christian involves accepting three core beliefs:
- Believe that God loves you. He created you, he knows you and loves you unconditionally.
- Accept that you are not perfect and have done wrong things, and this separates you from God.
- Believe God’s Son, Jesus, came to Earth to show you how much he loves you. He died for you and rose back to life to restore your relationship with God.
Ask for God’s help to get to know him, and for forgiveness to be saved from a life without him. You will have eternal life in a restored relationship with him.
God loves you
Every one of us sins
As recorded in the Bible, Adam and Eve are the first people God created. He was in a close relationship with them. Unfortunately, they used their free will to choose pride, power and selfish desire over their relationship with God. That choice, their mistake, meant something called ‘sin’ entered the world.
Because of sin the world is flawed and wounded, and we are flawed and wounded. Every one of us sins. And our sin creates a wall between us and a holy God, which we cannot get past without God’s help. Without God, our lives can feel empty and meaningless.
The Bible says, “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins” (Romans chapter 3, verses 23-24, CEV).
This Bible verse means that even though we make mistakes and are not perfect, God still loves us and wants us to have a relationship with him again.
Jesus is our Saviour
When we understand sin and how it separates us from God, we realise we need help to experience lives of purpose, love, joy and hope. That help comes through knowing Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God and he is God. He lived on Earth, died on a cross and rose back to life so that we could have our wrongs forgiven and have a relationship with God.
You can read all about it in the Gospels
Jesus saves us from the consequences of sin. He saves us from living meaningless lives. He saves us from life without God. Jesus saves us so we can have eternal (forever, everlasting) life in Heaven with God after we die. Through Jesus, life has meaning and we have hope for the future. That’s why Christians call Jesus their ‘Saviour’.
“God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (John chapter 3, verse 16, CEV).
Say a salvation prayer
When you decide to accept Jesus’ help, to trust in him and call on him as your Saviour, you can pray a ‘salvation prayer’.
A salvation prayer is not complicated. It is simply talking to God and asking his Son, Jesus, to be Lord of your life — to renew, guide and support you. When you pray a salvation prayer, God hears you and you can trust that he is with you.
You can say a prayer on your own, or with someone else. We recommend speaking the words out loud as it helps you express your decision to follow Jesus more clearly. However, if you can’t pray aloud, God still hears what is in your heart.
Words for a salvation prayer
If you would like to accept Jesus’ salvation, find meaning for this life and have hope for the future, here are some words you may like to use in a prayer:
Jesus, I trust that you are the Son of God.
Thank you for dying for me and forgiving me. Jesus, help me to turn away from my old ways and from everything I know is wrong.
I surrender my life to you. From now on, you will be my master and teacher. I will follow you. Jesus, please come into my life. Come into my heart. Be my Lord and Saviour forever.
Frequently asked questions
Connect with other Christians
