What is a Christian?

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said…

• For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
• God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
• For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23)
• If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)
• Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13)

What does all this mean? Well, it can be summarized as A-B-C.

A – Admit you are a sinner.

None of us has to look very far to see sin, do we? We even see it in ourselves. Admitting that we are sinners is the first step in receiving the forgiveness that comes from God.

B – Believe what the Bible says about Jesus.

God so loved the world the He sent His only son, Jesus, so that whoever believes Him will not perish but have everlasting life. To become a Christian, we must believe that Jesus is the only son of God, that He lived a perfect life, and that He died in our place.

C – Confess/Commit to Jesus as Lord.

Confessing your belief in Jesus and committing your life to following Him is your simple act of faith. To do so, you might pray a simple prayer like this…

Jesus. I admit I am a sinner and I need forgiveness. I believe in my heart that you are the only Savior of the world and that you died on a cross in my place. I place my faith in You and I accept you as my Lord. I receive your forgiveness and gift of eternal life. Amen.