Becoming a Christian is a commitment-not to just a belief but a way of life. There are numerous organizations to guide you, but if you prefer to do your own research the authoritative source on the subject recognized by every single Christian Church is the Bible.
The Bible and the Christ
The Bible has two main parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is a collection of histories and writings by ancients Jewish leaders, religious leaders and prophets. The New Testament is a collection of books written by various authors that discusses the history of Jesus and his teachings.
The Old Testament matters to the beliefs of Christianity, because it is full of prophecies of Christ (the messiah or “anointed one”) coming. To be Christian means literally, “a follower of Christ.” Jesus was called Christ from the Greek word “Christos” meaning “anointed one” a reference to the Old Testament custom of anointing prophets and kings. “Christ” is not a name, but a title.
Biblical Reason for Jesus’ Existence
A Christian believes that Jesus’ arrival on earth was predicted in the Old Testament and that he came to save humankind from evil, and provide a way for all humans to enter heaven upon their deaths. Jesus expressed it in the Bible in John 14:6-7 where he spells out that he is the only way into heaven. The truth about our spiritual lives and life itself come through him. He also makes clear in this passage that he is not just a human prophet, but has divine origin.
This is only one of many verses quoting Jesus that causes followers of Christ to sincerely believe that Jesus is the only way to be with God throughout eternity, and that Jesus himself was God as well as man.
The Sacrifice
The other central belief of Christianity is that Jesus’ death was necessary in order to overcome the power of Evil. Humans were so full of wrong, that only this incredible act of courage and sacrifice by a totally innocent human was sufficient to obtain pardon for all human sin, past and future. Christians believes that Jesus died specifically to pay the price for human sins, so that humans could enter eternity with God. To be considered Christian, you must believe in this sacrifice. The famed passage that explains this sacrifice is in John 3:16-18. You will recognize this quote as a powerful expression of God’s love for the whole human race–not just the people who existed in the time of Jesus. God loved every human enough to sacrifice the one perfect human, who had come into the world specifically to rescue it from a pointless, hopeless existence. Failure to acknowledge and accept this gift of love is a mistake that leads to eternal separation from God. These verses are among many that inspire the evangelistic fervor of many Christians, who want to make sure that everyone knows about this “good news.”
The Gift
Becoming a Christian is simply accepting this gift of eternal life, by believing you have been saved through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. This requirement is stated in Romans 10:9: all Christians must accept that Jesus is divine, that he loves all humans with an incredibly powerful love, suffered and died a terrible death to settle the debt with God for all the sins of humanity, and then was resurrected by God.
An important element of believing is the effect it should have on how you live your life. Your faith saves you, but your lifestyle will reflect the sincerity of your faith. The Biblical verse concerning the requirement that your deeds reflect your belief is in James 2:18. In these verses, the Apostle James explains that faith may be the reason he is saved, but his deeds prove he has faith. The lesson he wants to teach is that the reverse does not work: deeds alone, without sincere faith, will not create a relationship with God.
If you believe all this then you have become a Christian. Christians need to meet with each to study the Bible and its teachings, and to encourage each other, which created the need for Churches. Many churches require baptism as a way of confirming your belief. The baptism does not make you Christian: it is the physical demonstration that you have accepted the gift of salvation that Christianity preaches is available just for the asking.
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