What does it mean to put my faith in Jesus and follow him?
Additional Information
I am not a pastor and I in no way claim to be. Rather than me trying to explain what it means to be a Christian and place your trust in God, here is an outline from the book BECAUSE YOU'RE CALLED THREE WORDS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Jeff Maness pastor of Element Church in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I believe Jeff does a wonderful job outlining your next steps on your salvation journey.
Salvation: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
In John 3:3, Jesus called this being "born again". What does it really mean to be born again and why should I be born again?
Romans 3:23 tells us, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." Romans 6:23 teaches us that because of our sin, we are separated from a holy God. We are spiritually dead! "For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
That's why we need to be born again, because we are spiritually dead from our sin. So how can I be born again?
1. Hear
Romans 10:14
But how can they call on HIm to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?
2. Repent
Repent simply means "to turn". That you're turning from your former life so you can live a new life in God.
Acts 3:19
Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There's no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
3. Confess
1 John 1:9
But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
It's not about making a list of all the sins you've ever committed. That would take a while for all of us right? It's about confessing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior, and that Savior is only Jesus.
4. Believe
Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
5. Receive
Revelation 3;20
Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will com in, and we will share a meal together as friends.
If you're ready to nail this issue down in your heart, you can do that right now. Below is a prayer you can pray to ask God to do what He promised in His Word He would do. There is nothing magical about this prayer. This is you talking to God:
Father in Heaven, I believe in Jesus. I believe He is God, that He died for my sins and rose from the dead. Jesus, I give you my heart and my life. I confess all of my sins to you. Everything I ‘ve ever done, I give it to you. Please forgive me. Wash me clean and make me new. Come into my heart. I repent of all of my sins. I turn from my old, sinful ways of living and will follow you in my new way. I receive from You salvation. Please live in me. Thank you for loving me. I will do my best to love you back. In Jesus name, Amen!
If you prayed that prayer I am so proud of you, and your Heavenly Father is too! I would love to know about your decision.
Please email me your story to my90daygratitude@gmail.com
