Becoming a Christian

     Becoming a Christian is a matter of the heart - specifically faith and repentance. The Bible says, "For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard"(Romans 3:23). We have all done things that God is not happy about, and we need Him to forgive us. If you sincerely ask God to forgive you of your sins and be in control of your life, then you will have a relationship with Christ. Your prayer might sound something like this:
     God, I believe you have a son named Jesus. And I believe you sent your son Jesus to Earth to take the punishment for my sins. Instead of me being punished for all the wrong things I have done, Jesus was punished by dying on a cross. Thank you for doing that for me Jesus. I’m so sorry for all the wrong things I have done in my life. Please forgive me. From now on, I want to do things your way. You are in charge of my life now. Amen.

     If you have recently prayed a prayer like the one above, you are a Christian. Of course, your prayer did not need to use  those exact words. Saying the right words is not important. What really matters is sincerely meaning that prayer. If you told Jesus you believe in Him, want forgiveness from Him, and want to live in a way that pleases Him, then you are a Christian. 
     If you have recently become a Christian, we want to send you a free booklet called What’s Next? It was written by a member of our staff here at Tabernacle to help new believers navigate life after salvation. It’s our free gift to you. Just click on the "Contact Us" tab above and request your free copy. All we need is your name and address. And don’t worry... we will not keep sending you junk mail after that.