CHRISTIANITY

[carina]

How to become a christian? This is the way i survey how a person admits himself being a christian.

[tom]

How to become a christian? This is the way i survey how a person admits himself being a christian.

hi carina,

i believe christianity is meant to be a RELATIONSHIP ... not a "religion"...

Jesus says many words encouraging us to KNOW Him personally and intimately... words like these ... "I stand at the door and knock... If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (rev. 3:20)... "THIS is eternal life: that they may KNOW You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Who You have sent" (john 17:3)... "COME TO ME, all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (mt. 11:28-30)..... "On that day you will KNOW that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I AM IN YOU" (john 14:20)...

it was paul, the apostle, who added: "I consider all things dung compared to the exceeding greatness of KNOWING Christ Jesus my Lord" (philippians 3:8)...

[purex]

How to become a christian? This is the way i survey how a person admits himself being a christian.

Christianity is a lifestyle not a religion. From the word itself,means follower of Christ. To be a Christian is to accept Christ as our personal Savior and Lord by faith in Him. It is all about having a relationship with God through Christ. Christ dwells in our hearts and He belongs to us and we belong to Him (I am crucified with Christ nevertheless i live yet not I but Christ liveth in me. And the life which i now live in the flesh i live by the faith of the son of God who love me and gave himself for me. )If you have not accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, a person is not a christian what ever denomination a person belongs. Now, have you personally accepted Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? You must decide right now.

[crisipicada]

Religion has nothing to do with Christianity. Christianity is a relationship with Christ. Christ is the one who died and saved us from the penalty of sin - death.

[Edwin]

There even has been ministers who were not really Christians. They have a head knowledge of how it all works, but they have never given their lives over to Jesus. They never got it in their hearts. Jesus says that he will profess to some who have done great things in His name that He never knew them, and He will say to them depart from me ye workers of iniquity. That would be the saddest thing for someone who has lived that life of going through the motions and miss out in the end. We invite Jesus into our hearts and we live for Him; live to do his bidding. Everything changes when we give our lives to the Lord. We don't just say we are Christians and go through the motions, but we believe it and live it. Our spirit bears witness with His spirit. Our citizenship is in heaven. This is acknowledgement that we have sinned, and we need a Savior. Then we accept what Jesus did for us on the cross. After that we look for His direction and are obedient to Him. We believe and accept His many promises for us.

[crisipicada]

Yes, being christian is followers of Christ. Having relationship with God is the most important a person must make a decision in his life. Without Christ life is useless and full of regrets.

[Edwin]

Yes, being christian is followers of Christ. Having relationship with God is the most important a person must make a decision in his life. Without Christ life is useless and full of regrets.

Yes, we do have hope in Jesus and that hope has a fulfillment. God has promised to make good on his promises.

[fenmoor]

Before salvation, you are a servant of the master of this world, Satan. You work against GOD and continually perform evil. Even those things which we think are good. For we do not have a mind that can comprhend the things of Christ. We have hearts of stone.

Then the Holy Spirit draws(calls) you unto salvation. (ROM 8:29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified) This is a salvation of God's election when he removes your heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh. We are not able to come to Christ without the calling of the Spirit (ROM 9:10And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;) 12It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. 13As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. 14What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. 15For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.) As you can see by ROM 9:16 it is not up to man but God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. But how is this fair? Read on in Romans chapter 9 and Paul answers that question too.

As you see in Romans 8 the Spirit calls whom was predestined and Romans 9 says that it is God that calls. Pretty straight forward to me. The Spirit replaces your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. 2 COR 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." You are a new creation in Christ Jesus. But understand this it is not of him "that willeth" or him "that runneth" it is by the creator of all things, the timeless one, the Master of all things.

Of course you can go straight to the source, Christ himself: MAT 13:10-15 (10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 13Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.) This is Christ deliberately hiding the message from those for who it was not given. Those not predestined to be his.

Christ will have drawn all of those he is to have to himself. Those that are not Christs will not be drawn. There will be many who claim Christ's name who are deceived. Mathew addresses this most directly in Chapter 7: (20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.) You see, when you are drawn by Christ you are a new creation. You are no longer master of your life but you have a new master and this change will be shown in your actions. Make no mistake, many can fool you, but in time they will show the truth in their actions.

Thank you for the question and may Christ shine his favor upon you.

Bill