Today I want to talk about what it takes to be a true Christian. Part of understanding this, is knowing the difference between a ‘believer’ and a Christian. They are not the same thing! If we are going to be true Christians; followers of Christ, we need to grasp these differences.
No matter where you are in your relationship with God, this information can be convicting! Here are ’10 differences between a believer and a Christian’:
- A believer believes in Jesus. A Christian follows His commands.
- A believer goes to church on holidays. A Christian knows that a church community is an important part of their faith.
- A believer reads their Bible when things get tough. A Christian reads their Bible regularly.
- A believer prays when things get tough. A Christian gives thank no matter the circumstance.
- A believer twists the Bible to fit his or her lifestyle. A Christian works to make his or her lifestyle resemble the teachings of the Bible.
- A believer will sacrifice when it’s convenient. A Christian will sacrifice no matter the potential outcome.
- A believer tithes when there is no risk. A Christian will tithe no matter the risk.
- A believer conforms under the pressure of culture. A Christian holds fast against temptation.
- A believer will share their faith when it’s comfortable. A Christian will share his or her faith regardless of the scenario.
- A believer knows about Jesus. A Christian knows Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior.
After reading these differences, which would you say you are today, a believer or a Christian?
There may be some of you reading this blog post who haven’t asked God into your heart and don’t have any knowledge of Him or the Bible, or some of you may be a ‘believer’ but don’t exactly have a clear understanding of what is required to be right with God; what it means to be a true Christian.
Some people say “Well, that’s good for you.” (religion, the Bible, beliefs, etc.) No!! It is good, great for EVERYONE!! Christ died for all. When Jesus was on the cross, we were ALL on His mind. He knew that we are all sinners, and a price needed to be paid for our sin in order to have a clear relationship with God. So He paid the ultimate price through His death on the cross, and became our Savior. God made us a way to salvation through His Son.
I would like to share with you 6 steps to becoming a Christian. (The first three steps can be done through a simple prayer.)
1. Recognize & Admit You’re a Sinner
The first step in becoming a Christian is admitting and recognizing that we are sinners; we aren’t perfect, and we have a dire need for God. Coming to that point where we realize that we are in need of a Savior, is the first step in becoming a Christian.
Romans 3:23 NIV says, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 6:23 NIV goes on to say, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2. Ask for Forgiveness
The second step in becoming a Christian is asking God to forgive you of your sins; it doesn’t matter what it is! If you ask Him, He will be faithful to forgive you. Some people think that God won’t forgive them for the things they did in their past – “I’ve done too many bad things in my past, God won’t forgive me for that.” Let me tell you, no situation, problem, or sin is too big for God!
1 John 1:9 ESV says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Psalm 103:12 TPT says, “Farther than from a sunrise to a sunset – that’s how far you’ve removed our guilt from us.”
3. Ask God into Your Heart
The third step in becoming a Christian is asking God to come into your life and heart. No longer going through life on your own, but God taking over and taking control.
Romans 10:9-10 TPT says, “9 And what is God’s “living message”? It is the revelation of faith for salvation, which is the message that we preach. For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will experience salvation. 10 The heart that believes in him receives the gift of the righteousness of God—and then the mouth gives thanks to salvation.”
God doesn’t want ‘certain’ people to be Christians, He wants everybody to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The Bible says “whosoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved!” I’m a whosoever, how about you?
4. Repent
The fourth step in becoming a Christian is repenting of your sins. ‘Repent’ comes from the Greek word ‘metanoia’. It means to make a complete change in direction, completely turn away from sin and the old life; never going back to it, and turning towards God.
Those of you who were in the military will remember your drill sergeant, or your higher-up yelling for you to make an ‘about face’. Meaning, completely turn the opposite direction. This is just what God is telling us to do, make an about face toward Him.
Acts 3:19 TPT says, “And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.”
5. Submit to Baptism
The fifth step in becoming a Christian is submitting to baptism. It’s an act of obedience to God; it represents the Christian’s death, burial, and resurrection which correlates with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. In Matthew 3:13-17 TPT Jesus Himself went up to John the Baptist while he was baptizing people in the Jordan River, and told him He needed to be baptized. John was surprised. He knew Jesus was the Messiah, yet he was resistant. John felt he should be baptized by Jesus instead. But Jesus was doing this to set an example which we must follow. Just like Jesus through our baptism, we are displaying a public testimony to all around us.
John 3:5 ESV says, “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Romans 6:4 ESV says, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”
When we are baptized, we receive the Holy Spirit. He becomes a “resident” in our life. Matthew 3:16 ESV says, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;”
6. Live a Godly Lifestyle
The sixth and final step in becoming a Christian is living a Godly lifestyle. Living like He did, and like I’ve talked about in previous posts, being Christ-like. When we allow God to reside in us, and change us, we are transformed into a new creation. Two important keys to keeping a Godly lifestyle are this:
BELIEVE: Continue to believe in God as a true Christian.
John 3:16 ESV says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 5:8 ESV says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
COMMIT: Be committed to the things of God.
If we stay committed to the things of God, and keep our eyes on Him, our relationship with Him will be clear. If you give the enemy one inch of your life, he’ll become a ruler. We need to commit, and continue to have Christ-likeness.
Now, you may be wondering, “How do I know if I am a new creation?” Well, here are some signs that you are:
- You love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength
- You love God’s Word (the Bible)
- You talk to God in prayer
- You tell others about Jesus and the new life that is found in Him
- You glory in God and in the things of God
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You wouldn’t care about any of this if you weren’t made into a new creation, or weren’t transformed by the Holy Spirit. I know from personal experience, that being a Christian in today’s world can be challenging, but God never promised us that we wouldn’t have hard times. Jesus said this in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Please don’t wait to ask God into your heart, we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, or even the next few minutes. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says that today is the day of salvation! If something were to happen to you, where would you spend eternity? The Bible says that it’s not God’s will that anyone should perish, but have everlasting life. If you haven’t taken these steps to become a true Christian, won’t you do it today?
I hope the Holy Spirit spoke to you through this post! As always, if you want to talk, have prayer requests, or need anything, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
I have a series that I’m slowly putting together, which will be out in a few weeks, but in the mean time, I will continue to put out blog posts!
Let’s learn together, grow together, and stand together!
-Tayler
WalkingwiththeMessiah 