Going deeper

How do I Become a Christian ?

David Suchet, a leading Shakespearian actor and well known for his title role in Poirot, tells how a few years ago he was lying in his bath in a hotel in America, when he had a sudden and impulsive desire to read the Bible.  He managed to find a Gideon Bible and he started to read the New Testament.  As he read, he came to put his faith in Jesus Christ.  He said: “From somewhere I got this desire to read the Bible again.  That’s the most important part of my conversion.  I started with the Acts of the Apostles and then moved to Paul’s Letters – Romans and Corinthians.  And it was only after that I came to the gospels.  In the New Testament I suddenly discovered the way that life should be followed.” (extract from “Questions of Life” Alpha material by Nicky Gumbel.  http://uk.alpha.org/)


Just as there are physical laws that govern the physical universe, so are there spiritual laws that govern your relationship with God.
(taken from Campus Crusade for Christ's "Four Laws")

Law 1: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God's Love "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" (John 3:16, NIV).
God's Plan [Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).

Why is it that most people are not experiencing that abundant life?  Because...
Law 2: Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.
Man is Sinful "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
Man Is Separated "The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).
God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. Man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.

Law 3: Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life.
He Died In Our Place "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).
He Rose from the Dead "Christ died for our sins... He was buried... He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me'" (John 14:6).
God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these three laws...
Law 4: We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.
We Must Receive Christ "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).
We Receive Christ Through Faith "By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as result of works that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth (Read John 3:1-8.)
We Receive Christ Through Personal Invitation [Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).
Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith,as an act of the will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Self-Directed Life	Christ-Directed Life
S- Self is on the throne	- Christ is in the life and on the throne
- Christ is outside the life	S- Self is yielding to Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan
- Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration	- Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan

Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?


The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer (prayer is talking with God).  God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.  The following is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Saviour and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, I invite you to pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.  If you have prayed this prayer, you might find further information at Campus Crusade for Christ's website helpful.