How does a person become a Christian?
There are some popular misconceptions, such as a Christian is a person who has joined a church, adopted a creed, or believes in God. The problem is, churches and creeds can be false, and even the demons believe in God (James 2:19). But none of these address the sin problem.
Abundant Life
God wants to give us an abundant life, overflowing with joy and peace, through a relationship with Him. (John 10:10). This gift is so priceless that there is no way we could ever be good enough to deserve it. The Bible says that all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When anyone does something that God has not prescribed or is not of Him, that person has sinned. Sin causes a separation between us and God (Isaiah 59:2) and the result is wrath (Ephesians 2:3) and death (Romans 6:23).
The Author of Our Salvation
Jesus purchased our salvation when He went to the cross at Calvary. His death was the sacrifice that turns away the wrath of God (1 John 4:10). The good news, the gospel, is that Jesus died on the cross for sinners, was buried, and rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The only way to be saved from wrath is to obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). How do we obey the death, the burial, and the resurrection? If a person dies, is buried, and is raised again, that would be called being “born again.” So, Jesus authored the plan of salvation through His literal death, literal burial, and literal resurrection. However, now He says to us, “…unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:7) [NKJV].
Repentance
We don’t have to literally die, literally be buried, and literally rise again. He did that for us. We accept His death by dying to self, renouncing a self-serving life, and giving our life to Jesus Christ, saying, “I’m now giving my life to You. You’re my Savior, and You’re also my Lord.” Many want Jesus to be their Savior, but they don’t want Him to be their Lord. But we can’t get Him, unless we have both Lord and Savior, because that is what He is. Once we make the decision that from this day forward Jesus will be the Lord of our lives, we’ve taken the first step–repentance.
Baptism
Next, the Bible teaches that we are baptized into His name, and that’s when our sins are remitted. The Bible says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38) [NKJV].
This means that payment is being made for our sins. The Bible says that, “as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death…” (Romans 6:3) [NKJV]. When we go down in baptism by immersion, in the name of Jesus Christ, His death is applied to pay our sin bill. We all sinned. Therefore, we all deserved to die. But He didn’t want us to die, so He came, and didn’t sin, and died in our place. When we are baptized in Jesus’ name, we are united into His burial. So, we experience a spiritual death in repentance. Then we experience a spiritual burial in baptism.
The Gift of the Holy Ghost
Finally, God has promised that, as we obey the death and burial of Jesus Christ by repentance and baptism in Jesus’ name, we can partake of the resurrection of Jesus through the infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking with other tongues. We are able to worship in spirit and truth, set free to not only pray with the mind or understanding, but also with the spirit. This is what gives us the power to live a new life that is pleasing to God, set free from guilt and slavery to sin. No longer blind, weak and hopeless, we are “…fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” (Romans 12:11-12) [NKJV]
If you are not sure that you are a Christian, and want to be delivered from God’s righteous judgment, then put your trust in the One who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Turn from your sins, and obey the gospel through baptism in Jesus’ name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Remember, “You must be born again.”
Do you have to have the laying of hands to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit?I was saved and baptized but did not have the infilling of the Holy Spirit until many years later.I had started praying much more often and studying the word of God.Forgiveness and resentment issues that I had held for very many years were taken away.Several other issues were resolved without an extreme effort.I rejoice in the Lord.I feel a wondrous joy that I have never had in my life.I love studying and hearing the word of God.I am still working on a couple of other issues and have become a work in progress but I am so thankful for what I have received and the blessings of God.I love talking to others and planting seeds.Does that sound like someone who has the blessings of the Holy Spirit?or do I need to go to a church that believes in the laying of hands and ask them to pray for me?I am wondering if God gives you the Fruits of the Spirit without someone laying hands.I believe the reason I did not receive the Fruits of the Spirit was that I was not letting God be the pilot.I feel I was wanting God to sit in the passenger seat but when I decided and prayed for God to be the pilot and I sat next to him then I begin to receive the blessing from our Lord and Saviour.Should I need to be baptized again since I do not feel I was living with the completeness of the Holy Spirit ?
Connie, since no one responded I will try to help. First, as I read scripture, there is the “gift of tongues” and the gift of “interpretation”, There is also as some denominations teach, a separate “baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the speaking in tongues”, These two in my belief are different. The arguement for the “baptism” comes from the disciples experience at Pentecost when they receive the Holy Spirit and began speaking in tongues such that Jews from all over the world could understand the preaching in their own language. Most Pentecostals do believe that the baptism comes from the laying on of hands but the disciples in the upper room did not do this or at least it is not recorded. I have had the laying on of hands but do not speak in tongues although I have prayed in tongues. Let not your heart be troubled. If you have faithed in Jesus and He is your Lord and Savior, you have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit whether you speak in tongues or not. If you want to attempt to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit you will need to go to a church (a Pentecostal church will do) that believes in it and tell them you want the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. They will help you. They will expect you to speak in tongues immediately but don’t force it or be disappointed that you don’t, I know one friend who spoke weeks after her hand laying and I never did. I am however filled with the spirit and fully saved.
I know it wasn’t by accident when I turn on my television and I saw the program, was very interesting, thank you Irvin Baxter,
I’m glad you enjoyed the program. Continue to tune in for more.
God has given us the choice to believe what we want, not everyone is going to heaven. Why wouldn’t you want to be baptised? Jesus was baptised. Look and listen to what Jesus said and did when He was here, He is our example. The Bible is not complicated, God has made it very simple that even a child can understand it. It’s only when we read it with our intellect and pride and forget to pray first and ask God to help us and to remove the foolishness that is in me.
Dear Irvin Baxter, ???do you go to the surgeon certain church since your message is apostolic from the book of Acts
Dean,
I am not sure what you are asking.
No thank you, I don’t need religion of any kind to have a wonderful relationship with God/Creator…..but I respect anyone’s beliefs as long as their belief causes no harm to people, the planet or to animals. I also don’t try to push my beliefs on anyone like Christianity does….that’s very irritating to say the least. I also feel that there are more & more people out there who are thinking for themselves and are not blindly following the scare tactics used by religion. I won’t even go into the obvious plagiarism of the bible and the notion that the Earth is only 6,000 years old….that simply astounds me how seemingly intelligent people can believe that!
Are you sure they are not saying that “man” has been on the Earth for 6000 yrs. not that the Earth is 6000 yrs. old? Just askin” Peace.
AMEN TO THAT, MY FRIENDS!! ALL PRAISE AND GLORY TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!
Baptism is not a requirement to be born again , it is merely an outward showing of your commitment and acceptance of Jesus Christ and is suggested, not required
How do you reconcile your statement with the words of Jesus in Mark 16:16?
Courtesy AWMI.net:
“This scripture has led many to believe that water baptism is a part of salvation and that the born-again experience cannot be a reality without it. The same kind of thinking would make seeing Jesus a prerequisite for salvation, based on Joh 6:40.
It is faith in the redemptive work of Christ that produces salvation–not our actions. However, James wrote that faith without works is dead (Jas 2:20). Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone; it must be acted upon. This is what Mark was referring to when he spoke of baptism.
Water baptism is a command of Jesus and is the initial action upon believing. Mark’s statement could be rendered, “Those that believe with saving faith (i.e., faith that produces actions) shall be saved.” In this sense, water baptism is very important. It is an opportunity to act on our new profession of faith. Those who would refuse to follow the command of Jesus in water baptism would be suspect as to whether they really believed or not.
However, there are scriptural examples of people being born again before they were baptized in water. Cornelius and his friends were filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues before they were baptized in water (Ac 10:44-48). Joh 14:17 records Jesus as saying that unbelievers cannot receive the Holy Ghost (see note 27 at Joh 14:17), so Cornelius and his friends must have been born again before their water baptism.
When Peter was rehearsing the conversion of Cornelius before the believers at Jerusalem, he referred to the baptism of the Holy Ghost as a proof of the Gentiles’ conversion, but he never mentioned their water baptism (Ac 11:1-18). This would have been unthinkable if the early church had held water baptism as a requirement of salvation.
Also, in Ac 19:1-7, the Apostle Paul found some disciples who had believed on Jesus through the preaching of John the Baptist and had been water baptized by John, but they had not heard of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Paul re-baptized them with Christian baptism, and then they received the Holy Ghost. But the fact remains that they were Jesus’ disciples before they were properly baptized in water.
Water baptism is the sign of the New Covenant in the same way that circumcision was the sign of the Old Covenant. The Apostle Paul made it very clear in Ro 4 that although Abraham was circumcised, his circumcision was only a sign. Abraham was justified in the sight of God before his circumcision. Paul went on to state in Ga 5:1-6 that those who trust in circumcision are fallen from grace; Christ will profit them nothing.
Circumcision was a command of God that had to be kept (Ge 17:9-14), yet Abraham was justified over thirteen years before he was circumcised (Ge 15:6 with 17:23-26). Likewise, water baptism is a command, but keeping this command does not produce justification.
Jesus administered forgiveness of sins without any mention of water baptism (Mt 9:2; Lu 7:48, 50, 18:14, 19:9, and 23:43), as did Peter (Ac 3:19-4:4) and Paul (Ac 13:38-43 with 1Co 1:13-17).
Philip told the Ethiopian eunuch, who asked Philip to baptize him, that if he believed with all of his heart, he could be baptized (Ac 8:37). Philip used water baptism only after an individual had already believed. This is how Mark was using water baptism”