A Christian Worker's Resource (1 of 4)

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CHRISTIAN WORKER’S RESOURCE

How to Become a Christian AS a believer, you will have the opportunity to talk to others about your faith. At times you will find a person who wants to know how he or she can become a Christian. Following is a guide you can use to help a person understand what it means to begin a relationship with Christ.

FACT: You were created by a loving God. You have great value. God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you. SET-UP: Explain to the person that the world tells us that we are accidents of nature. We began as ooze in a pond, evolved into apes, and finally into humans. We live, we die, so we should grab for all we can get in this life—after all, that’s the only way to fulfillment. In contrast, the Bible tells us that we are not accidents. We were created by a loving God who knew about us before we were born. We are here for a purpose, and we can find ultimate fulfillment by finding a relationship with him.

Psalm 139:13-16. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. God knew you before you were born—even while you were in your mother’s womb. He knew all about your family and your life until now. [Be sensitive that some people have had difficult circumstances in their lives. Explain that God has not been absent, but has been drawing this person to himself.) He wants to give you a brand new start and a new way of living. He can do that when you give him your life. Why would you do that? Because...

God wants to have a personal relationship with you. John 17:3. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. God is not some “force,” an unspeaking or unseeing idol, or merely another name for your own self-esteem. Instead, God is a person, your Creator, who created you to be in relationship with him. Why? Because...

God loves you. John 3:16. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. You can turn your life over to God’s control because he loves you and wants the very best for you. In fact, he loves you so much that he gave his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you. I'll explain more about that in a minute. I just want you to realize that when you trust God, you are actually trusting the One who created you. When you turn your life over to him, you are giving your life to the One who knows you inside out. Don’t you think that's a good place to put your trust?

A CHRISTIAN WORKER’S RESOURCE

FACT: Your sin keeps you from having a personal relationship with God. SET-UP: Most people don’t understand the concept of sin. We live ina fairly amoral world that believes each person can decide what is right, what is true, and what is “moral”—whatever that might mean. Television and movies don't help with their portrayals of happy people blatantly living sinful lives. You will probably need to explain that God has set some standards about right and wrong, and that there is such a thing as “sin.”

What is sin? James 4:17. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. 1 John 3:4. Everyone who sins is breaking God's law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. God is holy and perfect; people are sinful. You probably know that for yourself—if you tried to be perfect for a day, you'd quickly discover that you couldn't do it. (Here, you can draw a picture of a chasm, with a stick figure on one side and the word “God” on the other, Put the word “sin” in the chasm and explain further.) Sin means not understanding or even caring about what is “right.” You defy God when you know what is right and then refuse to do it.

Who has sinned? Romans 3:23. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Romans 5:17. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. The Bible says “everyone has sinned.” We simply cannot help it—we're human. When Adam sinned (way back in the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis), sin entered the human race and sinfulness is part of our natures. You might be asking, “So what?"

What's so bad about sin? Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death. Isaiah 59:2. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Sin leads to death. That's a big problem! Because God is perfect, he cannot have anything to do with us because we are sinners. He wants to have a personal relationship with us but he can’t because of sin! So what did God do?

FACT: Only through Jesus Christ can you have a personal relationship with God. SET-UP: Sometimes people don’t understand the concept of having a “relationship” with a being they cannot see or touch. Yet itis a reality. That's why Jesus Christ came. He was a human being who lived on this earth so that we could understand what God is like. At this point you may discover that the person has lots of questions (for example, “How can God be God and also Jesus?”), the details of which can send you off the point. If that happens, explain that you don’t have all of the answers to some of those kinds of questions—in fact, some questions are simply unanswerable because we humans cannot completely understand God and how he works. Explain that having a relationship with Christ is a spiritual reality that must be experienced, and that doing so will answer a lot of questions. The key questions to deal with at this point in the discussion include:

Why Jesus Christ? John 14:6—Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” Remember how God can’t have anything to do with us because of sin? Well, he decided to deal with our sin. Problem was, he had made it clear throughout the Old Testament that sin leads to death. In the Old Testament, people sacrificed animals as a way to show how sorry they were for their sins. And that was only temporary. God’s plan all along was to send his Son, Jesus—a perfect human being—to be the final and ultimate sacrifice.

Why did Jesus have to die? 1 Peter 3:18. Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. Jesus died to take the penalty our sins deserved. In essence, he took our punishment so that we wouldn't have to! Now, because of Jesus, the way is prepared for us to be able to

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have a personal relationship with a holy God. [At this point, you can draw a cross in the chasm, connecting the two sides. On the cross, write the word “Jesus.” This visually shows that Jesus is the only way to God. Also add that Jesus did not stay dead. He rose from the dead, which is a promise to us that we will also rise from the dead and go to heaven to be with him.] So what do you need to do next?

FACT: You must personally respond by trusting Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD. SET-UP: The fact of salvation means nothing unless a person accepts it for himself or herself. Emphasize that even if the person grew up in church, he or she still needs to accept Jesus personally. Also emphasize that even if the person has led a terrible life, no one is too bad for God— a person does not have to “clean up his act” before coming to Christ. In fact, Jesus died to take away all that sin and to help the person start anew. So emphasize that being good is not good enough, yet no one is too bad to be able to be forgiven—God wants all people to come to him. All people need to trust in Jesus in order to be saved. So what kind of response should a person have? Talk about the following:

You respond with belief in Christ. Romans 10:9-10. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. You simply need to believe. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have any questions or that you understand everything. It simply means recognizing that you are indeed a sinner in need of a Savior. You recognize that you cannot be good enough for a perfect God on your own. And you understand that God loved you so much that he sent Jesus to save you. If you believe that, say so.

You respond by receiving Christ. John 1:12. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. “Receiving Christ” means acknowledging your belief in Christ, inviting him to come into your life, turning to God from your present way of living (repentance), and then beginning the adventure of letting God direct your life! And the moment you ask, it’s done. Jesus has come in!

QUESTION: Would you like to accept Jesus as your Savior? SET-UP: If the person is ready, explain that he or she can express belief and trust in Christ through prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. He knows what a person means even when it is difficult to express. Tell the person that he or she may use their own words, or they can repeat the following prayer after you:

Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus Christ

died in my place. I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. Please begin to

direct my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

That's it! You can officially welcome this person into God’s farnily—your new brother or sister in Christ! Just as a baby is not born and then left to fend for himself, so a newborn believer in Gad’s family needs some guidance. As the one who introduced him or her to Christ, you should attempt to help this new believer grow. The following pages will show you how.

How to Foliow Up with a New Believer Helping a New Believer Take the Next Steps in the Christian Life If you have had the privilege of helping someone make the step of faith and accept Jesus as Savior, you want to continue that relationship if possible by offering some help to that new believer about the basics of the Christian faith. Your friend may wonder: “What does ‘being a

A CHRISTIAN WORKER’S RESOURCE

Christian’ mean? How does it make a difference in my life? What should I be doing differently from now on?” This section gives you fourteen discussion points to use with a new believer. You don’t need to (and shouldn't) cover all of these points in one sitting. These are designed to be discussion points that you can use over the course of several weeks as part of discipling someone in understanding the basic tenets of the Christian faith and ways they can keep growing. Tell your friend that you would like to get together regularly (in person, by phone, by e-mail, by instant messaging, whatever works) over the next few weeks to talk about the next steps in his or her walk with God. After you've worked out a schedule, give the person a first assignment—to get a Bible (if he or she doesn’t already have one—or doesn’t have one in an easy-toread translation). You might offer to go with the person, as the first trip to a Christian bookstore and its wide array of Bibles can be a bit daunting. Or even better—purchase a Bible yourself and give it as a gift. Also ask the person to get a journal in which to record some of the material you will be sharing as well as some of his or her own thoughts. You can use each numbered point below as a basis for each meeting, or divide up the material as you wish. Read the Bible verses. As you meet together, help your friend find the verses in the Bible and underline them. Encourage him or her to ask whatever questions come to mind. You may not know all the answers. If you don’t, be honest and say, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I'l do some research and see what I can find out.” Then do what you can to try to answer that question to the best of your ability. Also realize that God will do his work in his timing. Don’t expect a new believer to suddenly get rid of all vices (not swear anymore, quit smoking, and change his or her wardrobe the very next day after accepting Christ). Part of your discipleship process will be to help him or her learn how to be sensitive to God’s leading. You will need to be sensitive as well—to know what to say and when to say it, and what not to say until the time is right. Commit yourself to praying daily for this new believer!

1. You can be assured of your salvation. You recently became a Christian, but you may have experienced doubts about what really happened to you. So I want to share with you some assurances that God gives in the Bible.

God assures you that Jesus Christ has come into your life. John 14:20. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

God assures you that your sins have been forgiven. Colossians 2:13-14. God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

God assures you that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13. 1 have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of Gad, so that you may know you have eternal life.

ASSIGNMENT: In your journal, write a description of when, where, and how you became a Christian. Make a note of the assurances that God has given you today.

2. You can know that you are loved unconditionally. No matter what else may be going on in your life, no matter what acceptance or rejection you may be facing from others, you can know that God has completely accepted you and loves you unconditionally.

God loves you, chose you, and adopts you into his own family. Ephesians 1:4-5. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

ASSIGNMENT: Write about what it means to you to be a part of God’s family and to be loved unconditionally.

3. You have a new life in Christ. What's next? God has given you a new life, but don’t expect to be different all at once. Just as a new baby has to grow and learn, so God is going to work in you and help you to grow.

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