How Do I Become a Christian and Accept Jesus Into My Life?

Everybody has received an invitation, maybe to a wedding or a birthday party. Some invitations get an instant yes. Others get a maybe, or no answer at all.

There is one invitation that matters more than any other, and it comes from God Himself. Jesus is inviting you into a relationship with Him.

Maybe you grew up around church, but you are not sure you have ever said yes to Jesus for yourself. Or maybe you have heard people talk about "accepting Jesus" and wondered what that really means.

The good news is that becoming a Christian is really quite simple, and you do not need to have all the answers first. I preached a message about the day Jesus invited His very first followers, and I would love for you to watch it.

Being a Christian is not about being a good enough person

Many people think becoming a Christian means trying harder to be a good person. You show up to church on Easter, pay your taxes, and try to be nice to people. Then you hope it is enough to get you into heaven.

Or maybe you think, "I'm not that bad. It's not like I've hurt anybody." But the standard is not being better than the worst people you know. The Bible says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NIV).

Notice that Paul does not say we fall short of our own standards. We fall short of the glory of God, His perfect holiness, and next to that standard, every one of us misses it by a mile.

You see, sin is like a pit you cannot climb out of on your own. You are not the hero of this story. Jesus is. He died on the cross in your place for your sins, and He rose again three days later so that you could be made right with God.

That is why the Bible says we are saved "not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:9, NIV). Being a Christian is not about religious performance. It is about a personal relationship with Jesus, who came looking for you long before you ever went looking for Him.

So the question is not whether you know about God. The question is whether you know Him.

What it looks like to say yes to Jesus

So how do you actually become a Christian? When Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew fishing, and He gave them a simple invitation:

"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." At once they left their nets and followed him. (Mark 1:17-18, NIV)

Jesus gives you that same invitation today. Here is what saying yes looks like.

Firstly, turn to God. Following Jesus always means leaving something behind, just as those fishermen left their nets. The number one thing all of us have to leave behind is our pride. It is waving the white flag and saying, "Jesus, I'm done calling my own shots. I'm following You." The Bible calls this repentance, which simply means to change your mind.

Secondly, trust Jesus. To have faith is to trust. Think about it like this. When you board an airplane, you may not understand how the plane works, and you may never see the pilot. Still, you trust the pilot to get you where you need to go. Take that same trust and place it in Jesus.

Real faith is more than agreeing with the facts about Jesus. It starts in your head, but it goes to your heart. It means putting your whole weight on Jesus and trusting Him to save you. The Bible puts it this way:

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9, NIV)

Notice the words "you will be saved." It is a promise, not a probability!

Thirdly, receive Him. Salvation is a gift, and you do not pay for a gift. You simply receive it. That is what it means to accept Jesus. John tells us, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12, NIV).

God will never force His gift on you. The question is not, "Does God want me in His family?" The question is, "Do you want to be in His family?" The moment you believe in and receive Jesus, you become a child of God, no matter who you are or what you have done. If you are wondering whether God can forgive you after everything you have done, the answer is yes.

You do not need a big faith to take the first step

Do you want to believe, but still have doubts? You might be afraid that your faith is too small to count.

I love the prayer of a father who brought his son to Jesus for help. He said, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24, NIV). Jesus did not turn that father away. He helped him.

Your faith does not have to be faultless, fearless, or famous. It just has to be genuine.

Think back to that airplane. Picture two people on the same flight. One is relaxed, and the other is nervous the whole way, but both land in the same place because both got on the plane. So do not put your faith in your faith. Put it in Jesus, the One who has the power to save you.

And do not wait until you feel completely ready, because to not decide is to decide. If you never answer an invitation to a party, you still miss the party. Jesus is still inviting you, and it is the greatest invitation you will ever receive.

You can pray something like this today

The words of a prayer are not what save you. It is your heart believing in Jesus that saves you. But prayer is a simple way to tell God you are trusting Him, and you can pray it quietly in your heart.

If you are ready to say yes to Jesus, you could pray something like this:

Lord Jesus, I come to You admitting that I have sinned and fallen short. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins and rising again. Right now, I trust You, and I give You my life. I am turning from my old life, and I choose to follow You as my Savior and my Lord. Come into my life and change me. Thank You for inviting me into Your family. Amen.

If you just prayed that prayer as a way of placing your faith in Jesus, you are now a child of God. Welcome to the family!

Jesus said that "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10, NIV). Heaven is celebrating you right now, and so are we. We would love to pray for you and cheer you on, so please tell us you prayed this prayer.

Your first steps as a new follower of Jesus

Becoming a Christian happens in a moment, but following Jesus lasts the rest of your life. To follow Jesus means to learn from Him and live with Him, so that over time you begin to live like Him. Here is how to start.

Read God's word. The Bible is how you learn from Jesus, and it is where He speaks to you.

Talk with God. The moment you trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you, so you can talk with God anytime. Be honest with Him, because being candid with God creates closeness to Him.

Find a church family. It is vital that you join a Christ-centered, Bible-believing church so you can keep growing in your new faith. Read why followers of Jesus still need the church.

Get baptized. Baptism is simply an outward expression of an inward confession. It is how you go public with your faith in Jesus, and it is your next step after you believe.

And expect some bumps in the road. Everyone who follows Jesus fails, but He does not leave you behind. He forgives you and puts you back on the right road. I have never met anyone who began following Jesus and regretted it years later.

Today, you can say yes to Jesus and take your first step in following Him.

Daily Practice: Start reading the Gospel of Mark, the shortest of the four Gospels, one chapter a day. Before each chapter, ask Jesus to help you get to know Him better.