If you’ve come this far in your curiosity about heaven, perhaps you’re willing to go a little further. Perhaps this study has awakened in you a deeper realization that something is wrong with your life and it needs to be fixed. Becoming a follower of Christ or a “Christian” is the life-changing moment you’re looking for.
First, let’s clarify that Christianity is not a religion. It is a personal relationship with our Creator, God. It is man who has created burdensome rules and regulations that make the path to God seem like an unachievable task, but that is not reality. In fact, it is the exact opposite. God made another way to have a relationship with Him.
God is loving and doesn’t want anyone He created to die without knowing Him (2 Peter 3:9). He gives us free will to make the choice to love, hate, or just ignore Him. He is also holy and righteous. Our sinful nature prevents us from being in the presence of such perfection. Everyone falls short of His standard (Romans 3:23). It doesn’t matter the number of good or bad things we have done. The result of all sin is death and eternal separation from Him (Romans 5:8).
But the greatest “however” happened 2,000 years ago. We all deserve death for our mistakes (Romans 6:23). However, God did the inexplicable and made a path of forgiveness for us. God demonstrated His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us on a Roman cross even though Jesus didn’t do anything wrong (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Our sins were spiritually nailed to that cross (Colossians 2:14). Jesus paid the price once and for all, and for all of our mistakes.
It didn’t end there. It couldn’t end there. The death of God’s Son wasn’t enough. God then raised Jesus from the dead three days later (Acts 2:32). This supernatural act of resurrection meant that sin was defeated and that we could have victory too (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). We can be set free from the bondage to sin and no longer be condemned to die (Romans 8:1-2). Instead, we can live with God forever (John 3:16)! How is this possible, you might ask? How does this transfer to us?
There is an “if, then” that has now been made possible—a cause and effect created by the greatest act in human history. If we believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus in our hearts so that we joyfully proclaim it with our mouths, then we are saved for all eternity (Romans 10:9).
In other words, “becoming a Christian” is more than saying or reciting a prayer. Anyone can say or recite words. It is recognizing that our sins have offended God’s holiness, so we turn away from our sins and toward God (this is called repentance). We ask Him to save us because of what Jesus did for us. Praying to God for salvation, coupled with belief—which is called faith—produces a change in us that is reflected in our actions.
As mentioned at the top of this page, we are not saved by our good works, but these works are a demonstration, the proof that God has changed our hearts (Ephesians 2:8-10). We no longer live for ourselves and for personal gain (Galatians 2:20), but we live to love and serve God by serving others with the talents He has given us (1 Peter 4:8-10). We do our best to stop sinning, to change our mindset and stop all of those bad habits that fall short of God’s standards. This is called holiness.
So once we believe in God, it should change the way we live. To help us on this spiritual journey, God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide our daily living (Romans 8:9-11; Titus 3:5). He prays with us when we are praying to God and helps us make the right decisions (Romans 8:26-27).
If you have made the decision to wholeheartedly embrace Jesus Christ as Lord, it is important that you work on this new relationship with God. This means reading the Bible, praying, and spending time with other people who are also trying to grow in their knowledge of and love for the Lord. We have been blessed in this country that nearly every town has a strong, Bible-believing church where you can learn and grow. Please find one today!