"I have hidden your Word in my heart" (Ps 119:11)
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How do I Become A Christian?
Finding Your Way to God
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Two distinct feelings can surface when we are lost. First is the feeling of hopelessness that comes when you don’t have a clue which way to turn. Who hasn’t felt that way in an
unfamiliar city or neighborhood? You know your destination is reachable, but you know you’ll never make it without help.
The second feeling is frustration. You ask someone for help, follow their directions, and after many twists and turns realize they gave you misleading information. You trusted
their guidance, but with a frustrating result: you were still lost.
There are many people today who feel both hopeless and frustrated in their search for God. Not only do they not know how to find Him on their own, they’re overwhelmed by the directions
they’ve been given (many of which seem to point in opposite directions).
Spiritual hopelessness and frustration are symptoms of being lost, and it is just as possible to be lost spiritually as it is to be lost geographically. To find our way spiritually
we need to turn to the directions that have helped millions of people reach their destination for many centuries: the Bible. God caused the Bible to be written to preserve a permanent
record of how to find Him and walk through life with Him.
Before looking at what the Bible says about finding God, here’s an important truth to remember: we don’t find God; He finds us. It’s as if you traveled to an unfamiliar neighborhood
to visit a friend, and the friend got worried when you didn’t arrive and went out searching for you. You didn’t find your friend; your friend found you. Jesus told a number of
stories in Luke 15 that illustrate this truth. His words in Luke 19:10 say it best: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
If you feel lost when it comes to knowing God—hopeless, frustrated, or otherwise—it’s probably because God is looking for you. He sends His Holy Spirit into the world to awaken
the hearts of people so they will come to see what He sees—that they are, in fact, lost (John 16:7-11). Without a knowledge of the bad news that we’re lost, the good news that
we can be found isn’t nearly as valuable!
The Bible records an interesting conversation between Jesus and a Jewish leader who sensed he was lost. Nicodemus knew there was something unique and divine about Jesus, and he
needed directions to the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told Nicodemus he could only get there by being born again—experiencing a spiritual birth just as he had once experienced a physical
birth. Reading Nicodemus’ story is a good illustration of one’s man feeling of “lostness.” Jesus’ answers to him will serve as directions for you as well (John 3:1-16).
Here are four landmarks that every person seeking God will ultimately encounter:
1. God loves us and desires good things for us:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11; see also John
10:10)
2. We are lost because of our sin. It keeps us separated from God.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23; see also Romans 6:23a)
3. God has provided a path for forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
For 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; see also Romans 5:8)
4. We must receive the free gifts of forgiveness and eternal life offered to us through Christ.
. . . but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 6:23b; see also Ephesians 2:8-9)
How do we receive God’s gifts of forgiveness and eternal life? We receive His gifts just as we would receive a gift from a good friend. We reach out for it . . . we embrace it
. . . we say “thank you” . . . and we put it to use with gratitude.
In addition, there is one condition for receiving God’s gifts: faith. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must
believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” We exercise faith in God by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior of our life. John 1:12 says, “Yet to
all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
How do we express our faith in God? Prayer is the simplest way. You can find God through accepting Christ by praying a prayer as simple as this:
“Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die and pay the penalty for my sins. I accept your gifts of forgiveness and eternal life by believing in Christ as my Lord and
Savior. Please help me to live a life that is pleasing to you in every way. Amen.”
If knowing God is the sincere desire of your heart, then He has heard and answered your prayer (1 John 5:14-15). And several things have happened:
- Christ now lives in you (Colossians 1:27)
- Your sins are forgiven (Colossians 1:14)
- You have become a child of God (John 1:12)
- You have received eternal life (John 5:24)
- And you have been born again as a new spiritual person and entered in a new life (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Hebrews 11:6)
Continuing Your Journey with God
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him” (Colossians 2:16)
By putting your trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you have made the most important decision of your life. Not only have you been saved from the eternal consequences of
your sins, you have also been given the gift of eternal life and membership in God’s “forever family.” And, here on earth, you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who
has come to live within you to guide and comfort you in your Christian life. Through the Holy Spirit, Christ is alive in you each day (Galatians 2:20).
Your acceptance of Christ is not the end of your journey to faith—it is the beginning of your journey of faith! You will begin to look at life through faith-colored glasses, seeing
the hand of God at work in and around you every day. Life will be a privilege and responsibility, a means for glorifying God as you learn to please Him in all things. And you
will discover that what glorifies Him most is also best for you. Life becomes a win-win situation with Christ—God is glorified and you are loved, protected, and directed.
Just as your life before knowing Christ had characteristics, your new life with Christ will take on characteristics as well. Prayer, Bible study, worship, service, fellowship
with other Christians— these and more will become important parts of your walk with Him. The verses below, arranged under topical headings, would be good ones to look up and meditate
on in the days ahead.
Again, welcome to the family of God! Remember that the Christian life is not about religion, rules, and regulations, but a relationship with Jesus Christ. Pursue Him as you would
your dearest friend. Talk to Him, read His Word, invite Him to go with you and to guide you in every situation. And depend on His forgiveness when you fail.
Today really is the first day of the rest of your new life! May you sense God’s love, and our love, as you begin your journey as a follower of Jesus.
1. Spend time daily listening to God (Bible study)
Deuteronomy 17:19, Proverbs 2:1-6, Joshua 1:8, Romans 10:17, Psalm 119:9, 11
2. Spend time daily talking to God (prayer)
Mathew 7:7,8, James 1:5, John 15:7, James 4:3, John 16:24, 1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:6,7, 1 John 5:14,15
3. Meditate on the grace of God (grace is receiving what we don’t deserve)
John 1:14, Ephesians 2:8, 9, Romans 8:1-2, Titus 2:11, 1 Corinthians 1:4, James 4:6
4. Depend on God daily for guidance through the Holy Spirit
Psalm 32:8, Romans 12:1-2, Proverbs 3:5,6, Ephesians 4:30, Jeremiah 29:13, Ephesians 5:18, John 15:5-17, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Romans 8
5. Believe that God will never leave you and is at work even in times of trouble or sorrow to give you victory in Christ.
Psalm 119:67, 71, 75, Romans 5:3-5, Hebrews 13:5, Rom 8:28, 1 Thessalonians 5:24, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 12:6-10, James 1:2-4
6. Surround yourself with a group of like-minded believers in Christ (a church home and a Bible study group).
Matt 28:18-20, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, Mark 3:14, Ephesians 1:22, Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:11-16, 1 Corinthians 12, 14
Nancy McGuirk
Bible Commentator - Author
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