Becoming a Christian
The Bible teaches us that:
1. We have all sinned by violating God's law.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23"
2. Because of our sin we are under the judgment of God.
"For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23
"And the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished." Nahum 1:3
3. God loves us and sent Jesus to take our punishment by dying on
the cross. He was buried in a tomb and rose from the dead
on the third day.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:16
"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles." I Corinthians 15:3-7(NASB)
4. There is nothing we can do to earn or deserve salvation from
sin's penalty. Salvation is a free gift of God's grace.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9
"For the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
5. Salvation comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"You believe that God is one? You do well; the demons also believe and shudder." James 2:19
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." Acts 16:31
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life." John 6:47
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior you can do that right now. God invites you to find forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Jesus His Son. If you are convinced that you're a sinner in need of the salvation that only Jesus can provide, and would like to put your complete trust in Him, have your sins forgiven, and know that you are going to heaven, simply express that desire to God through a prayer like the one below.
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and deserve to be punished for my sins. I believe that you came into the world, died on the cross for my sins, were buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. I receive you as my Savior by trusting in you alone for my salvation. Help me to love, serve, and obey you as I begin my new life in you. Thank you for your gift of salvation. Amen.
If you trusted Jesus as your Savior, the Bible says you are a new person in Christ and God's Holy Spirit now lives in you.
We want to encourage you to get in a good Bible believing church where you can grow in your relationship with Jesus and connect with others who love and serve Him. If you live in the greater Scranton area, we'd like to invite you to come and be a part of our church family. We would love to have you!
Also, if you have become a Christian through the information on this web page, would you let us know? We would love the opportunity to rejoice in what God has done in your life and pray for you as you begin your new life in Christ. Give us as much or as little information as you feel comfortable with. But at least let us know about your decision to follow Christ. Thank you.
