... anyone who believes in me will have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:15b-16)
God has offered us a free gift. This gift is an expression of his great love for us!
This gift is eternal life PLUS abundant life here on earth!
The Bible says:
... being saved is a gift; if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn't be free--but it is! (Rom 4:4b)
and Jesus said :
Why do we need Jesus? Who says that I'm sinful?
Many people say that some people are good and others are bad, but when you compare us to God, we can see that we are not as pure and good as he is. This is our Sin, our imperfection when compared to God. We are not perfect when compared to God.
The Bible says:
Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious ideal; (Rom 3:23)
How do we receive this free gift? What is required to become a Christian?
This free gift just needs to be accepted by us. God really loves us and so he sent Jesus to die on the cross to take away our sins. God does all of the work of saving us from our sins, Jesus died on the cross to take them away.
Many people begin their new life with God by praying a simple prayer. All you need to do is to talk to God. Ask God to forgive you and tell God that you believe in Jesus and His death on the cross for your sins. Ask God to make you a new creature and to give you opportunities for growth in this new spiritiual life and to lead you in his ways. Ask God to help you to grow to be like him. You must make a commitment to God, to trust him with your life and allow him to work in and through you. You must "sign over" your life to him.
What is required to continue being a Christian?
There are no dues or membership requirements to an organization in order to be a Christian. Once you have made the committment to God, you should continue in it. It isn't easy being a Christian, but God will be with you through all your hardships. Your life in Christ shows in your "fruits," the things that you do. You must allow God's spirit to work in and through you. Some things that a new Christian should do:
1) Start reading the Bible: Start in the Gospel of Matthew or John in the new testament. Pick a time every day to read and pray in quiet.
2) Become a part of a local Church. Attend church regularly. Find a church where they teach from the Bible and believe that Jesus is the way to being a Christian (not all churches do!)
3) Find some other Christians to spend time with, people you can ask questions about being a Christian.
