Discipleship is a passion of mine. I love to come along side a new believer and walk through life helping them by giving them Jesus. Other than a baptism nothing brings more joy to my heart than watching the light bulb go off as a person “gets it” when they read a particular passage of scripture. However, before any of that takes place a person must be a Christian. One can never assume that someone is a Christian so I would like to go over this topic.

Some people will tell you that all you have to do is accept Jesus as your Savior. Well, I guess in the most technical sense that is true but it is really much more than that. I am not trying to scare anyone off but it’s kind of like saying all you have to do is buy a set of pans to be a cook. We all know there’s much more to cooking than a set of pans.

When we accept Christ as our Savior we are turning over control, total control, of our life. That includes the physical and the spiritual. We acknowledge that Christ is LORD over ALL facets of our life. We understand that we are forgiven of all our sins, past, present and future and are given eternal life through His sacrifice. This forgiveness and the gift of eternal life is not based on anything we have done or can do but simply on the grace of God. When we accept Christ as our Savior we are entering into a personal relationship with Him and to grow in this relationship requires effort just as any other relationship would.

The following information was taken in part from Pastor Richard Krejcir’s material at www.discipleshiptools.org and provides a very good summary of what God has done, not just for us but for humanity.

God created the universe and us.

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1, New King James Version)

³ Know that the LORD, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
(Psalm 100:3, New King James Version)

God loves us more than anyone can comprehend.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16, New King James Version)

⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9, New King James Version)

I think it’s important to note here the end of 1 John 4:9 – “. . .that we might live through Him.” This is where many of us struggle and yet God’s Word provides us with the tools and knowledge of how to do this.

God is perfect, holy and just. This is comforting and at the same time should make us bow in reverence to who He is.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, (Romans 1:18, New King James Version)

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, New King James Version)

We were created in God’s image. Can there be any higher complement than to be made in His image. Think about that for just a minute. Out of all things created, we are created to be like Him. Amazing!

²⁷ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:27, New King James Version)

He did not just create us as some kind of trophy to His power. He created us to be in relationship.

³ And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (RevelationAs applied to religious matters, it is the making known the previously unknown character, nature and precepts of God that can only be understood by those attributes being spoken by God through a prophet appointed by Him. 21:3, New King James Version)

What other King can you name that wishes to be with His people, that wants to be in relationship?

However, as sinful beings we turned from God and rebelled and because of our rebellionAn organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another. we are disciplined. God is our Father and just like any parent He must provide consequences to our actions in order to teach us the right way.

⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53:6, New King James Version)

The consequences of our sin and rebellionAn organized opposition to authority; a conflict in which one faction tries to wrest control from another. can be devastating.

²But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
(Isaiah 59:2, New King James Version)

Without the sacrifice of God’s only Son, Jesus, the penalty for our sin is death, physical and spiritual and eternal.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, New King James Version)

The good news is that we can have life eternal through Jesus. That is a prize worth running for, don’t you think?

There is nothing that we can do on our own to buy God’s favor, to repay God for His greatest Gift, or to even repair the relationship that we have ruined.

¹⁰ As it is written:

“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
¹¹ There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
¹² They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
¹³ “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
¹⁴ “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
¹⁵ “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ Destruction and misery are in their ways;
¹⁷ And the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸ “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

(Romans 3:10-18, New King James Version)

However, there is good news!
God became human and walked among us in order to restore us to Him. Because of this great deed we are able to be in relationship with Him and join Him when He returns for His people.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:14, New King James Version)

¹⁹ For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, ²⁰ and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
(Colossians 1:19-20, New King James Version)

Christ, who lived a sinless life was sacrificed on our behalf to take on the punishment of the world’s sin so that we could have reconciliation with God. Without this sacrifice we would be eternally doomed.

⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53:5-6, New King James Version)

⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8, New King James Version)

Death on the cross could not stop the plan of God. Christ rose from the dead showing us that we to can rise from the death we were born into and be raised up to eternal life with God.

³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, New King James Version)

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (Romans 6:5, New King James Version)

In light of what you have read here, if you are NOT a Christian, what must you do to receive this gift from God?

The first thing is to repent of your sin and commit to leading a life of righteousness, a life unlike the one you have been leading. See what He shall do for you.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:7, New King James Version)

¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: (John 1:12, New King James Version)

Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Enter into a loving relationship with Him and allow Him to transform you into a new and better person.

²⁰ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (RevelationAs applied to religious matters, it is the making known the previously unknown character, nature and precepts of God that can only be understood by those attributes being spoken by God through a prophet appointed by Him. 3:20, New King James Version)

Once you become a Christian it is important to profess your faith openly and begin your new relationships with other believers. Professing your faith includes the act of baptism. This act is symbolic of the death and resurrection of Christ from the grave.

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrinePrinciples, tenets, creeds or beliefs. Usually presented in some type of official form but also may not be stated in an organized manner. Doctrine is usually considered to be a systematic and carefully worked out principle or belief. and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:38-47, New King James Version)

This is the one thing in my Christian life that NEVER fails to bring tears to my eyes. There is nothing more beautiful than to see a new believe come up out of that water and understand that he or she is a member of God’s family. Out of all things other than my personal relationship with God, this is my favorite piece of Christian life.

If God has called you today to read this post then there is a reason. He does nothing in vain. Accept the Gift He has provided and enter into life everlasting.

Dear God, You are the most amazing God to provide us with a gift that cannot be purchased, earned or obtained by any means. You have chosen us from this world and given us the greates gift that one can receive, the gift of life everlasting with you. I ask that you would use this post to glorify your name and bring a sinner to salvation. I pray that you would touch the heart of the lost and use the words from your Word to move them to action. I thank you Lord for you faithfulness in my life and i pray that you will use this servant to be a blessing in the lives of others. Amen.