Have you ever felt the touch of passion and love from God in your life? When you express your faith in Jesus Christ and love the people around you and love Jesus as your Lord and Savior, it means you are entering life as a Christian through the faith you have. Of course, faith is a very important thing in your life. For example, faith is like a belief you have in someone piggybacking you at over 100 km/h in a two-way lane and you almost got into an accident. However, faith is not as scary as the picture. Therefore, if you have chosen to become a Catholic and you don't know what to do, this article can provide insight that can lead you to a new life in living the love of Christ.
Becoming a Christian is not difficult because you do not need any special rituals and ceremonies. In most Protestant Christian churches, Baptism becomes a symbol that a person has changed and repented to God and is grateful for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is grateful for the penance given. In the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, the Sacrament is a sign used to declare that someone has become part of the Church and for that, you need spiritual guidance (eg confirmation from a priest) from that Church. The beginning of this new birth will lead to a self-development in serving others and living in Christ.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Becoming a Christian
Step 1. Realize that you need Jesus
Look again at the 10 Commandments. Then ask, have you lied? Have you blasphemed God? Do you steal (even small things)? Have bad thoughts or lust when you see someone? In the Christian sense, we are born into the world with original sin, and act like sinners in our lives, even after we accept Jesus in our lives. As Jesus said, “Everyone who looks at a woman and desires her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28). He who hates his brother is a murderer, and no murderer has eternal life in him (1 John 3:15). You must appear before God on the day of judgment to account for your sins. If you die in sin, then Allah will throw you into Hell, which is your second death, because you disobeyed His commandments.
- Realize, too, that God has sent Jesus to give Himself on the cross; If you believe, receive the Holy Spirit in your heart and repent for your sins, then you will be saved from your sins. However, you still need to serve others as you serve God.
- As the Son of Man, Jesus said, “Father, if you will, take this cup from me – but not for my sake, but your will be done.” Jesus gave himself as a sacrifice so that you could turn back., regret your sins and change your life. “Therefore wake up and repent, that your sins may be blotted out, so that the Lord may bring dispensation” (Acts 3:19)
Step 2. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins
Believe also that Jesus died and rose again from the dead to atone for your sins and make you worthy of God.
Step 3. Express your repentance to God
Express your regret for having distanced yourself from His holiness. This is a good time to admit your failure and disobedience to God. Believe that Jesus Christ forgives you. In addition, repentance always manifests in a change of life; You turn from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ.
Step 4. Express your belief in God
In particular, express your spiritual need and your awareness that Jesus is God and Redeemer.
Step 5. Find out as much information as possible about the Christian community
Learn about Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Nondenominational, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Mormon and others. This is important so that you are able to see which fellowship is closest to the teachings of Christ, based on His Word in the Scriptures.
Method 2 of 3: Growth and Obedience
Step 1. Seek Christian fellowship and establish relationships with other Christians
We cannot walk alone in this life. It is very important for a Christian to find a Christian community that can help you and encourage you to a new and continuing faith in God.
Step 2. Ask to be baptized
Baptism is a sign of acceptance of a person in the fellowship of Christ. This is not something you have to do to get redemption; it is an expression, sign or symbol of God's Work in your life. This can be seen as a self-expression of having partaked in Christ, in His death and resurrection in your heart. This is also a sign for other congregations. Baptism is described by the Apostle Paul as: ““We have been joined to Jesus through baptism to share in his death; and then raised from the dead by the victory of the Father. Therefore, it is fitting for us to walk in a new life.””
Step 3. Continue the journey of your life
After you receive Christ through receiving the Holy Spirit within you, follow Him in your life by praying, reading the Scriptures, and imitating the life of Christ.
Step 4. Love Jesus and love others with the love Jesus gives you
This indicates a change in your heart. In addition, loving others is an important aspect of the Christian life.
Step 5. Be honest with God and with Jesus
Repent for all your actions, thoughts and views sincerely, then accept God's love and plans, so that you are saved by His Grace. It's totally wrong if you don't confess, repent and be saved because if you say “no” to it, you will be thrown into Hell (and nobody wants that).
Step 6. Be amazed when you can understand what is written at Ephesians 2:8-10:
""8. For "by grace" you are saved, "by faith"--
And it's not “the result of your work”, but a “gift of God”--
9. It is not “your work”, so let no one boast.
10. Because we are made by Allah
"created" in Christ Jesus "to do good works",
which God prepared in advance. (Ephesians 2:8--10) Therefore, if you are saved, live to do for others, according to God's Law of Love…
Step 7. Read the Scriptures as often as possible
Then you will begin to understand what you must do to walk with God. To become a Christian, you must grow in Christ:
- You need the gospel: the “good news” of Jesus Christ, who was willing to be punished for you, even though you had disobeyed His commandments, and had paid for your sins. Redemption is not what you get, but it is given through the Grace of God. He gave us redemption and faith in His Son, that we might be saved from Hell.
- “Believe in the main teachings” about the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus
- “Repent” for all your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your God and Redeemer.
Step 8. Receive “gifts from God to you” on your walk with Christ:
“By grace you are saved by faith; it is not the result of your efforts, but a gift from God. It wasn't your work, so no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Method 3 of 3: Two Simple Keys
Step 1. Understand things about Jesus and believe that He died and rose from the dead as your Saviour and then pray for your repentance, true repentance to God, as the following prayer:
“God the Father, I turn from my sins, from all my wrongdoings; I want to change, and I'm really grateful for everything You've done for me and because You've forgiven me and saved me from all my sins -- as a free grace, and You gave me new life.. Thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit which I receive in Jesus name.””
Step 2. Walk in love, follow Jesus and tell others that “There is an intermediary for us, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is God and the Redeemer of all who believe in Him
Repent and follow Him and of course, you must follow Him -- and walk in the Spirit:"
Following Jesus Christ also includes attending congregational meetings who believe in Him, willing to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as a sign of acceptance of a new life, as well as praying to God, reading the Bible, and showing God's love through kindness, forgiveness. others, create peace, have faith, and establish good relationships with other congregations” (don't just live in your prejudices; don't judge others harshly, and don't judge yourself either; live and walk in the Spirit of Christ, who is the Spirit of God, in faith, hope and love. Thus, live in the Spirit and no one can keep you from the hand of Jesus and the hand of the Father; safe, secure.) "But, if you (even just in your mind) sin, and You expect the consequences for that, ask for redemption (so that there is forgiven), and you can continue to live as the Son of God, in the name of Jesus-united with Al lah, the true judge of all things good and evil. God's love is perfect and dispels all fear."
Tips
- Understand the differences between different churches, such as Orthodox and Protestant.
- For all true Christians, Christianity is not just a religion that worships the Divine; it is a personal relationship with Jesus, the Mediator between God and man, as well as with the Holy Spirit, who is your companion and supporter in Christ (as Jesus promised that He would never leave you).
- Remember that God will always be there for you. You can talk to Him at any time through prayer.
- Remember that Allah always loves you, no matter what.
- Don't swear on something that doesn't matter (example: it doesn't matter)
- God cannot lie and do wrong. Never think that God did something wrong or did something wrong. He always knows what He is doing, and His plans for your life are always good and you can do, if you always walk straight and on the path that God has given you.
- You will realize that talking to fellow Christians is very important. Find someone you respect for their integrity and knowledge as a Christian.
- Read on and you will be confirmed by examples of God's work in the lives of people who have become Christians and have received miracles and healings – and believe what God can do in your life.
- If someone says something that hurts your feelings, don't reply. This is because Jesus himself had been accused of guilt (though He never did because He was holy), He neither retaliated nor got angry. Follow His example.
- Remember that it is not just a prayer. After your conversion, you will receive the Holy Spirit and the strength to imitate the life of Christ.
- In addition, God created you to be happy in your life. Do not blame Christianity for the various moral rules in life that make you miss various kinds of pleasures in life, which often lead to sin. Accept God as the source of great joy; and let that be your concern. It is God who will be glorified later when you can feel satisfied with everything that God has given you. He created us so that we understand, love and serve Him (“Whatever you do for this little child, you do it for Me,” said Jesus) and to rejoice in Him (and share His purpose) in life today. and the life to come.
- Don't just get hung up on writings about religion. Even if you think that reading about religion-related things will help you understand it, it turns out that this is only the first step. You can find God by following His ways. Jesus once said that people should follow him and “I and my Father will come to you and live with you.”
- The more often you receive "Holy Communion" -- as a gift from Christ to all mankind who loves Him -- the more often you will remember Jesus Christ giving His body and blood as bread and wine at the "Divine Supper."
- Don't waste your life. We only have one chance in this life to make “life in Christ” the goal of everything we do in life. *Realize that when you become a true Christian, you will have a new understanding of God.
- Once you have repented of all your sins and turned to God, you must hate the sins you previously committed.
- God will give you a new heart with a new desire when He puts the Holy Spirit in your life.
- When you read the Bible, understand it is not just an ordinary reading book.
- Pretending to read just to look good and thinking you've done a good job is not the point of reading the Bible.
- Simply put, understand only one short passage or verse. You can also try to read and understand the verse as much as you can understand, but don't let you feel too bored with it.
- As you read the Scriptures, you will begin to realize how important it is to know who Jesus was and the things He did.
- In addition, understanding the events of His death and resurrection will also be very useful for you.
- After that, you will also find it interesting to read about the holiness of Jesus, who was completely sinless. His unjust judgment and resurrection from the dead has turned into a redemption for those who believe in Him.
- The Bible shows that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In other words, each and every one must have sinned.
- Saint Paul's letter to the Romans in verse 6:23 also states that "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Because God loves you, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem you, by His death. Jesus Christ has been willing to take responsibility and atone for everything that you have done (which is a huge sin debt) so that we can continue living to be able to draw closer to God in prayer and establish a personal relationship with God, lifted and changed by His love deep to become His beloved child. His love is perfect and never ending. There is also the Holy Spirit living in you and His blood flowing in your veins and making you a son of the King. You are no longer just walking with Him, but walking in Him through your faith and His grace – so then you are allowed to serve Him (by loving others, and witnessing for Him).
- The Bible also lists the various redemptive works of God in the world.
- The Bible in Protestant Christianity contains 66 books which are divided into two categories, namely the Old Testament and the New Testament. Meanwhile, the Catholic Bible contains 73 books and the Eastern Orthodox Church Scriptures have a different number of books.
- The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels (“The Good News”) because they present a gospel that can lead you to new life in Jesus Christ.
- The Gospel of John is generally considered to be an appropriate gospel for beginning to understand the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Warning
- If you feel that you need a change in your life, want to be free from all the pressures of sin and want to learn to live a better life without the burden of the past, you can go to the Catholic Church and look at the Bible in the Gospel of John verse 3:16 "Because God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. It means that God sent His Son, Jesus, to take the burden of our sins and set us free through our faith and belief in Him.
- There are various fellowships of Christians who have different approaches to His teachings. Therefore, look for Christian churches whose teachings come from the Scriptures and from the Early Church Fathers, not from their own interpretation of the teachings contained in the Scriptures (nor based on the teachings of a particular sect or congregation). Look for reading references based on the writings of the Scriptures for information about doctrines that interest you. In addition, study the writings on the early History of the Church (as in the Scriptures), as well as the history of Christianity.
- Although Christians experience all kinds of problems, you will also experience forgiveness, grace, healing and miracles, including the gift of Salvation and eternal life. Jesus himself had promised to help. Therefore, thank Allah for life and eternal hope in Him, and never give up in faith.
- Remember also that all humans are not perfect and full of sin. Therefore, if you sin, repent for your sins.
- You need to repent and make amends for the sins you have committed. Without true repentance, you cannot become a Christian. Confess your sins to Christ.
- Keep writing about your experiences with God in your daily life. For example, make a prayer log containing your prayers and the results of your prayers.
- Have faith in bearing witness of Christ. Every Christian is responsible for proclaiming the Gospel in word and deed. However, do this mission with gentleness and care. In this case, Jesus never preached what people wanted to hear. If so, of course He would not have been crucified. When you preach the Gospel, people may feel offended, but rest assured that if they are offended, it means that it was done incorrectly.
- Perhaps you are persuaded that by becoming a Christian: things will get better; your marriage will be harmonious; You will never get sick; all problems in life will be resolved and various other inducements, the reality is not so. Jesus himself also said that people hate him, so they will hate you too (Matthew 24:9). You may be insulted, laughed at and tortured. However, don't let that dampen your faith. Such a life will not last long and what will be rewarded for you is a happy life in Heaven.
- There are a lot of unbelievers today, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be friends with them. Instead, be an example to them; that's the behavior you should exhibit, as Jesus did. Even though Jesus sat and ate with sinners, He still taught and directed them to the holiness of life. In this life, we will stumble many times. Remember how high you too have fallen into sin! Therefore, forgive others as the Lord Jesus forgave you.
- The Book of Revelation is the last book in the Bible and it is a very interesting book to read. However, if you read this book without proper understanding, it can have a bad effect and can send the wrong message, as if it conveys horror instead of faith. First, make sure that you understand the context of the Bible you want to read before reading this rather complex book.
- You must be able to decide between accepting Jesus and becoming a Christian. In fact, not everyone who calls himself a Christian believes in the teachings of the Bible or what is in this article. There are also some people who do not believe in the divinity of Jesus, Hell and original sin. These people call themselves Christians as a form of belief in God, but deny the Truth about God. The most important thing in living life as a Christian is belief in the values of life as Jesus taught, and following the Main Law, namely the Law of Love. Of course Jesus taught to believe in God as Real, Powerful and Judge. Thus, living as Jesus taught as a Christian is the same as believing in God and believing in Jesus too…
- Don't do anything just to get a way to Heaven because people are saved not only by their own “acts” (Ephesians 2:9). Your proper actions are “just like a dirty rag that cannot reconcile your relationship with God” (Isaiah 64:6). It's like wanting to clean yourself with a dirty cloth…
