Step 1: Believe that God loves you and has a plan for you

The Bible states, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, (Jesus Christ), that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly"--a complete life full of purpose (John 10:10). It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what you have done, God knows and loves you.

Step 2: Acknowledge that you are a sinner and separated from God.

The Bible says that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). "Sinners" means that we have missed the standard God has set by what we say, think, and do. Since God is holy and cannot tolerate sin, our sin separates us from Him, bringing  about both physical and spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). It doesn't matter how good of a person any of us may be, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. 

Step 3: Believe that God sent His Son to die for your sins

Because of His great love for you, God sent His Son Jesus to die in our place for our sins. God's Word says that "God showed his love for us in this way, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8). The Bible says Christ took the penalty that we deserved for our sins, placed it upon Himself, and died in our place. Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead to prove that sin and death have been conquered and that His claims to be God and offer eternal life were true. 

Step 4: Accept Jesus' free gift of eternal life

In the days leading up to his death, Jesus proclaimed, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me" (John 14:6). Jesus is the only way to have peace with God. We cannot earn our salvation by doing good works or by believing in anyone else, salvation comes only through trusting in what Jesus has done for us. 

To accept Jesus' free gift of salvation, you have to believe that you are a sinner in need of a savior, that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross in our place for our sins, that he rose again, and you are trusting in Jesus and Him alone for your salvation. You can pray this prayer right now and receive forgiveness of your sins and the eternal life Jesus offers.

"Dear God, I know I am a sinner, and I ask your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that you raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow His as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen"

If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, we would love to be able to celebrate with you and to give you some resources to help you learn more about God and help you grow in your relationship with him. Click here for a 5-day devotional that gives you five steps to grow as a new Christian.

If you have any questions about what it means to be a follower of Jesus or would like to let us know that you have decided to believe in Jesus, email us at gbc@gracebiblepa.com. It would be great to hear from you!