“How did you become a Christian (in words/terms understandable to an unbeliever)?”
I was bought up in a Christain home so understood basically what it was to be a Christian. But there were a lot of things I did not understand. In my late teens I had a dream that if I did not go to church I would end up in hell. It scared me enough to get me out to church, and I became a Christian during the service.
After years of slow growth, I feel I have a much better grasp of what it is to be a Christain.
God offers salvation to all people, and gives His good will to all, but our response to the message will determine if we have salvation. The person who loves sin more than what God reveals, will remain blind to the truth. The person who is willing to lay down their own self interest and follow God's way, will be shown the way of life. God through Jesus has provided a way for us to be forgiven of our sins. By putting our trust in Jesus and being willing to go his way our sins will be forgiven.
To explain in more detail I have cut and pasted from my book at
The Way and Free Will
An attitude of repentance
How is one saved? Although the cross is where salvation is found, and faith in it. I believe we must have an attitude of repentance to be saved. To clarify repentance is a change of direction, when exposed to God’s grace we have a change of mind. We all need this change for we are all born in sin. None of us have earned through right deeds our salvation.
What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE; (NKJV, Romans 3:9-10)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV, Ephesians 2:8-9)
But there is a principal that as God reveals His truth, the direction we take in response to it determines our salvation. Although we may fail to respond at times, may not act in a Godly way, and God needs to remind us of the need to go His way.
Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life (NKJV, Job 33-29-30).
There is still a general need for love for the brethren and obedience to God (1 John 3:7, 1John 3:14). We will discuss how this works. The Bible reveals, one will not even come to the cross if they have no desire for repentance if they have a nature disposed to loving evil, they hate the light. Jesus showed in John 3 the difference between a person whose deeds were evil and one who when seeing God’s mercy was willing to change their direction. We were all sinners to some degree before coming to Christ, so this is not so much talking about a legalistic keeping of God’s word to earn salvation, but a heart when seeing God’s goodness has the desire to go God’s way. Conversely, the one who desires their sins wishes to suppress the knowledge God gives so they can continue in sin. We see the person lacking repentance here:
And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. (NKJV, John 3:19-20)
And one who is trying to do right.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (NKJV, John 3:21)
We are not saying a person must be righteous before coming to Christ. In the passage of the thief on the cross, a man who had lived his whole life in sin, we see it is an attitude of repentance (desiring to go God’s way), not our past works, that leads to salvation. When he saw his sinfulness, it moved him to seek God’s forgiveness.
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (NKJV, Luke 23:39-43)
In the above passage, one man only cared about himself, the other was remorseful saying “Do you not even fear God”, it was this act of genuine remorse before God that resulted in life. We should not second guess is our repentance genuine, God is very gracious to the one who comes to Him, gracious and willing to forgive (Exodus 34:6, Psalms 103:8), and beside all this, it is Him who ultimately gives us power to follow His ways.
then He adds, “THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” (NKJV, Hebrews 10:17)
He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. (NKJV, Isaiah 40:29)
So what is the distinction between the righteous, and sinner? We see from scripture God will not give the Holy Spirit to the one who has no desire to change, who does not even try, who goes on in lawless, for even with the Spirit he will not keep God’s decree. He will not seek forgiveness for he will purposefully keep on sinning. So God only gives the Holy Spirit to the one willing to follow Him, the one willing to accept His gracious forgiveness, and walk in God’s love and light.
Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. (NKJV, John 14:22-24)
So what does God require of us? Although none of us will be perfectly sinless, and in our life we will often need forgiveness as we grow to know God better.
Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. (NKJV, Matthew 18:21-22)
After we receive salvation, one must maintain an attitude of continually walking God’s way. Denying the flesh. Putting off our sins.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (NKJV, Romans 8:13)
Although it is true that none of us are saved by our perfect deeds, it is the cross that gives us oneness with God and we certainly should not set aside the grace of God and suddenly work our way to salvation (Galatians 2: 21). We should as we grow have fruits birthed by God’s Spirit, that display a patience continuance in doing good. For God:
...“WILL RENDER TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. (NKJV, Romans 2:6-11)
If we choose rather to follow the flesh, giving no heed to God’s word, not even trying, the Christian if they bear weeds can fall away according to Hebrews 6.
For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. (NKJV, Hebrews 6:7-8)
So walking in obedience is very important. We should have an attitude of working out our salvation with fear and trembling (NKJV, Philippians 2:12), not taking license to sin (Romans 6: 1-2, Galatians 5:13). Having a heart quick to turn to God, even in our failings and weaknesses, a heart genuinely toward God. For although, “There is not a just man on earth who does not sin” (NKJV, Ecclesiastes 7:20), and God will forgive us if we fall (1 John 1:9). We should remain with our face toward God, cleansing our hearts and hands (James 4:8) not being double minded, by doing this we will overcome.
A heart toward God is very important, one willing to acknowledge His goodness to us (Psalm 107). So why did Jesus tell His disciples to keep His commandments, He was showing them, as people already exposed to His word and grace, an attitude of repentance and obedience was needed for Salvation (Matthew 5:19). It was not that you do 10 good deeds to earn salvation, none of us can boast on deeds good enough to save, but rather maintaining an attitude of going God’s way, doing our best to walk in His light, results in revelation, for God gives light to those who seek it.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— (NKJV, John 14:15)
