- Realize that you have sinned.
No matter how good a life we try to live, it does not deal with all the wrong things we do. We all fall miserably short of being a good person because we are all sinners. We all fall short of God’s desire for us to be holy. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10 NKJV). The Bible also says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:21 NKJV). This is because we cannot become who we are supposed to be without Jesus Christ.
- Recognize that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.
The Bible tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NKJV). This is the Good News, that God, who created us, loves us so much, that He sent His only Son to die in our place when we least deserved it. Jesus received the punishment that we deserve. He did not, however, remain dead! He rose from the dead and is alive today…He can be trusted!
- One must hear the Word of God.
The Bible says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17 NKJV).
- One must believe in the Gospel of Christ.
Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 16:16). "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24 NKJV). "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 NKJV).
- One must repent of their sins.
Jesus said, "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3 NKJV). The Bible tells us, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30 NKJV).
- One must confess that Christ is the Son of God.
Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32-33 NKJV). The Bible tells us: Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37 NKJV). The apostle Paul wrote, "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:10 NKJV).
- One must be baptized by immersion for the remission of sins.
"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'" (Acts 2:38 NKJV). The apostle Paul said, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:1-6 NKJV). The Bible says, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27 NKJV). "For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 NKJV). The Bible also tells us, "who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:20-21 NKJV).
If you would like to receive a Bible correspondence course by mail or speak with our minister in person let us know, and someone will respond as soon as possible. Email your request to coc16th@aol.com. We salute you in your decision to follow the more excellent way of Jesus Christ. Always know that God is within your reach.
To put your faith into action, and grow in your relationship with God, here are some important first steps:
- 1. Read the Bible Daily
- 2. Pray to God Regularly
- 3. Go to Church
- 4. Tell others about what Jesus Christ did for you