Are you struggling with feelings of loneliness? I’ve been there too, and it’s no walk in the park. Those feelings can leave you feeling empty and unsure of how you fit into this world.
Have you ever felt lost? Well, I hope to offer you some respite here and some comfort by giving you some insight into what it means to be a Christian. What it means to belong, to have purpose, and to be so extraordinarily loved.
If you’ve been wondering how do you become a born again Christian, keep reading.
Here it is in as few words as possible to make Christianity super duper simple:
God created you and loved you so much, that when creation went against what He wanted for us, He sent His only Son to Earth to pay the penalty of your mistakes so that you could spend eternity with Him so long as you accept his free gift of salvation.
After reading this post, you’ll learn the basics of what Christians believe and how to become a born again Christian which will allow you to begin your journey of faith and feel relieved to not do life on your own anymore.
Note: I’ve included Bible verse references in case you want to read where these ideas come from. There are many different versions of the Bible, each with small differences in some wording.
I read from the English Standard Version (ESV) because I find it to be easy to read. There are no “thou” type words in the ESV version. If you don’t have a Bible, you can get the YouVersion Bible app.
This post may contain affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.
How to Become a Born Again Christian
Think about the very best gift you’ve ever received. Really think. What was it? Now imagine that gift on steroids multiplied by 796,358,762!
Not even that crazy amazing gift compares to a gift that’s waiting for you! God has something that’s totally free to you, but its value and meaning is beyond measure. (Romans 6:23)
Curious what it is?! Yeah, I was too! Not only were you fearfully and wonderfully made, not only are you wholly loved for who you are, but you are offered to spend forever with God in the most incredible place out there.
You are offered to spend eternity in heaven, even though you’ve done some not-so-great things in your life. I’m talking about the gift of salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 John 5:11, Romans 5:8)
The thing is, you don’t deserve this coveted spot next to God after you die, but He offers it to you anyway because He loves you SO MUCH that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to take the blame for your mess-ups. Jesus did that by dying on the cross for you. (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 3:18)
Now, there’s a lot of detail to this, and you can find it by reading any of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John in the bible. But I want to keep it super simple for you.
Admit You Have Sinned
You were born a sinner. I know that seems harsh, but it’s true. Way back, sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, and it’s been in the world ever since.
The first part of becoming a Christian is to acknowledge that you sin. You’re not God- of course you sin! It’s just in our nature. You don’t have to feel shame about this fact.
Believe that Jesus is Lord and God’s Only Son Who Died on a Cross for You
The second “step” to becoming a Christian is believing in who Jesus is.
Jesus is the only Son of God, who God sent down from heaven to become a man to take the punishment for all sin.
It sounds crazy, honestly. That Jesus would be willing to come to this sin-ridden earth to live and be treated poorly by leaders of His day, all to take the punishment that should have been mine and yours.
When I say “take the punishment” I mean that he was crucified on a cross to take the blame for our sins.
Put simply, to become a Christian, you have to believe in God and Jesus- who they are and what Jesus did on the cross.
Commit that You Will Live for Jesus and Serve Others
The last part of becoming a Christian is deciding that you’ll live a life that honors God.
After all, our greatest commandment is to love God and love others.
The decision to become a Christian is a lifelong decision. The Christian life is active, not passive. You’ll always be working to live a life that honors God.
You’ll be regularly praying and reading the bible, and choosing to act in a way that aligns with what’s in the Bible.
Read Romans 10:9 and John 3:16-18 to see these three aspects of salvation straight from the Bible.
| Related Reading: How to Stop Finding Your Identity in Other Things and Discover Your Identity in Christ
Example of a Salvation Prayer
The specific words you say when you pray for salvation don’t matter. Please know that. There are no magic words that you can say to become saved. Say what’s honest and on your heart.
I do want to provide you with an example of what you COULD say. So here it is:
“God, thank you for who you are. I believe you’re God and that Jesus came to earth to die for my sins. I’m sorry for all of the sins I’ve committed and will commit in the future. I’m a sinner and I know it. Please save me from my sins. I want to be a child of God. I want to live for you. Amen.”
How to Live Your Life for Jesus: What to do after Accepting Christ
If you’ve just said a prayer like the one above, yay! Congratulations, that’s such an incredible thing!
But… you’re work isn’t done. You now get to live the life of a Christian. How do you become a born again Christian? Let’s touch on some of the things you can do right after accepting Christ that will further your faith and get you started on the right path.
Tell a Fellow Believer
Numero uno is to let someone know that you just decided to become a Christian!
Fellow Christians LOVE to hear that news! And you’re just a baby in your Christian walk so this person can be really instrumental in helping you move forward.
Identify your Tendencies Toward Sin
Like I said before, we are all sinners! We all have sinful desires and tendencies and struggles that we can and will get caught up in, even after we decide to become a Christian.
Becoming a born again Christian doesn’t mean you won’t be affected by your previous struggles and sinful desires.
I’m still drawn toward sinful behavior, and you’ll find that you will be too. I still battle anxiety and struggle to trust God fully.
| Related Reading: Christianity and Anxiety: 5 Things the Bible Says about Anxiety
It’s helpful to know what they are so you can do something about it- maybe avoid certain people or places or things, or prepare for things beforehand so you’re not caught off guard.
As a Christian, you want to be honoring God and pleasing Him with your life (as we should want to after all He’s done for us!). So you should be actively turning away from sin in favor of better things.
It’s hard! Much easier said than done. But ideally, you feel a desire to live better!
Regularly Ask for Forgiveness
When I was a new Christian, I was really confused about asking for forgiveness. I kind of thought that since I did that once during my salvation prayer, that I was covered.
But I’ve learned that it’s so healthy for our faith to be continually asking for forgiveness for the ways we don’t honor God.
I do this every day during my time of prayer. This will strengthen your faith!
Serve Others
Matthew 22:37-39 says this:
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
“This is the great and first commandment.
“And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Our two biggest requests from God are to love God and love others.
And along with loving others comes serving others. Part of the Christian walk is serving others. It can be such a joy! You can serve through your church or out in the world on your own.
This can look like comforting a friend through a hard time, driving your family member to a doctor’s appointment, offering to tutor your sibling, or helping that old lady put groceries in her car.
And often, service comes most naturally when you think about it in terms of your gifts and talents. What are you good at? How can you use that for others?
Do Good Works
Service to others and doing good works are similar and go hand in hand.
I’ve already written about the common phrase: “Faith without works is dead” if you’re curious what that means.
Lean into doing good works for others! This will grow your faith exponentially!
Have a Forgiving Heart
After you become a Christian, you’re called to forgive others. (Ephesians 4:32)
This means gone are the days of holding grudges. You’re called to work on actively forgiving those that hurt you.
This is a seriously hard calling. Forgive the friend who said something hurtful, the parent who dropped the ball, and your kid who disrespected you. You have it in you!
You were forgiven. I was forgiven. Let’s lean into forgiving others. It feels a lot better to forgive and let go than to hold onto baggage.
Practice Gratitude for Your Blessings
Living the Christian life doesn’t mean things will automatically be easy or go your way. Some people have that misconception about Christianity. You’ll still have hard times.
| Related Reading: Tired of Life’s Pressure? How to Surrender to God
So it’s really helpful to bring some focus to what you have instead of what you don’t have or what you’re struggling with.
Gratitude can also make the harder parts of life more bearable. It’s more of a mindset and an active practice.
I write in a gratitude journal every single night. Even if I had a bad day, this practice helps me to frame my day according to the better things. This way, I don’t classify a day as bad, but instead, focus on highlighting something good from the day.
How do you become a born again Christian? Accept Christ and then work to develop your faith! Once you start doing that, you’ll hopefully find that you want to share your faith with others because of how it’s changed you.
This sharing can be a little scary or intimidating. I’ve written about exactly how to share your faith so you can feel confident doing that!
How to Grow Your Faith
The Christian life is active, not passive. You need to work to grow your faith once you decide to be a Christian. You can do a handful of things to grow your faith such as joining and attending church, reading your bible and using a devotional, and developing a healthy prayer life. Let’s dive into exactly how to grow your faith.
Join a Church to Find Community and Go Regularly
It’s soooo valuable to have a church you love. It’s key for helping you grow in your faith. You need quality people around you that are mature in their faith.
Get Baptized
Baptism is an important part of the Christian faith, and often, soon after you become a Christian, the natural next step is to get baptized.
What is baptism? It’s an inward display of your inward commitment to follow Jesus.
Here are some reasons why baptism is considered important in the Christian faith:
- It is an act of obedience to God. Jesus was baptized, and he commanded his disciples to do the same (Matthew 28:19-20). By being baptized, we are following in the footsteps of Jesus and showing our willingness to obey his teachings.
- It is a symbol of spiritual rebirth. Baptism is often seen as a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus, as well as our own spiritual rebirth as we are washed clean of our sins and enter into a new life with Christ. You are a new creation!
- It is a public declaration of faith. Baptism is a public ceremony that allows you to declare your faith and commitment to following Christ. It is a way of sharing your testimony with others and demonstrating your desire to live a life that is pleasing to God.
- It can be the beginning of your transition into becoming a member of a church. Baptism is often a “prerequisite” (if you will) for joining the membership of a church.
Baptism symbolizes our commitment to following Jesus and living a life that is pleasing to God. It can be scary because you have to go up in front of your whole church, but it’s so rewarding!
I got baptized a little “late” in my Christian life, but did it with my family, and it was such a beautiful experience to declare to the world that myself and my family were dedicating (or re-dedicating) our lives to God.
Read Your Bible
Reading the Bible can be really rewarding and enriching for your faith, but it can also be challenging for new believers. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your Bible reading:
- Start by praying. Take a few moments to clear your mind and ask for guidance from God before you begin reading.
- Choose a cozy, quiet place to read. Find a comfortable and peaceful space where you can focus on your reading without interruptions.
- Read slowly and carefully. Don’t rush through the text, and take your time to absorb and reflect on each passage. Reading the Bible is different than a novel. The goal isn’t to get to the end. The goal is to find good nuggets that resonate with you and reflect on them.
- Use a study Bible, commentary, and/or devotional. These resources can help you understand the context and meaning of the text, and provide historical and cultural background information.
- Read the Bible regularly, even daily! Make it a habit to read a little bit each day, or if that feels like too much at first, set aside a specific time each week to study and reflect on the text. You’re new to this, so give yourself time to establish a good habit and practice of reading regularly.
- Keep a journal or notebook. Write down your thoughts, questions, and insights as you read, and use them as a reference for future study and reflection. I have a faith journal, and it’s so fun and rewarding to go back through it and see all the ways God’s answered prayers and helped me grow.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If a certain passage or concept is really stumping you, reach out to a fellow believer for guidance and support.
Find a Bible Study
You can meet with an existing group of people for a bible study or join one on the Bible App (and even add friends), or grab a devo off Amazon!
Any or all of these options will make reading the Bible more fruitful, as you’ll get background information and thought-provoking questions along with the passage.
Pray Regularly
Prayer is just a conversation with God. It’s not some scary thing where you have to say certain things or pray for a really long time.
I got into a regular prayer routine when I habit stacked it. I started praying on my morning commute. Since I do this 5 days a week, praying became a natural part of my routine.
I’ve already written about how to improve your prayer life.
Let’s Bring it Home
So, how do you become a born again Christian? Boiled down, it’s simple:
- admit you’ve sinned
- believe that Jesus is Lord and God’s only Son who died on a cross for you
- commit that you will live for Jesus and serve others
You now know the basics of what Christians believe and exactly how to become a Christian. This knowledge will allow you to start on your journey of faith. You’ll also feel a crazy amount of relief that you don’t have to do life alone anymore. God’s got your back!
You’re not lost. You’re not broken. God can’t wait to call you His!
Let me know in the comments if this resonated with you!
Related Reading:
26 Things to Thank God for When You’re Life Isn’t Ideal
How to Share the Gospel with Confidence: Here’s Exactly What to Say
Is Manifesting a Sin? The Answer isn’t Clear-Cut and it Might Surprise You
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A Very inspirational reading. Thanks!
Thanks so much! 🙂