How to Become a Christian

By Paul R. Blake

Having learned how valuable is the Christian life, one might now ask: “How do I become a Christian and obtain this wonderful new life?” This is a noble and important question, and it deserves an answer from the word of God.

The process by which one becomes a Christian, when followed by the whole of his being, brings new life through salvation in Jesus Christ. In addition, obedience to the Gospel renews living by setting him free from sin, bringing peace in this life and hope in the everlasting life to come. Furthermore, his whole manner of life is changed by the plan of salvation when it is obeyed in full faith from the heart. By the plan of salvation, one gains the best possible life.

Hear

Before one can follow the Divinely ordained plan of salvation, it naturally follows that he must know it in its original, unchanged form. There are many schemes of redemption taught by religious leaders, but the Lord has given only one valid method of becoming a child of God. There is only “one faith” (Eph. 4:5) given only “once for all” (Jude 3) by the Father to save man from his sins. He who desires salvation must humbly and care- fully listen to it. Jesus charged his countrymen with dulling their hearing so that they would not absorb the word of God (Matt. 13:15-16). Clearly, those who listen can be converted, and those who hear will be blessed. Therefore, the first step in becoming a Christian is to hear; to listen to what the Lord has said.

Hearing brings enlightenment through the knowledge of God, dispel- ling the darkness of ignorance. This knowledge has the power to develop responsive faith within the careful listener. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). The word of God brightly lights up the way out of sin and into righteousness. David said in praise to God: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). Knowing the truth by means of whole-heartedly hearing the word of God gives one the means whereby he can be set free from his sins. In a prayer, the Savior said to the Father: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). The reaction of the honest hearer to the preaching of the truth is best demonstrated by Peter’s audience at the close of the gospel sermon on Pentecost. The hearers immediately asked what they must do (Acts 2:37). Hearing the word is the first step to becoming a Christian and obtaining the best life possible. Hearing is itself a life changing action that provides needed guidance to the lost listener.

Believe

Faith follows hearing the word of God. The careful listener becomes a believer in God. This belief leads him further along the path to becoming a Christian. It is essential that the hearer believe in God and in his plan to be saved from his sins. The writer of Hebrews clearly states that faith is vital to anyone who would please God (11:6). Faith provides the motivation necessary to make the changes that will make one a Christian. Strong belief moves him to careful obedience to the Gospel, for without faith, he will not effectively obey and will remain in a lost condition. The apostle Paul spoke of people who fell short of pleasing God through a lack of belief. “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (Rom. 10:16). One must believe before he can become a Christian.

Besides leading unto salvation (Rom. 10:9-10), faith also provides purpose and meaning to life. A person no longer needs to wander aimlessly through life, pointlessly living until he dies. Faith gives one an understanding of who he is, why he is here, and where he is going when life is over. All important questions are answered by a well informed faith in God.

Repent

A strong faith will generate a change in the believer’s moral purpose in life. The believer must also repent of his sins and regret a life lived without God’s unchanging word. Repentance becomes the means by which man turns away from sin, changes his direction in life, and embraces right living. The Ephesians were told to put off the old man of sin, change their way of thinking, and to put on the new man (4:22-24). First, one repents by sorrowing over the sins he has committed, sins that made it necessary for Christ to die on the cross for him. Second, he evolves or changes his view of sin and righteousness to conform to God’s way of viewing them. Third, he focuses his attention and will on doing only those things that please the Lord. If a believer chooses not to repent, he cannot be saved. In the words of Jesus Christ: “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke 13:3).

By repentance, one steps even closer to becoming a Christian. In turning from sin, he develops a better character . . . a character that will enable him to walk faithfully as a Christian upon completing his obedience to the Gospel. He is changing into a better person, which is one of the blessings of becoming a Christian.

Confess

Besides believing and repenting, God expects the petitioner for salvation to declare his faith unashamedly before others. When one confesses Jesus Christ as the Son of God, he professes the maturity of his faith. He now believes that God took an active role in sending his only begotten Son into the world to pay the price for the sins of humankind. He believes that Jesus Christ is Immanuel (God with us), and that he has the power to save man from his sins. When one confesses his faith in Jesus, all witnesses to that confession know that the speaker is moved by the word of God to obey the Gospel. One who confesses Christ before men prepares the way for Jesus to declare his name before God. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

When the Ethiopian eunuch heard the preaching of the Gospel, he responded by desiring immersion. When Philip asked if he believed, he answered by saying, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). Man will never speak greater or higher words than these. Confessing Jesus as the Son of God is a demonstration of courage and a herald of one’s desire to become a Christian.

Be Baptized

Finally, the confessor must be baptized to become a Christian. It is only through baptism that he becomes a partaker in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Savior (Rom. 6:3-4). Only in baptism are sins washed away (Acts

22:16). It is by baptism that one is saved (Mark 16:16). Baptism puts him in Christ (Gal. 3:27). If one is not baptized, he falls short of his goal of becoming a Christian.

When one is baptized, he becomes spiritually clean, free from all of his sins. He enters into the family of God as one of the Father’s cherished children. He has access to all the blessings, rights, and privileges of that family. There exists no greater joy than that of the obedient believer who rises from the waters of baptism as a new creature in Christ.

Conclusion

In view of what is written in Scripture, it is evident that the plan of salvation not only saves one from sin and makes him a Christian, but it also changes his life and the way he lives it, making it the best life possible. Hearing the word enlightens him (2 Tim. 3:15). Believing the word motivates him (Heb. 10:39). Repenting changes his direction in life (2 Cor. 7:10). Confessing Jesus as the Christ declares his faith and desire to become a Christian (Rom. 10:10). Finally, being baptized changes his life, changes his living, and gives him new life (Rom. 6:6-8). By this process, and this alone, one becomes a Christian and gains the best life possible.

The Value of Being A Christian

By Doug Roush

While in the region of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus made some profound statements regarding the establishment of his church. He declared that his kingdom would be built upon the foundational truth that he is the Christ, the Son of the living God. From the time of that declaration, Jesus revealed that he would be killed and resurrected in Jerusalem. Our attention is then directed to Peter’s objection to this prophecy of Jesus. However, by removing Peter’s objection and focusing on this development of thought, we see a profound ingredient involved in being a citizen of the kingdom of Christ. For the kingdom of the saved to be established, Jesus would need to sacrifice his life on behalf of its citizens. In addition, every citizen of this kingdom is called upon to make the same sacrifice as that of their King. Jesus said unto his disciples, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:24-26). So important is this development of thought that it is also recorded in Mark 8:27-37 and Luke 9:18-29.

What Has Genuine Value?

Humanity has always been impressed with the value of those things that are temporal. Jesus often used our misplaced appreciation of that which we deem valuable to focus our attention on that which has genuine value. In the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus reasoned, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, . . . For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). He went on to say, “. . . take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:31-33). The “Gentiles” (in this context, those who are carnal minded and absent of spirituality) value and strive after earth’s treasures. Like Martha, the majority of humanity is, “troubled about many things: but one thing is needful . . .” (Luke 10:41). The “seed” of God’s word is “planted” in every heart. However, like seed planted among thorns, it is “. . . choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” in the heart of one who values temporal treasures over godliness (Luke 8:14). Indeed, “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Those who are spiritual value and strive after the eternal treasures found in godliness and righteousness.

To Appreciate Our Value We Must Follow Christ

The value of being a Christian, a follower of Christ, is that when we follow him we “find our life”; that is the true purpose and nature of our life. However, we must realize that following Christ requires that we lose ourselves entirely. It is important to note that in every context where Jesus speaks of the necessity of us losing our life to find our life, he has been speaking of the point that in order to fulfill his earthly mission he would lose his life. In John 12:23-28, we find Jesus speaking of his hour to glorify his Father’s name. But in the midst of this statement, he speaks of the universal principle that those who “love their life” must “hate” and “lose their life” and “follow him.” Losing our life to follow Christ honors the Father and is rewarded with the Father’s honor. A few chapters later, we read of Jesus saying, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus laid down his life for us, proving his friendship toward us while demonstrating God’s assessment of our value. But, we are to lay down our life for him if we desire to reciprocate his friendship and demonstrate our appreciation of our own true value. In the next verse he tells us how to “lay down our life for him”: “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14). Christians “fol- low Christ” by keeping his commandments. When we keep his commandments, there will be changes in our character and conduct that manifest the conviction that we are living to the praise of his glory.

What Will a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?

Jesus revealed the value of the soul with the questions, “What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Though rare, nearly every generation has seen people who seemingly desire to “gain the whole world” for themselves. Much more common are those who “sell short” their souls; “what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Most, without giving it serious thought, are “too busy” pursuing minuscule treasures of earth to have time to read, study, and meditate on the Scriptures. Yet God, in the Scriptures, instructs us to be sober; therein are revealed the eternal treasures of godliness and righteousness (Tit. 2:12).

When we “lose” our self-centred will and do the will of Christ, we “find” our life. God designed us to be selfless vessels. Experience teaches us that the pursuit of self- gratification brings emptiness and a sense of unfulfillment. God’s revelation teaches us that if we lose our will to the will of God, we find the abundant life he intends each of us to experience and enjoy (John 10:10).

Conclusion

There is genuine value in being a Christian. In fact for us to be of any value to God, we must be Christians — those who have emptied themselves of selfish will in order to follow Christ in the performance of his will. Paul articulated the transformation involved in “losing our life to find our life” with these Spirit-guided words: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). The value of his transformation is articulated in these words: “. . . the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:6-9).

Let us prioritize the treasures of godliness, holiness, and righteousness above the over-inflated “treasures of earth.” The particular treasures of Faith, Love, Sacrifice, Service, Purity, Hope, Joy, Peace, and Suffering will be discussed in separate articles that follow. Let us be resolved to be counted among those who, like the apostle Paul, “love His appearing” and realize our true value by following Christ.

The Life of a Christian — An Introduction

By Lewis Willis

 

Dedicating this special issue of Truth Magazine to the memory of my brother, Cecil, was not my idea. As this issue’s Northeast Ohio authors met toward the end of this project, one of the preachers suggested it be dedicated to Cecil. They all agreed upon doing this, and I was very pleased!

As I have reflected on those discussions throughout the remainder of this day, I thought first of how Cecil would have said not to do this for some might think he had delusions about his own attempts to live the Life of a Christian. Then, he would have likely said, this material was not his, so why dedicate it to him? I must explain, therefore, why this subject of a dedication even came up.

Shortly after Cecil’s death last year, his son, David, and I were going through his office trying to decide what to file or what to discard. His office was in a converted bedroom of his house. When I opened the closet doors, on either end was a 4-drawer filing cabinet, and in between were boxes stacked about two deep on the floor. On the shelf above were about 25 notebooks. As I looked through several of the notebooks, I discovered they contained his sermon outlines and debate notes. I took the outline notebooks to my office, copied the contents, and returned them for his heirs to do with as they will.

I could hardly wait to look into this wealth of material. Early one week, I was leafing through the folders of Cecil’s outlines, and I found one entitled: “What Is The Christian Life?” After looking over the brief outline, I decided to prepare a sermon from that material for use the next Sunday. I prepared an overhead transparency and preached on this subject that morning. However, when my time had expired, I had only covered the introduction and the first point. So, naturally, I announced I would conclude the sermon that evening. However, I only covered the second point that night. Well, to make a long story short, I ended up preaching a series of five sermons from Cecil’s single outline, and to make it work out equally as sermons for three Sundays, I added a sixth point, making it a six-sermon series.

I received an excellent response from our congregation, and the same from another congregation where I used the material as sermons for day services during a meeting. When the preachers of our area decided to meet together to study each week, and as we were looking for a project on which to work, I told them about Cecil’s material and how I thought it could be profitably expanded into an even broader study of an important subject. As we put our heads together, we came up with the twelve titles which make up this special issue of Truth Magazine. The readers will likely think of even more aspects of this vital theme, and if so, your thoughts have been stimulated, and that was a part of our purpose in writing the articles.

Cecil used to say that the art of originality lies in forget- ting where you got your material. I rather suspect that his outline was developed from some article he read some- where; he was especially good at doing that. If his outline changed the original as much as we have expanded upon Cecil’s work, I doubt that the original author would even recognize that these articles came from his work.

Nonetheless, the authors’ hope is that someone who reads this material will gain a better understanding of the Life of a Christian, and be inspired to live that life with even greater dedication and commitment than before. If so, the dedication of this material to the memory of Cecil Willis would bring him special joy. His death has left a gaping emptiness in many hearts; in mine especially!

Consequences of False Teaching

By Steve Lee

There was a time among God’s people that false teaching and false teachers weren’t tolerated. In many congregations they still aren’t. One example that we can cite in the Scriptures is found in Galatians 2:1-5. Paul, referring to those who were teaching error concerning circumcision, said in verse 5, “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” It is a shame that can- not be said about some of my brethren today. We hear a plea for tolerance by those who are either teaching error or by those who have been caught up in the error. While I believe that we should be patient with each other (2 Thess. 5:14), there is a big difference between patience and tolerance.

An analogy that I like to use, is with my own children. I can, and must, be patient with my children as they grow up, but I cannot tolerate bad behavior. They must know the difference between right and wrong, and I must patiently teach them those things. I can, and must, be patient with those who are newly converted to the Lord. I need to help them as they mature to full grown Christians and I would expect other Christians to be patient with me as I grow to maturity. I also must be patient toward all my fellow men. Being patient though doesn’t mean that we can’t, and don’t, correct someone when he is wrong. Such was the case with Apollos (Acts 18:24-26). However, I cannot tolerate someone who is teaching that which is contrary to the will of God. The word “tolerate” means: (1) to allow; permit, (2) to recognize and respect (oth- ers’ beliefs, practices, etc.) without sharing them, (3) to put up with; bear (Webster’s New World Dictionary). If I can tolerate error concerning the divorce/remarriage question, or the issue of fellowship, then why can’t I tolerate the error taught by the Baptists, Methodists, or any other denominational group? Some brethren would probably contend that we could. The word of God teaches us to reprove and rebuke (2 Tim. 4:2; Eph. 5:11), not to tolerate error.

There are some consequences that fall out as a result of false teaching. I have made some observations and I would like to notice a few of these.

It Causes Folks to Depart from the Lord

One of the things that amazed Paul was that so many of the Galatians were so soon removed from the Lord (Gal. 1:6). As a result of the false teaching that was going on at Galatia, people were starting to go back to the law of Moses (Gal. 5:4). When error is taught today, folks have to make a decision. Are they going to follow the Lord or follow the false teacher (2 Pet. 2:2)? A lot of the blame lies at the feet of those who teach error, but some of the blame must also go to those who follow it. Brethren, we need to ground ourselves in the truth, so that we won’t be “tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. 4:14). When we start demanding book, chapter, and verse (1 Pet. 4:11), then I believe that we will stop the departures from the truth. The thing that appeals to many Christians is the “good words and fair speeches” (Rom. 16:18) that are being used by so many preaching brethren. When lessons that are brought from the pulpit are filled with stories and cute little sayings, then we can expect some who don’t want to hear the truth to depart from the Lord. Then there are other Christians who do not have the courage to confront the error and just go along with it to keep the “peace.” It is amazing to me that folks, who should have been grounded in the truth, have left it and are willing to follow those who teach error.

It Gives People a False Sense of Security

When some “religious leaders” (i.e., the Pope, Billy Graham, etc.) teach things that soothe the conscience of those who hear them, the hearers have a false sense of security. When Billy Graham teaches that a person can be saved without baptism or that he can put his hands on the TV and accept the Lord as his Savior, it gives him hope that he is saved, when in fact he is still lost! The same thing happens when a gospel preacher teaches error concerning divorce and remarriage, or the issue of fellowship, or the deity of Christ, or a myriad of other subjects. It gives people a false sense of security. Folks who are caught up in adultery don’t want to hear that they are in sin (Matt. 14:3-4; 19:9), and that they must get out of that adulterous relationship in order to be saved (1 Cor. 6:9-10). So, there are some gospel preachers who will teach what they want to hear (2 Tim. 4:3-4). It is shameful that some brethren have taken a simple passage like Matthew 19:1-9 and made it so complex and difficult for some to understand. Just as there are many in the denominational world who believe that all a person has to do in order to be saved is have faith, I am sure there are some so-called Christians who have believed the error taught concerning divorce and remarriage and are still living in adultery even though they have “obeyed” the gospel. We don’t have the space here to get into all the error that is being taught about divorce and remarriage by some brethren, or all the other error that is being taught about other subjects. Suffice it to say however, that all who teach, believe, and practice error have a false sense of security.

It Will Cause People to Be Eternally Lost

The charge, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (stricter judgment, NASB) (Jas. 3:1), should stir all of us who teach to “take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: (emphasis mine SL) for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:16). Those of us who preach and teach have a great and grave responsibility. We are helping to shape the hearts and minds of those we teach. As a direct result of what we teach, people will either be lost or saved. If we are teaching the truth, it will cause people to be saved (John 8:32). If we are teaching error, it will cause people to be lost (2 Thess.

2:11-12). To think that we had a hand in teaching someone the truth and they obeyed the gospel and were saved is a thrilling thought indeed! But to think that I taught error and it caused people to be lost is a discouraging thing to think about. Someone may ask, “But how will I know if it is truth or not?” Put it to the test (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). If someone teaches something that is contrary to the will of God, confront him with it. It may be that he accidentally taught that which is wrong or it may be that you misunderstood. Or it may be he just blatantly taught error. This is serious business! Souls are at stake!

Conclusion

Just as “the gospel is the power of God to save” (Rom. 1:16), error is the devil’s power to cause folks to be lost. There will always be some who will depart from the truth and teach unwholesome words, so we must not lay our swords by. We must continue to fight the battle against the devil. Let us be determined to teach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).