If you've been wondering about God but don't really know Him, this page will help start you on your journey towards making the most important decision of your life.

• How do I begin a relationship with God?
• I accepted Jesus into my heart, so what just happened?
• So, where do I go from here?

How do I become a Christian? Once you have asked all your questions, weighed all the evidence, and tested all the arguments, you will ultimately be confronted with the basic question Jesus asked his own disciples in Matthew 16:15:

"But who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter replied:

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

What is your reply?

If you have come to the same conclusion as Simon Peter, you are a few steps away from having a personal relationship with our loving God. It is our sincere hope and prayer that each of you reach this conclusion, for we know that true happiness, joy and peace only come when we recognize our purpose for existing and yield our wills to our Creator. As you will see, Christianity is not based on a religious building, formula or ritual, it's a matter of what you truly believe in your heart.

Become a Christian: Step through the Gospel
First, you can be sure that God loves you unconditionally and desires to have a personal relationship with you.

"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).

Second, you need to admit your sinful nature to God, because this is what separates all of us from Him.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23).

Third, you should stop trying to please God through your own efforts, and realize that salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ is a gift that none of us deserves.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

Finally, you just need to step in and truly accept God's gift -- His Son, Jesus Christ.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).

So, now you know the basic steps to become a Christian. As a result, if you desire God's gift of eternal life and fellowship with Him, you are as close as a sincere act of faith.

Jesus says,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6).

Jesus also says,
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Jesus is a matter of truly asking Him to come into your life, to forgive your sins, and to become your Lord and Saviour. It's not merely an intellectual undertaking, but rather, an act of sincere faith and heart-felt will.

The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not important. He knows the intentions of your heart. Your prayer can be as simple as "Help!" or it can focus on an issue that is specific to your situation. If you are unsure of what to pray, use the following sample prayer to get started:

"Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. I'm sorry for the things I've done that have broken my relationship with God. Thank you for dying on the cross so that this relationship could be made right. I believe You are the only One who can do this. Only You can give me the power to change and become the person You created me to be. Thank you for forgiving my past mistakes and for giving me eternal life with God. I give my life to You. Please do with it as You wish. Amen."

By praying the above prayer - or one similar to it - you have just taken a giant step toward making God the centre of your life. But these are just the words. What follows is a lifelong journey of change and growth as you get to know God better through Bible reading, prayer and interaction with other Christians.

If you prayed the prayer above and invited Jesus into your life, you've become a Christian - which means simply, "Christ in one."

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It would be impossible for us to fully explain what just happened in your heart and in your Spirit. Trusting Jesus for your salvation is a supernatural thing that is beyond words. If you continue to seek Him, you will find that the rest of your life will be spent understanding more and more about Him and your relationship with Him. There are, though, some truths that you should know that will help give you a great foundation for the rest of your journey with Him.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

The core of what happened is that you entered into a life-giving relationship with God, through faith in Jesus Christ, so you can spend eternity in Heaven worshipping Him. To explain this more fully, let's take a brief look at the entire story. God has always been holy. His character has always been completely "other" than ours. Sin (anything apart from the perfect will of God-actions, thoughts, attitudes, etc.) cannot be in the perfect presence of God. Therefore, a blood sacrifice has always been a requirement to pay for the sins of people. Starting in the Old Testament, God required people to sacrifice an animal in response to their sin. Throughout the Old Testament, though, God told people that a day would come when a perfect sacrifice would be given and people would no longer have to live by the law and sacrifice lambs and goats and rams.

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you." (Romans 8:11).

This sacrifice came in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus left His Father's presence to come into the world. He lived a life that was completely void of sin, in complete union with His Father. At the end of His life, he was given as a perfect sacrifice on the cross. (Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John for the complete account) The promise of God to us after this act is that we can receive payment for our sins by the sacrifice of His Son for us. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that the Cross of Jesus makes everything different! No longer do we have to "measure up" or sacrifice enough offerings to get to the Father. This Scripture tells us that BY FAITH, we believe that Jesus' sacrifice of His earthly life is the only way we can know the Father.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The amazing news is that at this point we enter into a RELATIONSHIP with a living God and with His Son, Jesus. John 17:3 tells us that eternal life is to "know Him." What exciting news! We can spend the rest of our lives getting to know this intimate Saviour. Just like any relationship, we discover more and more about Him as we live, as we talk to Him, as we read His Word, and as we encounter Him over and over.

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who you have sent." (John 17:3).

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Just as each earthly relationship is unique, each person's relationship with Jesus is unique, as well. We could never tell you exactly what is going to happen in your life from this point on, or the exact steps you should take starting today. We can, though, give you some insight into growing in your relationship with the Lord. Please consider this an introduction and be sure to seek out other resources and people who want to be a part of your spiritual walk.

We have looked at the fact that God wants to have a personal relationship with you and made the provision to do so. So, take some time to think about earthly relationships. How do you go about getting to know someone better and allowing them to know you? You spend time with them, you communicate with them, you begin to tell them things about yourself, and you listen as they share with you. Sometimes you have long, deep conversations and sometimes you just hang out at a restaurant. In many ways, the Bible tells us that these things will help us grow in our relationship with Him as well.

We communicate to the Father through prayer, we are told to talk to Him all the time, not keeping anything from Him. We can learn about His character and His heart by reading His Word, by encountering Him in prayer and worship, and by asking Him to reveal things to us. There are MANY ways this growth occurs. The following are just a few things that the Bible shows us about our relationship with the Lord.

The Bible tells us that the Word of God IS God. So, what better way to get to know Him than to read His Word? The Bible will show you amazing things about who He is, what He has done, and what it means to be in relationship with Him. (see John 1:1-2).

Communicating with God through prayer is vital to your relationship with Him. Spend time telling Him what you think and feel, asking Him for your needs. Pray that His will on earth will be done in your life and in others'. (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

We cannot do any of this on our own. Only the Spirit can reveal to us things about God. Spend time surrendering your thoughts and desires and asking Him to give you a deeper knowledge of Him. (see Ephesians 1:17-19).

Jesus prays that we would be unified with one another. He says that it glorifies God and it causes others to believe in Him. What a powerful thought! By living in a Biblical community, we can show others the amazing love of God in every day life. Consider what community you should be a part of. Be prayerful in your decision and allow God to guide you. If you attend Victory Life Fellowship, consider visiting some Home Groups to see which one will work for you. If you don't attend VLF, search for any form of Biblical community that is offered at your local church. (see John 17:20-23).

As you grow in your relationship with Him, you will need to get plugged in with a local church. The Bible tells us to continue to meet together to be encouraged and to worship Him. If you don't attend Victory Life Fellowship, please be prayerful in considering another church in your area. Being in a church that lives by the Word of God will do many things in your life. It will give you places to learn about Him, to worship Him, and to grow with Him. It will help you understand more and more about His Word and His character. And it will give you a community for support, encouragement, and accountability. (see Hebrews 10:24-25).

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