The word “Christian” simply means “follower of Christ.” Those who have come to believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God might ask, “How can I become a follower of Jesus?”

First, let’s consider why we need Jesus. The Bible tells us that in the beginning, God created the heavens, the earth, and humankind. God placed the first man and woman in a paradise-like garden free from suffering and death, and here God walked with them in a close relationship. God promised these first humans that they could enjoy all these wonderful blessings indefinitely as long as they obeyed Him. The man and woman, however, spurned God’s goodness and disobeyed. As a result of their rebellion, humans distanced themselves from their Creator and lost the blessings of the garden. They would no longer have this same close relationship with their Creator as before, and one day they would die. Ever since this time, humans have been living in disobedience to God (called “sin” in the Bible). Because of our sin, we, too, are bound to spend eternity apart from God.

But this is not the end of the story! The Bible tells us that even before God created the world, God knew His people would disobey Him, and He created a plan to save humankind so that they could still enjoy Him and His blessings forever. His plan was Jesus.

Who is Jesus exactly? Jesus is one of the three distinct persons of God (referred to as the “Godhead” in Scripture or commonly referred to as the “Trinity). Like God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, Jesus was perfect in character and in the perfect place (Heaven). Jesus could have stayed in Heaven, but He chose to come to earth out of love for us. He sacrificed the eternal bliss that He enjoyed with God to come to this painful earth that is filled with evil and temptation. Jesus was tempted just like we are to turn our backs on God the Father and reject His plan. Instead of sinning, Jesus obeyed the Father in every instance. Ultimately, Jesus obeyed the Father by submitting to death on a cross. Because of Jesus’ perfect obedience to the Father, God accepted His sacrifice as a substitute for our sins. Jesus took on the consequences of our rebellion on the cross to restore our relationship with God.

Three days after Jesus died, God raised Him from the dead and placed Him at His right hand. Jesus now reigns as King and all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Him. As the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus now asks mankind to turn from their evil ways and submit to Him as king. This submission, though, is not a burden for us because we know how good God has been to us and because we know that His commandments bring joy, peace, and blessing into our lives.

Shortly after Jesus was taken back up into Heaven, His followers taught that when people believe in Jesus as God, confess Him as their Lord, turn to live according to His ways (repent), and are immersed (baptized) that they will receive the forgiveness of sins, the gift of God’s presence in their lives through the Holy Spirit, and the hope of eternal life with God.

These initial actions that we take are our response to the grace of God that He freely gives to those who will turn to Him. After we are raised from the waters of baptism, we then walk as a new creation, following God’s will, not our own. We will not do this perfectly, but we can be encouraged that we now have the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin, the continuing forgiveness of sin through Christ's sacrifice when we stumble, and the help of our brothers and sisters in the Lord when we are struggling.

If you would like to speak to someone at Maple Hill about starting your journey with Jesus, we would love to sit down with you, open up the Bible, and see what you need to do to be right with God so that you too can enjoy the rich blessings that come from a relationship with Him.

Bible Verses: John 1:1, 14; Romans 5:8; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; John 3:16-17; Philippians 2:6-11; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 2:38-39; Acts 5:32; Romans 6:1-2; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 22:16; 1 John 1:7-9; 1 John 2:1-2; Galatians 6:1-2.