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Myths about Christians

Many followers of Jesus around the world call themselves Christians, but not everyone that calls themselves Christian is a true follower of Jesus. “Christian” on this website refers to people who accepted Jesus’ free gift of eternal life and follow Jesus as the ultimate leader of their lives. True Christianity is a relationship with Jesus, not following a specific culture or set of religious rules or practices.

COMMON MYTHS

There are several other myths and misunderstandings about how one becomes a true Christian, so let’s talk about those:
  • Following American, Western, or even Christian culture does NOT make you a Christian (people from any culture can decide to follow Jesus; you do not have to change to a different culture to follow Jesus)
  • Going to church (even every week of your life) does NOT make you a Christian
  • Reading the Bible, talking to God through prayer, or singing Christian songs does NOT make you a Christian
  • No amount of good deeds, devotion, sacrifice, or other actions can help you become a true Christian or earn eternal life with Jesus
  • Being born to one or more Christian parents or being raised in a Christian family does NOT make you a true Christian
  • Saying you are a Christian is NOT ENOUGH to make you a Christian (many who call themselves Christian follow a Christian culture and even do Christian activities, but they have not asked Jesus for forgiveness and accepted his invitation to follow him with their whole lives)
  • Being dedicated or baptized with water (as a baby, child, or adult) does NOT make you a Christian (baptism is intended to be a visible symbol that someone has already become a Christian, but the baptism itself doesn’t make a person Christian)
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HOW DOES SOMEONE REALLY BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

It is probably much easier than you ever imagined. Jesus already sacrificed his life to pay the price for your sins/dishonor/karma/bad thoughts and actions. You just need to ask Jesus for forgiveness and accept his gift (which is free to you because Jesus paid the terrible price).

You do this by believing in your heart that Jesus is God, that he lived a perfect life on earth and died on the cross as a sacrifice to pay the penalty for all the dishonor and mistakes (sins) of every human being, and that Jesus came back to life. Commit to following Jesus as the utilmate leader/guru of your life, and you will become part of Jesus’ worldwide family of Christian believers! 

To confirm that you have made this decision in your heart, confess (among others or in private prayer to God) that you believe these things and will follow Jesus. One way to do this is to pray a prayer like the one below. These are not magic words. You can rephrase them and say them in any language. "Father God, I have been living imperfectly and independently of you, but I want to be part of your family now. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sin. Please come into my life, take control, and fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you."

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, if you have done this, you can be sure you are part of God’s family from this moment on and will go to heaven!
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THEN WHAT HAPPENS?

How would following Jesus affect your life? Some people experience an overwhelming sense of God’s love; others feel a burden or weight being lifted as they are forgiven. However, most don’t feel any different the minute after deciding to follow Jesus than they did the minute before.

The Bible says there is a celebration among the angels (Luke 15:10, NIV) when each new person is adopted into God’s family (Galatians 4:5, NIV), becomes a citizen of heaven (Ephesians 2:19, NIV), and receives eternal life (John 10:28, NIV)!
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Another thing that happens to a new Christian is they receive the Holy Spirit (John 14:17, NIV). Whether one can feel his presence or not, he serves as a helper and…
  • Comforts us when we’re hurting (John 14:18, NIV)
  • Teaches us all things and reminds us of what we’ve learned (John 14:26, NIV)
  • Brings us peace (John 14:27, NIV)
  • Convicts us of sin/shame and helps us avoid making mistakes (Romans 8:13, NIV)
  • Helps us to pray (Romans 8:26-27, NIV)
  • Makes the words of the Bible come alive (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV)
  • Leads and guides us, sometimes revealing the future (John 16:13, NIV)
  • Gives us special abilities and spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12, NIV)
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