FAQs
Here are some questions people frequently ask while seeking to know more about the Christian lifestyle.
1. What do I have to do to become a Christian?
2. Is salvation really free?
3. If being a Christian is so great, why do some people just walk away from it?
4. How can I know I'm ready to be a Christian?
5. Will I Go To Heaven If I'm Really Good?
6. If I Sin Right Before I Die, Will I Still Go To Heaven?
7. Is pleasing God more important than pleasing parents?
8. I can't even see God; how can I live with him?
9. What Is The Best Way To Get My Day Off To A Good Start?
10. How can I get closer to God? Can I find God in nature?
What do I have to do to become a Christian?
Becoming a Christian is like receiving a gift. You don't pay for it. You don't work for it. You don't trade something for it. You just accept it. Of course, once you have the gift, God does want you to use it. But to get it you need only receive it. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV) When questioned by the woman at the well, Jesus answered her with this response, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10 (NIV) The apostle Paul encourages believers by stating, "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" Romans 5:15 (NIV)
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Is salvation really free?
Yes, the apostle Paul says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NIV) Paul also says, "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" Romans 8:32 (NIV) Again Paul writes, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV) Finally, Paul assures believers by reminding us, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--" Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)
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If being a Christian is so great, why do some people just walk away from it?
There are many reasons why people don't do the things they should—fear, neglect, laziness, ignorance. The people in these verses knew God, but they walked away from him. Don't walk away. Have faith enough in God to let him show you why being a Christian is worth the effort. Once saved, we must caution those who reject God's free gift of salvation.God said to Ezekiel, "But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself. Ezekiel 33:9 (NIV)
Making excuses is common practice among humans. The Bible says, "But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.' Luke 14:18 (NIV) Not only do people make excuses, they often act out of fear, as with Felix in response to Paul's testimony about the salvation that comes through belief in Jesus. The Bible says, "As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you." Acts 24:25 (NIV) The Bible says, "For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'" Acts 28:27 (NIV)
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How can I know I'm ready to be a Christian?
Being a Christian is a matter of choice. The writer of Hebrews asks the question: "how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. Hebrews 2:3 (NIV) The author of Hebrews also warns: "See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?" Hebrews 12:25 (NIV)
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Will I Go To Heaven If I'm Really Good?
No matter how good you are, you can't earn your way to heaven. Only Jesus can save you. Don't depend on your good deeds to save you. Depend on Jesus. Jesus gave a prime illustration in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Bible says, "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14 (NIV) In reality, none of us can be good enough to earn our way into heaven. We are accepted based on the grace of God and our confession Jesus as Lord and Savior of our life.
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If I Sin Right Before I Die, Will I Still Go To Heaven?
IF you have confessed Jesus as lord and Savior of your life, your sins are forgiven. Before Christ died, forgiveness required a sacrifice. But Jesus was our once-for-all sacrifice. He died so we could be forgiven and our sins could be forgotten. Trust HIM to save you.
The Bible says, "God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- Romans 3:25 (NIV) Regarding our sins, the writer of Hebrews explains it this way: "In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22 (NIV)
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Is pleasing God more important than pleasing parents?
Pleasing God should be more important to you than pleasing yourself or other people. The Bible says, "When a man's [person's] ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his [their] enemies live at peace with him [them]. Proverbs 16:7 (NIV) the Bible gives many examples of individuals aiming to please God. When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Bible says, "And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17 (NIV) Jesus himself aimed to please God. Of himself Jesus declared, "The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him." John 8:29 (NIV) Paul and the apostles aimed to please God. of himself, Paul said, "... we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV) The Bible says, "By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." Hebrews 11:5 (NIV) These verses are about people who want to please God. How can we today please God? By loving God with all of our heart, mind and body, and treat our fellow humans as we want to be treated. The Bible says, "Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16 (NIV) Whenever you make a decision, aim to please God with your choice. Finally, we please God by living every day in a relationship with God.
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I can't even see God; how can I live with him?
We live with God by walking with God each day. Walking with God means living your life as if he is walking right beside you and pleasing him every step of the way. You can walk with God no matter how old you are. The Bible gives many accounts of individuals walking with God. Take for example Enoch. The bible says, "After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. Genesis 5:22-24 (NIV) This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Genesis 6:9 (NIV) These are just two examples. All the people in these verses walked with God. So, how about it? Are you living with God beside you all the time?
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What Is The Best Way To Get My Day Off To A Good Start?
Reading The Bible And Praying Each Day. When we read His Word and talk to Him in prayer, we are spending quality time with God. Spending time with God each morning is a good investment. It sets your mind on His Word and invites Him to guide you. In the story of Jacob's dream at Bethel, the Bible says, "When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." Genesis 28:16 (NIV) After Moses meet with god on top of the mountain to confirm the covenant, the Bible says, "Moses then wrote down everything the LORD had said. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel." Exodus 24:4 (NIV) Hannah (a barren women} prayed for a child, the Bible says, "Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. 1 Samuel 1:19 (NIV) Jesus spent time with God early in the mornings. Scripture says, " Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35 (NIV) Some of the people in these verses read God's word and prayed each morning. It's an excellent way to get ready for the day ahead.
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How can I get closer to God? Can I find God in nature?
Many people have asked the question: Where is God? He is closer than you think. The Bible says he has left clues for us in nature, and we have the Bible itself for the details we can't find on our own. Job, a righteous man who walked upright before God, declared: "If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! Job 23:3 (NIV) God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and declared,"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV) To the people of God the prophet Hosea said, "Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:3 (NIV) Seek God with all your heart and you will indeed find him.
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