Did you know it is possible to know whether you have everlasting life? Did you know that, according to the Bible, if you repent of your sins (feel regret or remorse for them) and receive Jesus Christ into your life as Lord and Savior, you will be saved from eternal punishment in Hell when you die?

How do people become “saved” and “born again” Christians? How can you receive eternal life so that you will be sure to go to be with God when you die? A widely distributed Christian tract says the following is what the Bible requires.

1. Admit that you are a sinner.
   The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
2. Know that God has already provided for your salvation.
   “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son [Jesus Christ] that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
3. Know that you cannot save yourself.
   “Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5).
4. It is only by faith you can be saved and enter Heaven. You cannot ever be good enough. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph2:8-9)
5. Repent of your sins.
   “Unless you repent you will all perish” (Luke 13:3).
6. Ask Jesus Christ to save you.
   “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13) and “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
7. Proclaim Jesus before others.
   “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. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:9, 10).

You can be joyously “saved” and “born again” and receive eternal life right NOW, as millions of people worldwide have, when you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. Born-again Christians overwhelmingly look at their salvation as the most exciting event in their lives.

Can you genuinely say a prayer like the following? If you are sincere, God will immediately save you and give you everlasting life. Please realize that a prayer cannot save you like a magic formula. You must truly believe in what you are saying. So, if you truly mean it and want to really come to know Jesus this is a tool you can use:

A guide to what to pray:

“Dear Father in Heaven, I realize that I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins [wrongdoings]. I am willing to turn from my sins and lead the life you want me to lead. I now ask Jesus Christ to come into my heart and I receive Him into my life as my personal Savior. I am willing, by God’s grace, to follow and obey Christ as the Lord of my life. Please forgive me for my sins and save me”

What’s next?

True faith will be evident by how you live, not because you repeated a simple prayer. Would you like to show your faith in Jesus right now? Start by letting someone (another Christian) know you are saved. (Email me at cjgroove@gmail.com and let me know as well. I would love to know and even help you in your process of getting to know God intimately. Leave a comment below and let others you were saved.) Then …

Get a Bible and read it every day to get to know Jesus Christ better.

• Talk to God in prayer every day.
• Tell others about Christ.
• Join a Bible-believing church and get baptized. Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church that truly believes the Bible and where Christ is preached.

As a born-again Christian you will now miss out on the terror of what the Bible describes as the alternative to spending eternity in Heaven — the everlasting fiery torment of Hell. Help others to do the same by telling them your story of how, when, and why you came to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.