What is The First Step in becomming a Christian?

[rzr]

And how do you know what you think is that first step?

 

[RoadDebris]

And how do you know what you think is that first step?

People don't walk themselves into salvation. It's a gift from God. The walking comes after one is saved. If you believe, that is, if you have accepted Jesus as your King then you are saved, not because of your choice to acknowledge his rule, but because of his sovereign choice to raise you from the dead.

 

[rzr]

People don't walk themselves into salvation. It's a gift from God. The walking comes after one is saved. If you believe, that is, if you have accepted Jesus as your King then you are saved, not because of your choice to acknowledge his rule, but because of his sovereign choice to raise you from the dead.

Hell No! Its an Understanding from your earliest beginnings! It is not a gift! The only gift given is free will...

 

[Eventide]

And how do you know what you think is that first step?

Perhaps it is believing God when He speaks.. agreeing with what He says.. DO we believe God when His word tells us plainly that there are none righteous, and that there are none good but one.. and that is God..? Do we agree with God that there is a problem with sin in our lives..?

Do we believe Him when He says that if any man shall come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Him..?

Because as it is written... "Can two walk together except they be agreed ?"

 

[RoadDebris]

Hell No! Its an Understanding from your earliest beginnings! It is not a gift! The only gift given is free will...

Can you find a scripture that refers to free will?

As to salvation being a gift from God:

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. - Eph. 2:8-9

* emphasis mine

 

[for_his_glory]

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

It is not by repentance that we are saved and it is not by works either as it is by Gods grace which is unmerited favor as God is willing to give us his power and authority even though we do not deserve it. It is by faith, even as weak as it is in the beginning of our relationship with Jesus, that brings us to repentance when we first confess that Jesus is Lord by believing God raised him from the dead.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

And how do you know what you think is that first step?

The 1st step is learning about and understanding the message of the christ. God's Anointed One is the centerpiece here. One cannot be a "christian" without being like the Christ, therefore it is imperative that one immerses oneself with knowledge of the Christ so that one can then emulate Jesus.

 

[Adullam]

Realizing there is a God and that you are not Him!

 

[ronniechoate34]

The first step to becoming a Christian is repentance. And then there's baptism by water followed by receiving of the Holy Ghost. And furthermore, no person living ,or dead, has ever made a choice for God. No one has ever raised their hands at the behest of some preacher and susequently been saved. The Word of God is clear about this, He chooses us and it's not the other way around.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Are we assuming that becoming a christian and being saved are synonomous? That may be a faulty assumption indeed as the term christian just means being, that is behaving like the Christ while being saved or salvation has to do with the gift of NOT having to pay sin's wage.

 

[RockyVanRen]

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

It is not by repentance that we are saved and it is not by works either as it is by Gods grace which is unmerited favor as God is willing to give us his power and authority even though we do not deserve it. It is by faith, even as weak as it is in the beginning of our relationship with Jesus, that brings us to repentance when we first confess that Jesus is Lord by believing God raised him from the dead.

Thanks glory. I think this is the only post that actually answers RZR post.

 

[ronniechoate34]

Romans 11:29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
Ephesians 1:18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

It is not by repentance that we are saved and it is not by works either as it is by Gods grace which is unmerited favor as God is willing to give us his power and authority even though we do not deserve it. It is by faith, even as weak as it is in the beginning of our relationship with Jesus, that brings us to repentance when we first confess that Jesus is Lord by believing God raised him from the dead.

I don't see baptism or repentance as a work.