How to follow Jesus

1.  Confess

The first step to salvation is to confess and acknowledge that you are a sinner.  (Romans 3:23—“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.)

2.  Accept

Understand and accept that you are powerless against sin and that living a life of the flesh (in your own strength and after your own desires) will result in eternal death. (Roman 6:23- “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”)

…but because God loves you so much, He sent His only son to pay the ultimate price for your sin by dying on the cross.  It is through His forgiveness and grace that you are saved.

Romans 10:9-10 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

3.  Repent

– Repentance means to acknowledge that you have sinned against God and then you turn away from sin without having any intention of returning to it.

– You are making a personal commitment to focus on living your life by the Spirit of God rather than living for the desires of your flesh.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

4. Receive

– Receiving Jesus into your heart and your life means to accept Him as your Lord and Savior.  It means that you will submit yourself to a higher standard or authority.

– You are surrendering your life to God and realizing that you are no longer in control.

– Instead of living for yourself, you are now living to glorify God in all that you do.

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

5. Rejoice

–    Now that you have found salvation in Christ Jesus and have been filled with His Holy Spirit, you have new life. He will begin to strengthen you and teach you as you draw closer to     God through reading His Word, prayer and fellowship with other believers in Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Have you decided to follow Jesus?