For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Lawrence wong
Michael kicks off the answer with the origins of the word Christian, the word ransom (Mk 10:45), with full scriptural support. And finally, by simply believing in Jesus. Cindy’s reply reinforces simple faith in Jesus by the thief on the Cross and relegates Baptism on the back burner. Vincent reinforces Baptism (Ac2:41) and Pentecost. Jimmy reinforces what Michael has said with additional scriptures and Bryan gives a succinct summary of the discussion to date.
All answers are correct. To have an fuller and accurate answer I believe we need appreciate and few more key words: Disciple, Jesus the Christ and Passover, The Holy Spirit and His work; the Father; and Ego.
Disciple: means being under the discipline of a Master, to follow Him and listen to and obey His words (and no one else’s) – the Way of the Cross. It entails dropping all, leaving behind the things of this world (1 Jo 2:15-17) to set, fixing our eyes firmly on Jesus the Cross – with the destination/goal, the Father, Heaven. (Jo 14:6)
Jesus the Christ: Jesus the anointed Prince who entered into history and on the Pesach, (Passover) 30 A.D. to offer Himself as a “Lamb sacrifice” (He died), crushing the Ego, and shedding His blood to wash clean of sin embedded in our DNA and to humbly confess personal sins. We can only truly believe if we have a deep sense of conviction of our sins (Ps 51:17). After the third day He rose from the dead (resurrection) to give us hope and assurance (Heb 11:1) that we are on the right “Way” to the Father and Heaven.
The Holy Spirit who was poured out of Heaven by the Father 50 Days after the death of Jesus on Shavout (Pentecost) into the disciples (Jo 12:24). The remarkable work of the Holy Spirit is described in Acts Chapter 2, who created new heavenly men (1 Cor 15:48) with the commandments etched into their spirits, creation of new homes (oikos, households Ac 16:31) with Jesus as the (unseen) Head ad “dad” as the prophet, priest and King, and belong to Jesus’ home, His glorified body (Ac 1: 9-11, Ac 2, Heb 3:1-6). His work is to lead and assist, strengthen us to Jesus and to Abba, to holiness (a gradual process of sanctification 1 Pe 1:7, 2:21).
The Father and where He lives is the object/goal of following Jesus The Way, The Truth and the Life (jo 14:6). Jesus revealed that he talked to “the Father” intimately as “Daddy”, Abba (Mk14:36), and so can we as, Abba’s adopted sons and daughters (Ro 8:15,Gal 4:6, 2 Cor 6:11 – 7:1)
Ego puts self above all else. He is number one, I am number two – He must increase and I must decrease (Jo 3:30), it’s “Not I, but Christ” (Gal 2:20), its living and breathing walking in Jesus (Ac17:28). We will therefore want to be baptised in Jesus’ name, to be filled to overflowing by His Holy Spirit so that we can share from our overflow of agape love to Abba and our neighbour Lk 10:27-28! It’s all about dying to self, and beautiful relationships - vertical and horizontal.
Only if I do all these things, can I submit to continual control by Abba to continually agape Him (Ro 12:1-2, Ro 5:5) and brethren (Jo 13:34-35), and, be a true light of Jesus to the world (Jo 8:12, Mt 5:16). It’s a revolutionary Way. It cost a life (Jesus, Jo 3:16); it costs my life (1 Jo 3:16).
Lawrence NZ
Danny Hickman
This is the problem with viewing the gospel of Jesus being the Christ as a religion; talking about "becoming a Christian" as if there's something that a person can do to join him /herself to God. That's not how we are born again. That's how you become a member of a local assembly.
"Become a Christian" isn't quoted anywhere in scripture for a reason. "Make a decision for Christ" is another one. These are contrary to the gospel. They put the onus for our relationship with the Lord on us. It puts the responsibility for becoming a redeemed child of God on us. It makes being saved by God to be a choice we make. That is not the way the Bible explains it.
The person who asks, "How can I become a Christian" is asking what can be done, what part do I play in my salivation. The answer is "you don't do anything , you play no part" in being saved.
The lost coin was searched for and found; the lost sheep was also. The coin was misplaced. The sheep wandered off. The prodigal son made a decision to leave his father. That's the decision mankind made. He made a decision to return home because he thought of the benefits to him to be with his father instead of living in a pig sty. Luke 15
But the moral of the story was that his father would welcome him home and his brother wouldn't. It wasn't an illustration about how we are saved. In salvation, there is the sacrifice of a Son. That didn't happen in that story. The point was/ is, 'Salvation will cause division in the family.'
Danny Hickman
Continuing,
The story of the prodigal son is preached as the way a man comes to his senses and "gets saved." That's erroneous teaching and not a good understanding of Bible doctrine. It simplifies redemption. The man's father does nothing of significance; the son asks for his cut of the inheritance, the father obliges, he gathers all of his possessions and he leaves. He returns of his own accord also.
If Luke 15 is about "how to become a Christian," then the part about the sacrifice of the Lamb of God is omitted. (The fatted calf was killed and eaten at the celebration after his return; that's not chronologically correct; Christ was crucified before mankind "came to his senses." And the celebration is a future event). The prodigal son teaches a few truths of Christianity; the main one is the division salvation causes; it doesn't explain how we are redeemed. No parable can sum up the gospel in a neat little story.
God planned man's redemption before he created the world in which we live.
Our eternal life is the work of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit alone. We are called to the Son by the Father (John 6:44 ). We are reconciled to the Father by the Son (John 14:6). We are born again and become new creations by the Holy Spirit (John 3:9, 2 Cor 5:17).
None of what I just recorded straight out of the bible tells of something we do to "become Christians." It tells of what God does for us to redeem us from sin and death.
This is good news and should be preached as such!!
Danny Hickman
Continuing,
Not nearly enough preachers preach the simplicity of the gospel the way it should be preached. There's a fear that preaching the grace of God is a way of saying 'we don't have to stop sinning.'
Here's a fact: if we are required to stop sinning for any benefit to be realized, that benefit package is unused in this realm of life. No one besides Jesus has ever lived sin free for one nanosecond. Sin is a condition not an action.
We are born in sin, (Psalm 51:5) we are renewed in Christ. (Galatians 3:27, Colossians 3:10) Selah
The good news sounds too good to many of us; it doesn't to me; it sounds like the only way I could ever be acceptable to a righteounesss oriented God. If actually being righteous because of my own record was a requirement, I wouldn't even bother to try to make the grade.
That is the harm of preaching the self-righteous/ Christ's righteousness hybrid gospel that's been preached ever since Jesus was resurrected from the grave. People who are honest with themselves (I'm one of them) about themselves know that they will never earn God's forgiveness; the debt never ceases to accumulate... so they don't think they can be saved; they hide from God. It doesn't stop God's salvation plan, but it doesn't help it either.
What it does is, it gives undue honor to man, and robs God of praise for his amazing grace.
People are built that way; we want to feel good about ourselves.
I think realizing how much God loves us is worth so much more!