How to Become a Christian

First, you must realize that you are a sinner. Everyone is. Even Mary, the chosen vessel to give birth to Jesus was a sinner, and in need of a Saviour. This is why she said:

"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." -Luke 1:46-47

Mary followed the Levitical law of bringing a sacrifice to the temple for her sins:

"And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." -Luke 2:21-24

Here is the law that Mary was obeying, for her sins:

"And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." -Leviticus 12:8

Except for Jesus, who is God, all people are sinners:

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" -Romans 3:23

This means Mary had sinned, and this means that you and I have sinned, as well.

This is why Jesus came to the earth:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." -Romans 6:23

Jesus died in our place, to pay the wages for our sins for us. He is the Lamb of God; our Sacrifice, to atone for our sins. This is a gift of God to us - to those who will receive it:

"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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." -Romans 10:9-11

That's it. Just realize you are a sinner, and accept the gift of Christ dying on the cross to pay for your sins. That, and that alone saves you. If you chose to accept this free gift of salvation, simply pray right where you are, right now, and tell God that you accept Jesus' death on the cross to pay for your sins, and invite Jesus to be the Lord of your life:

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." -Revelation 3:20

Now That You're Saved...

Once you have received Jesus Christ, you are saved - period. Next, you'll want to learn how to live out the life that God has in store for you. He has a plan for all of His children, and when we follow that plan, He blesses us abundantly, because He loves us so much. Start by reading the Gospel of John in a King James Bible. After that, flip over to the book of Romans, and read that next. These two books give you the basic Gospel, and doctrines for Christian living.

Find a good, Bible believing church, or start one in your home. Understand that Christians are THE church, not some building with a sign on it, that says "church." WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit, but going to "a church" is a great way to find other Christians, and meet more brothers and sisters in Christ, etc.

Next, get baptized. Baptism doesn't save you, but it is a public profession of your faith. A Believer's Baptism is the only Scriptural baptism. It is to take place some time after you've been saved. If you were baptized as an infant, or some time before your salvation, then in God's eyes that was not a real baptism. It was you simply getting wet. Further, your Believer's Baptism should be a full immersion baptism. When you are under the water, that symbolizes you dying to your old self. When you come up out of the water, that symbolizes you being born again as a new creature in Christ.

Read four or more chapters from the Bible, every day. Don't just read the Word, LIVE IT. An apple tree bears apples, and a Christian tree is supposed to bear Christian fruits. When a person is a Christian, people should be able to tell. Read the Bible, and learn the role God has for you, and pray to Him to reveal to you His will for your life.

Meanwhile, below is a bit about Husband, Children, and Wife roles, from the Bible:

The Husband's Role

The husband is the head of the family:

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body." -Ephesians 5:23

Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. Husbands who love their wives love themselves:

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself." -Ephesians 5:25-28

"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." -1 Peter 3:7

Husbands are not to be bitter towards their wives:

"Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them." -Colossians 3:19

Fathers are not to overly discourage, or overly anger their children:

"Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged." -Colossians 3:21

The husband should provide for his family:

"But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." -1 Timothy 5:8

From the above Scriptures, we see that the husband's role is:

- To love his wife as Christ loves the church

- To be the head of the family

- To be the provider for the family

- To be gentle, and not bitter towards his wife, and not to discourage his children

The Children's and Parent's Roles

Children are to obey and honor their parents:

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." -Exodus 20:12

"Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." -Deuteronomy 5:16

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." -Ephesians 6:1-3

Parents are to train up their children in the Lord:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." -Proverbs 22:6

Mothers, watch your children, and don't leave them to themselves:

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." -Proverbs 29:15

How many children are acting up, and misbehaving, because they are lacking proper training and nurturing from their mothers? Moms should not be pawning off their children to various public places, or people, or kicking them out the door to run the neighborhood. Mothers should be with their children, teaching them, training them, and bringing them up in the Lord.

Fathers, as the head of the family, are to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord:

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." -Ephesians 6:4

Likewise, fathers are to nurture their children in the Lord. Often, what children see in their earthy dads can play a big part on how they picture God, and their relationship to Him.

The Wife's Role

In the eyes of the Lord, and in the Gospel, the husband and wife are equal:

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." -Galatians 3:26-28

Husbands and wives simply have different roles. While part of the role of the husband is to be the head of the household, part of the role of the wife is to submit to her husband’s authority:

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." -Ephesians 5:22-24

Wives are to be discreet and chaste. They are to be sober (in mind and body), to love their husbands and children, to obey their husbands, be good, AND are to be keepers at home:

"That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." -Titus 2:4-5

Wives are not to nag their husbands:

"A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike." -Proverbs 27:15

"It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house." -Proverbs 21:9

Wives are not to talk badly about their husbands to others. Their husband's hearts should be able to fully trust them. She should also be frugal with the money he earns:

"The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil." -Proverbs 31:11

If the husband is an unbeliever, or is a believer, but is not following the Word of God, then the wife is not to push him, but simply to have chaste conversation (in word and deed), coupled with fear (fear here means humble reverence and respect). The wife is to take the issue to God in prayer, and continue to honor and submit to her husband in the Lord:

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear." -1 Peter 3:1-2

While the wife should strive to be attractive, and even a bit alluring to her husband, she needs to also remember to be modest in clothing, behaviour, appearance, and conversation:

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." -1 Peter 3:3-4

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works." -1 Timothy 2:9-10

While the wife has the responsibility to stay attractive for and to her husband, she needs to do so with discretion:

"As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion." -Proverbs 11:22

Wives are to learn in silence in the church. This is to show that she is willingly under the submission of her husband:

"Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." -1 Timothy 2:11-12

"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." -1 Corinthians 14:34-35

Notice the two above Scriptures say women are to learn in silence in the church. No where does the Bible say women can't teach the Bible. In fact, we see women serving the church, such as Phebe, and teaching the Bible to both men and women, such as Priscilla. Further, women can speak in the church, but not when learning is supposed to be occurring. I wrote a whole article on this, along with plenty of Scriptures. You can read that article click here.

The wife is to stay at home, and take care of her family, not leave the house to work a job, etc:

"To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. -Titus 2:5

"She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." -Proverbs 31:27

"I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." -1 Timothy 5:14

A Summary of the Wife's Duties

- While the husband and wife are equal in person, they have different roles. The wife is to follow the role that God has laid out for her, and not try to step into the man's role. In the sphere of familial authority, the husband is the head of the wife, just as God is the head of Christ. God and Christ are equal, but have different roles, and the same is for the husband and wife.

- The husband is the head and leader of the family. The wife is to submit to his headship and authority

- The wife is to be sober (in mind and body), to love her husband and children, to be discreet and chaste, to obey her husband, and to be a keeper at home. Wives who disobey these things are blaspheming the Word of God, as per Titus 2:4-5

- The wife is to stay home, and the husband is to provide for his family. See above, and also see husband's role

- Wives are not to nag their husbands

- Wives are not to talk down or badly to and about their husbands

- Wives are to be frugal with the money their husbands earn

- If the husband is not following the Word of God, the wife is still to submit to him, but to be a good example to him, via her conversation and actions. She is to continue to revere and respect him

- While the wife should continue to be attractive to her husband, she must do so with discretion and modesty

- The wife is to learn in silence in the church, showing that she is under the headship of her husband. He is the spokesperson for the family.