Are you wondering if you can call yourself a Christian?

People call themselves Christians for many different reasons. You may think you’re a Christian because you heard it from your parents. Or, you may think you’re a Christian because you attend, or previously attended a Christian church. It’s possible to identify as a Christian without really knowing the full scope of what it means.

Here’s what to know:

  • Jesus Christ is the center of Christianity. Christians are committed followers of Jesus Christ.
  • Christians have already recognized their own sin and realize, on their own, they cannot get rid of the guilt and shame that comes with their own sin.
  • Christians are people who have heard, and personally chosen to believe, the truth that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and the only one who can forgive sin.
  • Christians have chosen to turn away from their sin which is also called repentance, or changing your mind and changing your direction. Some people call this “getting right with God.”
  • Christians believe Jesus is the son of God and that God raised Him from the dead.
  • When Jesus was here, he said this in John 3:5-6: Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. What Jesus meant in this verse is that no one can, or will, see or be with God after earthly death, unless they have believed in Jesus and received the new birth by the Holy Spirit.
  • A person becomes a Christian Believer when they choose to invite Jesus into their heart and life. At that moment, the Holy Spirit comes into your heart and makes our human spirit alive for eternity.
How to Become a Christian

The Bible is clear that we cannot do anything to save ourselves. The only requirement is to believe in your heart. We must ask God to save us through a prayer.

In Romans 10:9-10, the Bible says:
9 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.


If you believe this and desire to become a Christian (with the most amazing benefits on earth and for eternity), you can pray this prayer, or one like it:


Heavenly Father, I confess I have sinned. I ask your forgiveness. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Christ, that He died for all my sin, and was raised from the dead. By faith, I now receive Jesus into my heart to save me and give me eternal life, and I choose to make Him my Lord. Amen.