How to Accept Christ As Your Savior

Co-authored by Olivia Woodford

Last Updated: October 14, 2024 Approved

"Jesus"... statistics show that this name is mentioned more than 3 million times an hour... Statistics even show that millions embrace Christianity each day, and that Christianity is the world's largest religion. You surely have heard of Jesus and Christianity before!

If you are interested in knowing more about Jesus, you are in the right place. This does not mean to rely 100% on these instructions. Asking a pastor, a Christian religious leader, a missionary, or even someone who is Christian may also be very helpful to you in order to achieve your goal in getting introduced to Jesus Christ.

Before you start reading what the article has to say in detail, realize that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled all the prophecies about the Messiah in the Jewish Bible (Old Testament).

In the Holy Bible, John 14:9 states that Jesus said: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father."

So, "How should you accept Christ as your Savior"? -- through accepting Jesus as your personal savior.

Accepting Jesus into Your Heart

Acknowledge that you are a sinner before God during prayer. Acknowledge your sins and ask God to forgive you. Then, ask Jesus to come into your heart and accept him as your Lord and Savior.

Steps

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Many people do not understand the concept of the Holy Trinity, and some explain it the wrong way. Early Christians' beliefs about the nature of God say: "God is one while being in a Trinity". The explanation of this is that The Father, The Son (Jesus) and The Holy Spirit are all one: The three of them refer to one and only one God, not by person, but by power, will and love. The Son has the same power and will as The Father and The Holy Spirit: That is why they are one God, and the three of them cannot be apart in anyway, they complete each other in everything. This does not mean if you pray to Jesus you are only praying to Him, this way, you are praying to God at once (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit). The Father and the Holy Spirit sent The Son to pay the price of our sins, by acceptance of the Son, because again, God is one by will, by power and by love. So when we say that God sent Jesus to Earth, we do not mean that God and Jesus are not the same. In the Trinity, they are different, but are one at the same time.
"So, I need to be saved from what, and why? Believing in God and The Bible is crucial to understanding "What is a savior?" and "Why be saved?" The Bible is God's revealed word to mankind, written by people so yielded to God's will that God chose them to write it. The people who wrote the books of the Bible were inspired (given the words) by God. They all agree in purpose and point to Christ, the Messiah, though they were written over a period of more than a thousand years. The Bible teaches that all people have sin in their lives.

Sin is any act that displeases God, as sin separates us from God, who is perfect, such that the payment we are to pay for sin is spiritual death -- permanent separation from God.
Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Spiritual Death entered into the world when Adam sinned.
Genesis 2:17: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die."

Romans 5:12: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned"

Romans 5:14: "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come."

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Because we are all born sinful, we are unable by our own whimsical or very deep reason--or in our own strength and morality--to please a perfect God. However, God sent His son Jesus as your representative and as your ransom from being captive.
John 3:16-17 (NIV): "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
This belief is trust and faith that God is who He says He is. He provided the payment for our sin by His own son’s taking our place as a substitute. All sins, past, present and future were forgiven by Christ at the cross, although men condemned Him who knew no sin to a cruel, physical death.
Hebrews 10:10: "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Someone had to pay with his life for all of our wrongs. Hebrews 9:22 (NIV)"In fact, the law requires that... without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
Jesus died to pay for the sins of man. However, He rose again, conquering death and making it possible to be saved; so we accept Jesus when the Holy Spirit calls you--not merely our thinking and reasoning it out, but realizing that it is based on God's provision and His gift. In fact, Christianity is not just a volunteer religion. (Jesus called His disciples, they generally didn't come to Him already determined to follow Him.) In the same way we cannot merely "accept" Jesus, but we can receive what He gives us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does call us--all to repentance (to change your mind) and to follow God--through hearing God's Word and accepting the Good News (Gospel). Those who do not believe have rejected God's free gift, those who do believe only have faith because faith is the free gift of God (by grace).
It is a prerequisite to accepting Christ. Once you understand that we are and you are a sinner and that all have sinned, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness by repenting, turning from your way to God's way.
Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Say, "Father in Heaven, I believe that Jesus died for my sins." And God will impart eternal life to your spirit.
"Truly, I tell all of you emphatically, the one who receives whomever I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me."^{[1]
X
Research source}(John13:20) That is the Holy Spirit ^{[2]
X
Research source} (John15:26)
Remember to ask for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not come automatically when a person believes but Jesus says everyone who asks receives. (Luke11:9-13)
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Taste and see that the gifts of the Lord are good. Believe that God loves you; He has shown this by giving His Son to face your punishment and die in your place for your payment for all you've done wrong and for all your sins.
- Repentance is the decision to turn away from sin and to turn to God and obey Him. Once you have done this, every other step will fall into place. If you still have a hard time with this concept, trust Jesus as Lord over you as well as Savior.
There is no protocol to follow in order to talk to God. God listens to your prayers even if you do not say them. But this does not mean He does not like to hear you seek His help and His forgiveness. God does not judge you violently, because He just is not a human being like us! He is your Father; He is your Brother and your personal protector and mediator, and He wants to become you very BFF (best friend forever)! God wants you to confess your sins to Him, because He wants to forgive you, and He wants you to tell Him your secrets, even though He knows everything about you. This is a promise: Matthew 7:7-9 "7 Ask and it will be given to you [worshippers]; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 [For] Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?"
But realize that: John 9:31 "Now [in this] we know that God [listens but] hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and does His will [and receives Christ], him He hears [and answers]." Talking to God can be in many forms, whether in a prayer or in an ordinary way as in talking to others. Here's a prayer suggestion, please read this suggestion but use your own words. Without reading such words, just tell God what you want to say to Him in your own words, expressing all your love to Him:

"My God and my Savior, I know I have disobeyed you, and I know about all the bad things I let into my life. But with you, my God, I'll never fear even the worst things in life, because you have sent your only true Son, Jesus, to be rejected by self-righteous teachers, falsely accused, crucified, and so He paid the price of my own sins. I come to you, my God, to confess everything I have done in my life, and to tell you I am sorry. I am here to declare you King of my life, my thoughts and my actions. I want you to be my Savior. Please God, forgive me, for I have sinned before you. My God and my LORD, reign over my life, because your reign is perfect and your kingdom will never see an end. Amen" Feel the presence of God in faith while kneeling. Kneeling is efficient, if you want to concentrate on nothing but your prayer.
Baptism is used to signify the death and burial of our old, sinful person and our resurrection as a forgiven Christian through the power of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus was (Romans8:11, Col. 2:12,13). Baptism is commanded "for the forgiveness of your sins." (Acts 2:38) You are saved by God's grace, through faith, not by works, so no one can boast... saved unto good works that God has already appointed for you to do. (Ephesians 2:8--10) The believer, Cornelius, who was a Roman jailer was baptized and his (house) family and servants were saved. (Acts 10:48) After every example of a person having faith and believing in Christ, he or she was, when possible, baptized to complete his or her salvation! (Acts 2:41; 8:13; 8:37,38; 9:18; 16:30-33, etc).

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I am a former Muslim and I would like to accept Christ now. What do I do?

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Go to a Christian church if there is one around you. Ask them how to accept Christ. Essentially, you must know that you are a sinner, that you are imperfect, and that Jesus is perfect. You must believe that Jesus is God's son, yet he is also God, and that he died on the cross for you to save you from condemnation. You must also believe that the Bible is God's word and that God is creator and ruler of the world.

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I have accepted Christ as Savior and have now started on a Christian path, but long ago I told God that i have rejected Him as Savior in my mind. I have repented, will God reject me?

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No, of course not! God is a loving and forgiving father. If you truly accept him as your Savior, then all is good.

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Will God forgive me for bad things I did when depressed?

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Yes, just ask him to.

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Tips

A prophet named Isaiah goes into great detail, proofs, scriptures for you to understand. Read the whole chapter of Isaiah 53, but here are verses 3—5, "He was despised and rejected by men...:

Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.

But He was pierced for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and

by His wounds we are healed." Yes, Jesus fulfilled those longstanding prophecies concerning the Messiah, completely.^{[3]
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Christianity may be metaphorically compared to a race. A race to reach the finish line (Heaven) is our ultimate goal, but how we run the race is more important than when we finish the race. We pause to help others along the way (benevolence, and bringing others to Christ), and sometimes stumble on obstacles in the way (our sin, others' sin). Christianity isn't an easy path. It may be easy to 'run the first lap', but the race becomes more difficult as we mature in our faith. Never forget to ask Jesus' help, because we are not alone in the 'race'.

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If you want an alternative viewpoint on accepting Christ, see Overcome Christophobia.

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A Simple Key

Learn about Jesus and believe that He died, rose from the dead as your Savior and then pray and repent to the one, true God saying: "I am sorry for my sin, all my wrong doing; I want to change, and I truly thank you for everything and that I am now forgiven and saved from the penalty for my sins as a free gift, in Jesus' name I pray, Amen." Now tell others that "There is one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who is Lord and Savior for everyone who believes, repents and follows Him:" which should include going to Christian meetings, being baptized as a sign of accepting your new life, praying to God, showing God's love by kindness, forgiving others, making peace, fellowshipping with believers, and when you sin asking for (and accepting) forgiveness, expecting consequences for some wrongs, and going on, all in Christ Jesus' name -- with God as the one, true Judge of all things good or bad.

Warnings

Be aware that once you've accepted Christ into your life, persecution knows no bounds. Now that you understand and feel the love of Jesus, you may become one of Satan's prime targets. Fret not, though, because nothing on earth or in Hell can harm your faith with God daily at your side. Do not worry about it, but rather remember this when you face temptations to sin.

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God will always love you for no matter what you do. And He always has loved you. But now that you've become a Christian, you must not do some things that you have previously done. Just because you're a new person, doesn't mean you can do other things you've done before that were wrong.

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Avoid having a closed mind: but keep an open core willingness to accept faith as totally relevant and an open mind to the Biblical account and Bible-doctrines are needed. "You are the light of the World." -- but, a candle cannot be lit, if it has no wick (to be lighted), like a core/wick of faith in God, to spread the light of Jesus Christ in the shadows of non-belief.

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For some people becoming a Christian is an emotional step; for others it is a simple act of trust -- receiving Him without emotions. God will save you with or without emotions.

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Do not expect that this is an easy life. Some example may be found in books like Jesus Freaks, The Hiding Place, Boom, Heavenly Man, or Christian magazines such as OpenDoors International or Voice of the Martyrs to find out what true faith looks like worldwide. People may make fun of you for doing this. But that doesn't mean that you'll be happy or unhappy for the rest of your life. You can have eternal joy for the rest of your life, knowing that you've accepted God and that you are accepted, in turn, as His friend, brother/sister.

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If you have wronged someone else, go and apologize without cuts or put-downs. No matter how hard it may be, it will always be worth it to make restitution. Then, do not dwell on it, but get back to following Jesus and His example.

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Don't ever suppose that God doesn't care about what you do from now on. Always be aware that He doesn't want you to go back and do the sin that you may be used to. He has made you a different person for good so that you can live 'above' sin, not fall back into it. Always remember that you will undoubtedly be tempted to sin, but you can pray daily that God will keep you from failing. If you do sin, ask forgiveness from God right away, and ask Him to help you not to do it again.

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Do not expect all your family and friends to like the new you, but it is OK, Jesus never said that it would be easy. He just said that it would be the truth. This does not mean at all that your family members will not accept Jesus. They just need to have the power of God in them and work in them so that they might become new like you.

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The grace of Jesus covers all sins. None of your words or actions can ever keep you from salvation and God's loving embrace. The only exception to this is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but this only applies to those who are already believers and speak vile words or commit vile acts against the Holy Spirit.
Luke 12:10 (NIV)

"And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."
Aside from this only exception, the grace of Jesus is yours when you believe in Him -- when you commit yourself to Christ.
Ephesians 1:12-14 (NIV)

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of His glory."

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For more advice, talk to a pastor at a church, or another Christian, or just talk to God. The Holy Spirit will guide you all the days of your life, and He knows what's best for you, and always remember, God loves you.
- Learn recommended Bible scriptures (about your salvation and Life in Christ) that you may wish to commit to long-term memory: here is a free resource to aid in memorizing for retention. Your long term memory is formed of memory traces from a mix of spaced repetitions, discussions and reviews, experience, associations, images and appreciation of the importance of the information, and renewed rehearsals will establish longer lasting connections with less effort than the original learning.
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Things You'll Need

The Bible: In some countries there are few Bibles, and there is persecution of Christians -- or lack of funds and supply. The word of God, especially the Book of John in the Bible, tells how to be a Christian. Owning a Bible isn't -- but access to the Bible is -- essential.
Other Christians to encourage and guide you. If you don't know any, praise God for the mission field that He has placed you in! You may feel inexperienced, but read the Bible and ask God what He wants. Do those things, but verify that it is truly Him by comparing the plan with His word (the Bible).