Becoming a Christian
Jesus Christ came that we might have life and have it abundantly. The Scriptures were written that people might know that they have eternal life. Yet many people are not certain of their eternal destiny. It is possible to know for certain that when you die you will go to heaven. Let me use the fingers of a human’s hand to illustrate the greatest news of all time.
Thumb—Heaven is a free gift.
Hitchhikers often stand along side the road with their thumb in the air. If you gave them a ride it would be a free gift, something unearned and undeserved.
Likewise, heaven is a free gift. It is not earned or deserved. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23 NIV). We don’t merit heaven. It is absolutely free. It is given to people as an act of God’s grace.
A problem exists however.
Forefinger—Man is a sinner.
Look at your forefinger. We often use it to point out other people’s mistakes. But when we point, if you notice, three fingers are pointing back at us, reminding us that we, too, are not perfect. We have made our share of blunders and mistakes. The Bible calls those blunders and mistakes sin.
Not one of us is good enough to get into heaven because God’s standard is perfection. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23 NIV). Our sin separates us from God. And, tragically, none of us can earn our way into heaven. We can’t save ourselves. The Bible says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9 NIV).
The problem of man trying to get to heaven on his own efforts becomes more acute when we discover what the Bible says about God.
Middle finger—God is merciful and just.
Largest and central on the hand is the middle finger. God is awesome and powerful, the central and creating force in the universe.
On the one hand, he is merciful and loving and kind, but he is also just and holy and righteous. He loves you, but hates the sin in your life. He doesn’t want to punish us, but he must deal with sin. What is the answer to this dilemma?
God in his infinite wisdom devised a solution. God sent his Son into the world to solve the problem for us.
Ring Finger—Jesus paid for our sins.
Married people wear wedding bands to indicate that they have entered into a relationship with another. The Bible calls Jesus the Groom and his followers the bride. People who understand and trust in what he did enter into an eternal and saving relationship with him.
Who is Jesus Christ? The Bible says that Jesus is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1, 14 NIV). God visited our planet in human flesh.
What did Jesus Christ do? Jesus paid for our sins and purchased a place in heaven for us, which he offers as a free gift. The Bible says, “The gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23 NIV).
How do we receive it?
Little Finger—Trusting Jesus alone for salvation.
The little finger is the smallest on your hand. It stands for faith. Faith is the key that opens the door to heaven. Someone said that faith is the empty hand of a beggar receiving the gift of a king.
Like the little finger, faith is not a matter of size but direction. Faith does not merely intellectually believe in a historical Jesus. I believe that Karl Marx lived but I am not a communist. I believe that Hitler lived but that doesn’t make me a Nazi. The Bible teaches that devil believes in Christ. Saving faith is not just trusting Christ for health, finances, strength, or guidance. These temporal things have only to do with life on earth.
Saving faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation. Christ didn’t come to merely help us through a rough time or to guide us safely to our next job. Jesus came to provide a way for us to get to heaven that we might have eternal life. Faith is putting our complete trust in Jesus Christ alone for what he did on the cross, meeting the demands of a holy and just God, saving us from our sins, granting us a home in heaven.
Followers of Christ have abandoned their attempts to earn God’s favor through their own accomplishments and have individually received Christ’s free gift of eternal life—by his grace alone—through repentance and faith. They alone have a place in heaven.
Does this make sense to you?
Do you want to receive the gift of eternal life that Christ left heaven and died on a cross to give you?
A gift is not a gift until it is received. In order to receive the gift of eternal life and be assured of your home in heaven, pray the following prayer:
Dear Lord, I want you to come into my life. I am a sinner. I have been trusting in myself and my own good works. But now I place my trust in you. I accept you as my personal Savior. I believe that you died on the cross for me. I receive you as Lord and Master of my life. Help me to turn from my sins and to follow you. I accept the free gift of eternal life. I am not worthy of it, but I thank you for it. Amen.
That is the most important prayer than anyone can pray. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life” (John 6:47 NIV). Welcome to the family of God.
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