Being a Christian is more than going to church or being a good person. It is trusting Jesus Christ, following him as Lord, and living the life he made possible. This guide walks through what makes someone a Christian and how to live as one — for new believers and for those still considering.
Acts 11:26 — 'the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.' Christian means 'follower of Christ.' Christianity is not first a moral system but a relationship with Jesus, who is the Christ — God's Son, who died for sin and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). To be a Christian is to trust him, follow him, and be transformed by him (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Believe Jesus is God's Son who died for your sins and rose again (Romans 10:9). This is the foundation; everything else flows from it.
See Romans 10:9-10 →Turn from sin. Trust Christ as Savior and Lord. Pray honestly — tell God you receive his Son.
Public confession of faith. Acts 2:38 — 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.'
See Acts 2:38 →Start with John, then Romans. Build a daily rhythm. God speaks primarily through his word.
Conversation with God shapes the Christian life. Start simple. Use the Lord's Prayer as a model.
Christianity is communal, not solo. Find a Bible-believing church and commit. Hebrews 10:25.
See Hebrews 10:25 →Obey what you learn. Confess sin quickly. Love the brethren. Serve and give. Tell others. The Christian life unfolds over a lifetime.
A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ — someone who trusts him as Savior and Lord, has been forgiven of sin, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, adopted as God's child, and is being transformed into Christ's likeness (Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:17). Christianity is relational, not merely ethical.
Repent (turn from sin) and believe the gospel (trust Christ). Romans 10:9-10 — '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.' Tell God in honest prayer; tell others; get baptized; begin life as Christ's follower.
Christians confess: one God in three persons (Father, Son, Spirit); Jesus is fully God and fully man; he died for sins and rose again; salvation is by grace through faith; the Bible is God's word; the church is Christ's body; he will return. The Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed summarize Christian faith.