How Do I Convert To Christianity?

I once met a man that listened patiently as I shared the gospel. He asked several questions and after answering them all with Scripture I asked him what he thought about what he just heard. He said he didn’t know. I asked if he didn’t know because he didn’t understand or he didn’t know because he was not sure if he believed it. He said that he didn’t know because he had heard different things from different people from different churches about how to go to Heaven. He concluded by saying that one day he would choose which one he would follow and convert to Christianity by being baptized in that church. With this confusion from so many self-proclaimed Christians, is it any wonder why people are confused about what is the right answer when they ask, “How do I convert to Christianity?”

Sadly, I had this discussion with the man several years ago and he has yet to make his decision. I have even reinforced the fact that “converting” to Christianity is not about choosing which denominational method sounds the best, because the gospel of salvation is non-denominational. Yet, he is still undecided about how he should convert.

What does it mean to convert?

“Converting” to Christianity in the popular sense of the term is technically not Biblical. It is not some religious rite that you perform or church that you join. In fact, just because someone may trust Christ as their Savior, does not make them a Christian. Becoming a Christian requires a clear understanding and belief about salvation and a solid foundation of basic Biblical doctrines that produces change in your life (Acts 11:20-26). See the article “How Does The Bible Define a Christian?” for more on this. So, “converting” to Christianity, is something much deeper. It has nothing to do with anything we do. It has everything to do with what God does (Psalms 19:7; Luke 22:29-32; Acts 3:1-20).

How does God show us we need to be converted?

The Bible says that God gave the commandments, or the law, to show us that none of us are perfect, but sinners, guilty of breaking God’s law (Romans 3:19-20, 23). It says that keeping of the law cannot make us perfect either, it only reminds us of our sin (Hebrews 7:19; Hebrews 10:1-4). It also says that the penalty of breaking God’s law, or sin, is death (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23; James 5:20). This means that when we die we go to Hell and later, the Lake of Fire, for eternity (Revelation 20:10; Revelation 20:13-15).

Some people think that only really bad people go to Hell. However, God’s idea of bad is different than ours. God says that all sin is equal, no matter how big or small. He classifies gossips right alongside of murderers when it comes to being worthy of death (Romans 1:28-32). He says that if we have broken one commandment, we have broken them all (James 2:10). Therefore, the law shows us that we need a Savior to save us from death.

Who can be saved then?

If we think about it. Heaven is a perfect place. If it was not perfect, then what would be so good about it? Since God is perfect, the only people that can be in the direct presence of God in Heaven are perfect people or it would not continue to be perfect (Deuteronomy 18:13; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalms 18:30). I don’t know about you, but, I know me and if Heaven was filled with imperfect people like me, I would not want to be there forever! So then, how does anyone go to Heaven if they are not perfect?

This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus lived a perfect life and never sinned (Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 4:14-15). Because He never sinned, He did not have to suffer the wages of sin, which is death (Romans 6:23). Instead, He allowed Himself to be wrongfully crucified on the cross to pay our penalty or wages of sin (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Galatians 1:3-4; 1 John 2:2). The moment we hear the truth of the gospel, or good news, about what He did for us and believe it we are saved from death in Hell and the Lake of Fire (John 3:16; John 3:36; Acts 16:27-32; Romans 10:6-11; Ephesians 2:8-9).

In order to be saved and see the kingdom of God, we must be born again (John 3:3-7). Jesus does this by taking our sins upon Himself and giving us His perfect righteousness so that when God the father looks at us, He see the righteousness of His Son Jesus. This is because we are born again by the Holy Spirit as a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18; 1 Peter 1:18-25).

It is at this moment, we become a child of God, born again into His family, sealed by the Holy Spirit and given an inheritance in Heaven (Galatians 3:6-29; Ephesians 4:30). The best part of this is that anyone can be saved by trusting Christ as their Savior (John 3:17; John 3:10; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:2). There is no other way, but through trusting Jesus (Matthew 1:21; Acts 4:10-12; 1 Timothy 2:1-6).

How do I convert to Christianity?

To be saved, or converted, you must trust Christ as your Savior. You trust Christ as your Savior the moment you hear what the Word of God says about salvation through Christ and believe it by faith (Romans 10:11-17). There is no ceremony or deed like baptism by water that will save you (1 Peter 3:21). There is no special proclamation by a minister. There is no vote of a church. It is the moment you believe in your heart that God saves, or converts you (Romans 10:9-10).

This means you acknowledge in your heart that you believe you are not perfect and have broken God’s law, which makes you guilty of sin. You acknowledge in your heart you believe that you are not deserving of eternal life, but deserving of death. You acknowledge in your heart you believe that Christ paid for your sins when He died upon the cross. You acknowledge in your heart that you believe only by trusting in Christ and His sacrifice for you that God will convert you. You acknowledge in your heart that you believe that converting to Christianity is not about what you do, it is about what He did.

If you believe these things in your heart, then God HAS saved you and converted your soul from death and has sealed you until the day of redemption, which is the day you stand before Him perfect in Heaven. The very next thing you should do, if you have not done so already, is find a good church that preaches and teaches the Bible as the Word of God, line upon line and precept upon precept, salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone, not works. You should also be baptized by immersion, as a public testimony of your salvation and identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Conclusion

To be converted to Christianity, you have to believe by faith that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Conversion does not come from ceremonies, works, or votes of man. Conversion comes from God, the moment you trust Christ as your Savior to save you from the penalty of your sins. Finally, conversion, or salvation, is available to anyone by God’s grace through faith, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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Article By Dr. Michael Williams

Dr. Michael L. Williams is a pastor, author, Christian educator and Biblical counselor who has served in ministry since March of 2000. Dr. Mike holds under-graduate through post graduate degrees in Christian Education and formerly worked as a nurse. Dr. Mike is the Senior Pastor of Selah Mountain Ministries, which he founded in March of 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA (selahmountain.org). In addition to counseling, he teaches how to overcome life issues Biblically on topics such as anger management, marriage, addictions, and other subjects typically referred to as mental illnesses. Dr. Mike is also a writer at What Christians Want To Know. Dr. Mike lives with his wife Pamela Rose and adult daughter Hollie Rose. He and Pamela have other adult children and several grandchildren as well. Learn more about Dr. Mike at his personal ministry web site Wisdom4Today

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, King James Version