Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation.
The Bible says:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me."
Revelation 3:20
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
Will you receive Jesus Christ right now?
Here is how you can receive Christ:
We suggest a prayer like this one:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner.)
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) and ask for God's forgiveness.
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name, amen."
SOURCE: https://peacewithgod.net/steps/
- Nowhere does the Bible require to receive Jesus as one's “Lord” to have eternal life. Certainly when we received Jesus as our Savior (trusting Him to save us), we received the Lord Jesus Christ. However, what today's corrupt neo-evangelical preachers mean by “Lord” is that you must surrender control of your life over to God, to serve Jesus and follow Him from now on. This is Lordship Salvation, not grace.
- Nowhere does the Bible teach to be willing to “be willing to turn from your sin” to be saved. This is NOT repentance to be saved. Bible repentance is a change of mind, period. Since the Greek word metanoia doesn't indicate what we are supposed to change our mind about, we need supplemental information from the Scripture. Acts 20:21 speaks of “repentance toward God.” 2nd Timothy 2:25 speaks of “repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” Hebrews 6:1 speaks of “repentance from dead works.” But you will never find anything in the Scripture about repentance “of your sins” or “turning from your sin.” Ungodly religious men ADDED those words to the inspired Word of God (Proverbs 30:5-6). The only change of mind required regarding sin to be saved is the admission that you are a guilty sinner in God's sight (Romans 3:19-20).
Furthermore, to tell someone that they must “be willing to turn from sin” is effectively the same as requiring them to forsake a lifestyle of sin. If I tell you that you can borrow my car, but only if you're willing to top off the gas tank when you return it, I have clearly implied that I expect you to fill the gas tank. Likewise, to require a lost sinner to “be willing to turn from sin” is no different than telling someone that they must do WORKS to be saved. Jonah 3:10 says that God saw the Ninevite's WORKS, that they turned from their evil way. They didn't get saved, they repented of their sins and God spared them from imminent national destruction. A century later God sent the prophet Nahum to pronounce judgment upon Assyria, because they went back into wickedness. - Nowhere does the Bible require a lost sinner to “ask” God to be saved. God is already freely offering everyone the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. All you need to do is take it by faith.
- Nowhere does the Bible teach us to “pray” to be saved. John 3:16, 6:28-29, 47; 11:25-26 simply tell us to BELIEVE ON JESUS to be saved. You may pray and never be saved at all. Albeit, it is okay to pray from a believing heart, just so long as you understand that prayer is NOT necessary to be born again. Anybody who insists that you cannot be saved unless you pray is lying to you.
- Nowhere does the Bible require a lost sinner to “invite” Jesus to come in and “control your life.” These are lies added to God's simple plan of salvation, which obscure and confuse the Gospel, hindering sinners from being saved.
“Jesus does not forgive sin! Jesus paid for the price of sin with His death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus does not forgive sin for He paid for sin Himself. He forgives sinners by paying for their sins!” —Pastor Bob Gray Sr.
“It is 'Good News' if no one must have good works before salvation, or after salvation. For salvation to truly be by grace, it must not have any stipulations of any kind at any time. Works before, during or after; works cannot be evidence of my salvation.” —Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold, “Does Calvinism Change The Gospel?”
(Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold)