Where Do I Go From Here?

Overview: Now that you’ve explored the content of the Christian Decisions website, we hope it’s been both informative and helpful. If you already have a relationship with Jesus, perhaps you’ve gained fresh insights into, or deepened your grasp of, the Christian faith. Perhaps those insights include possible roles you can play in the Christian story. If you are still considering Christianity, or are simply curious about the prospect of embracing Jesus and His gift of forgiveness, the summary below outlines basic steps in your becoming a Christian. In addition, at the end of this presentation, we include internet links to various Christian resources available in the U.S., Canada, and globally. These links offer access to local church services and additional Christian resources.

What Does It Mean To “Make The Christian Decision”?: If you’re contemplating embarking on a personal journey into the Christian story, what might this entail? In Luke 6:47 Jesus word to us—“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them. . . .”—highlights a few of the key precepts to weather the storms of the Christian life. This holds true across various Christian denominations, whether Protestant, Catholic, or non-denominational, as they share the same fundamental beliefs outlined below.

Recognition of God and Jesus: At the heart of Christianity is the recognition of God as the Creator of the universe. If you find yourself struggling with the concept of an all-powerful Creator, you might find beneficial exploring the “Science vs. God” section. While belief in one God is common among religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, recognizing Jesus as the divine “Son of God” is uniquely Christian. Historically, there are far more ancient written references to Jesus than any other person in history, which include hundreds of biblical and non-Biblical notations. However, to truly be considered a Christian, it’s crucial to see Jesus not only as a significant philosopher and historical figure, but truly as your divine Lord and Savior, eternally co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the Holy Trinity. For a deeper understanding of what sets Jesus apart from other significant historical figures, please review the “Jesus Is Unique.” section.

Repent and Be Baptized: A fundamental step in your Christian journey is to acknowledge, reflect upon, and repent of your moral shortcomings (sins), earnestly seeking God’s forgiveness. For a deeper exploration of this topic, please refer to the “Forgiveness.” section. If you choose to embrace Christianity, getting baptized is a significant initial step if you haven’t already. If you’ve already been baptized in a Christian church, it’s worth noting that baptism is generally recognized across most all Christian denominations, even if the importance ascribed to this Christian ritual varies. To be sure, Jesus and His followers highlight the importance of baptism in becoming His disciple (Matt. 28:18–20; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Accept Jesus As Your Lord and Savior, and Follow His Example: To embrace true forgiveness, it’s essential to acknowledge the gift that Jesus offers through His atoning (removing the effects of sin)), sacrificial death on the Cross. This step involves placing your trust in Him, an act often referred to as “belief” or “faith.” However, please note that all Christians, including Nobel-prize winning scientists, also ground their faith in a combination of evidence and reason. Christian “faith” is not synonymous with “Blind Faith.” The final step of “faith” does require, though, using your God given gift of free will to step beyond any remaining doubts or concerns you might have. This means trusting in Jesus, even with remaining doubts or uncertainties in your beliefs. It’s common to have unanswered questions about your Christian faith. Even prominent evangelist Billy Graham admitted to not fully understanding the purpose of suffering when he said, “I have to confess that I really do not know the answer totally, even to my own satisfaction.” Yet, such uncertainties didn’t deter Billy Graham from not only embracing Christianity, but also actively preaching God’s word. For further information on addressing doubts, see the “Skeptic” section.

After initially accepting Jesus as more than a significant historical figure, your commitment to Christianity will be affirmed through your continuous efforts to both comprehend and act upon His words (see Luke 6:47). This level of action is often referred to as “good works” by Christians, which is essential in playing your role within the Christian story. While we are all imperfect beings, we must do our best to live the Christian life. Participating in a Christian church or organization can help guide and support you throughout your lifelong journey in the Lord, including coping with life’s many challenges. For information on Christian church directories in the U.S., Canada, and worldwide, please refer to the links provided at the end of this document.

Talk To Him: As you begin or continue your journey with Jesus, establishing a regular practice of talking with Him is essential to both honor (glorify) and respect Him, as well as seek guidance in your life. These conversations are often referred to as “prayer.” Whether you find yourself in a quiet place at home, admiring the vast universe on a starlit night, or seeking God’s forgiveness for a momentary lapse in judgment, these moments of communicating with God are essential to nurture and maintain your bond with Jesus and help further clarify your role within the Christian story. Please review the “Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9–13) that Jesus gave us. In addition, you might find helpful structuring your personal prayers around the following general themes presented below:

Example Basic Prayer Components

1.) Praise: Begin your conversation by taking a moment to honor and exalt God as your Creator and Jesus as His divine Son, acknowledging their majesty, power, and mercy.

2.) Thanksgiving: Express your gratitude for God’s blessings in your life. Maintaining a “gratitude list” may be a helpful reminder of these blessings.

3.) Contrition: Humbly seek the Lord’s forgiveness for your sins, requesting reconciliation with Him and a pure heart. This includes acknowledging your most recent transgressions.

4.) Guidance to Fulfill God’s Will: Ask for the wisdom to discern God’s will and the fortitude to follow it faithfully. This guidance is crucial for both comprehending and effectively fulfilling your Christian role(s) in life, and includes other issues you might need to discuss with the Father and Jesus.5.) Petition Consider yourself and those in your life—family, friends, and even adversaries—who are in need of God’s help. Use this time to present your special prayer requests, asking for His help and compassion in your life and those of others.

Learn It, Live It, Share it

As noted, Jesus proclaims, “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them. . .” (Luke 6:47). This means actively carrying out God’s work in constructing a house that can withstand the storms of life (Luke 6:47–49; –see Matt. 7:24–27). Another way to state this concept is, “Learn it, Live It. Share it.” As practicing Christians, we are obligated to do our best to understand (hear), implement (do) and persevere in Jesus’s teachings by advocating these Gospel principles to others (evangelizing).

Learn It: Navigating and playing your role within the Christian story can greatly vary depending on your unique, God-given skills, current circumstances, and the evolving stages of your life. Working to implement Jesus’s teaching requires a reasonable comprehension—and acceptance—of what that might entail. Without this insight, aligning with God’s guidance may prove prone to error and discouragement. Gaining this insight involves regular reading and studying of the Bible, while also attending Christian services, lectures, and events. For further insight, consider exploring the “Bible Reliability” section.

Live It: Our potential roles in the Christian story can be quite diverse. Not everyone is called to become a renowned figure, such as the apostle Paul or Mother Teresa, who dedicated their lives entirely to doing God’s work. Moreover, your role can evolve significantly over time. For instance, at one stage, supporting and raising a Christian family might be your primary purpose. In other stages, especially if you are single or perhaps retired, you might engage more in special ministries, including writing or becoming a Christian activist. For insight on discerning God’s purpose in your life, see the “Purpose and Meaning.” section.

If you possess substantial wealth or resources, your role could involve philanthropy, including supporting Christian missions to aid the sick and poor and otherwise propagate the Christian faith. However, often simply leading an exemplary Christian life is enough to inspire non-Christians to explore Christian story. If you have more time than wealth, your role may be to help those struggling with pain, loneliness, or suffering from clinical depression. For more on this subject, see “Pain and Suffering”.

Share It: Every Christian is called to share their faith with others, in one way or another, whether with family, friends, at work, etc. (see Matt. 5:14–16). This act of sharing your Christian faith is often referred to as “evangelization,” or proclaiming the “Good News” (Gospel). Regardless of one’s status in the world, whether a company CEO, a parent working to support their family, person living in a homeless shelter, or a new Christian serving life in prison for murder, Jesus will provide you opportunities to spread the Gospel. Are you prepared and ready? Sharing your Christian faith is not an option; it needs to be an integral component of your everyday life, whether in deed and/or word. When you evangelize, friends and enemies may challenge and ridicule you, including on social media. In some countries, there exists not only the prospect of ridicule, but also a real threat of imprisonment or even death. Please review “Fear of Ridicule” for additional information.

Hang in There: Each of us is of immense value in the eyes of God, (John 10:11) living a unique life filled with joys, successes, failures, and sorrows. Life’s journey, even for devout Christians, still has its high and lows. In recognizing our role within God’s plan, and by embracing Jesus’s teachings and seeking guidance through prayer, we can successfully navigate our lives while here on earth. With God’s help, we can indeed “hang in there” until we “hang out” with Jesus forever in heavenly glory! (Matt. 6:33; John 14:6).

Discovering Your Christian Home

It’s important to locate and attend a local Christian church in your city, including via the internet. These are important steps in further exploring and practicing your Christian faith. This includes further discovering what it takes live as a Christian and discerning your possible role(s) as a follower of Jesus. We encourage you to seek out a nearby Christian church and organizations to deepen your understanding of Christianity and discover your spiritual home.

Please access the links provided below to locate a nearby Christian church in the U.S., Canada, or worldwide, and also to gain access to various online Christian resources

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