You may have asked yourself:
What is a Christian?
What does “born again” mean?
Am I saved?
Will I go to Heaven if I don’t go to a church?
Will I go to Hell for bad things I’ve done?
This is for Readers who want to be SURE you are saved and to know where you stand with Jesus, as well as for you who are considering these questions for the first time.
Many people do not have assurance concerning their salvation. Assurance is the awareness that you belong to Christ and have complete confidence in Him. Maybe the only thing you are sure about is that you have doubts. Maybe you don’t know if you have ever received Christ. You may have professed in a gospel meeting at some time in the past, but you may not be sure you have invited Jesus into your heart and life and made Him your Lord and Master. Maybe you do not know if He has come in. You know you love God and want to serve Him.
In private, you can follow these simple steps to make sure of your eternal destination.
Take your Bible and go to a quiet place where you can be alone and uninterrupted.
Pray and ask God to speak to your heart and to reveal His will.
Be ready to listen to what the Holy Spirit will say to you.
Consider these questions and suggested steps, prayerfully:
(1) FIRST, you must BELIEVE, or recognize what God did: that He loved you so much He gave His Son to die on the cross. Read John 3:16 and substitute your own name for “the world” and “whosoever”.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
(2) SECOND, ACKNOWLEDGE that you have sinned, admit all the sins you can think of; and promise you will turn away from your sins and not sin any more. This is called “repenting of your sins.”
Acts 3:19: REPENT ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…
Rom 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Rom 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”
1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
What is Sin?
The word “sin” in Hebrew is “chattath,” from the root “chatta,” and in Greek it is “hamartia.” Both these words mean ‘to miss the mark.’ They are words that illustrate something is off target. Regarding God’s laws, they mean that one has failed to meet the standard (missed the mark) set by God for us. God’s mark or standard is His law. Thus sin is the transgression of any of the laws of God. 1 John 3:4: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” This is the biblical definition of sin. It is man not holding to the standards which are set by God. There are some misguided Christians who believe that the law of God consists primarily of the ten commandments. But in truth, the laws of God encompass anything and everything which the Lord declares. You must repent.
(3) ADMIT to God and yourself: “I am a sinner who will perish (John 3:16) and go to Hell if I do not believe that Christ bore my sins and died for me.” You must understand that the Blood of Christ cleanses you because Christ died in your place—it was you who deserved to die for your sins. He was your substitute. Your sins are either on you or on Jesus–it’s up to you–it’s your choice. He ransomed you. If we believe and receive the cleansing of Christ, God says we are justified in His sight (“justified” means “just as if you had never sinned”)
Rom 5:9: “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.“
(4) THIRD, RECEIVE Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. To receive Jesus is to receive God’s FREE gift of eternal life. To receive Jesus, you must invite Him to come into your heart to stay. You must open the door to Him. This is what is meant by being “born again” of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8).
Eph. 2:8-9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
We are saved through faith. Faith is the hand that reaches out and takes salvation, which is the gift of God. Faith is taking God at His word. Faith lays hold of God’s promise and says, “I believe it.”
Are you ready to do this? Below are some traditional sinner’s prayers of repentance.
A prayer of repentance is a humble, broken turning away from sin and toward God’s mercy
This prayer for repentance is a personal, honest turning away from wrong doing and a turning toward God for forgiveness and a fresh start. .
Key Steps in Repentance:
Admit: Acknowledge your faults and mistakes to God.
Repent: Feel genuine sorrow for how your actions hurt God and others.
Turn: Make a sincere choice to change direction and leave sin behind.
Believe: That Jesus died on the cross for my sins, that he shed his blood, and that he rose again.
Receive: Through faith, accept God’s free gift of mercy, grace, forgiveness and love.
Trust: Walk with Jesus, your personal Lord and Savior.
To receive Jesus, sincerely pray one of these traditional prayers:
“Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I have sinned against you. I am sorry for my sins, and I am willing to cease and turn from my sins. I believe the death of Jesus paid for my sins. I ask that you wipe away my sins through the precious Blood of Jesus. I openly receive and acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Savior. I claim Him as my Lord. I invite Him into my heart. From this moment on I want to live for Him and serve Him. Thank you for your precious gift of eternal life. In Jesus’ Precious Name I ask, Amen”
“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I am sorry for my wrongs and the choices I have made. I believe that You died on the cross to forgive my sins and bring me back to God. Right now, I turn away from my old ways and open my heart to You. Please forgive me, cleanse me, and be my Lord and Savior. Help me to follow You every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
“Lord Jesus, I thank you that you died on a cross for my sins. I repent of my sins. I renounce my way of life and I turn to You. I confess my need for you Jesus, as my Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins, purify my heart, come into my life as Lord and Savior. I trust you as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you for loving me, and dying for me, and saving me from my sins. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’Name, Amen.”
“Lord, I give you my life. I know I’m a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe in Jesus. I believe he died on the cross for me, that he shed his blood, and that he rose again. I turn from my sin and repent of it. I turn to Jesus as my Savior and want to follow him as my Lord.Help me. In Jesus’name I pray. Amen.”
(5) FOURTH, CONFESS Christ publicly. Your confession is a sign that you have been converted. If you have made this decision and have received Jesus Christ as your own Lord and Savior, then you have become a CHILD OF GOD, in whom Jesus dwells. You ARE born again. You ARE His! You are ALIVE in Christ! And your sins have been wiped clean. You now belong to the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings! He is your LORD and Master.
Rom 10:9: That 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.
REMEMBER-FAITH is a CHOICE! You can have full ASSURANCE of salvation NOW. You can be assured of having ETERNAL LIFE!
If you have made this decision and have received Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, then you have become a CHILD OF GOD, in whom Jesus dwells. You are a Christian. You ARE born again. You ARE His! You are ALIVE in Christ! And your sins have been wiped clean. You now belong to the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings! He is your LORD and Master. Your “born again” state goes with you wherever you go, much like a marriage relationship. Your salvation does not rely upon what group you choose (if any) to assemble with to worship Jesus Christ, who your ministers are, where you assemble, how often you assemble, etc. Your personal relationship with God is within YOU, and is between you and Him.
Are you now able to sing/echo this hymn from your heart?
Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine
by Fanny Crosby.
1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine;
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
CHORUS:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
2. Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
3. Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
Rev 8/25/2026