So all I have to do to be a Christian is believe that Jesus died for my sins - that's it? That's all?

Question

I've seen people post this in recent answers regarding how one becomes a Christian and what beliefs are required.

Seems to me there has to be a catch somewhere.

For example, answers to this post:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060824170207AANr7KQ&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMhDJRVrnHAt9lpRTchwXaolk9xJ.nSu5rrw--#NbUvWDK6UjWEjhdOfGrm

Answer 1

that's aLL you have to do.

Answer 2

I think--logically if you believe strictly in the atonement theory--
then you just need to believe that. But the disagreement between Christians occurs from other options, contradictions and confusions
regarding faith,work and slavation in the Bible as a whole.
Strictly, speaking--if Jesus died for ALL your sins(and that will be effective on you provided that you accept that)--no work or repentance for sin is required. Again, Jesus also told to follow the commandments. So, there arises some contradictions and confusions. The teachings of the apostles also magnifies this contradictions. Do you know--Martin Luther wanted to burn the
book of James in the NT--because it signify "works" as one of the means of salvation and talks about faith without works?

Answer 3

John 3:16 says that God sent His only Son so that all who believed may not be lost but have eternal life, but there are other places in the Bible that state that Jesus will judge the good and the evil (John 5:29). Simply saying you believe will not give you eternal life - believing in the Lord and following the teachings of Jesus are the way to eternal life. When Jesus saved a female adulterer froma crowd who wanted to stone her, He said that He would not judge her guilty. He then told her to sin no more. He asks us each to change our lives when we believe in Him - to become a new person (hence the term "born again"). We must walk in His ways and follow His teachings.

Answer 4

I don't know the Bible verse number but...

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved"

I think its in the book of Romans.

Anyway, yes your basically right.

You have to believe it and you should speak this truth when you are asked of it. But most importantly you have to ask him to be your savior.

In other words, you pray a prayer to Jesus saying you accept him as your savior (savior meaning he died for your sins) and you want him to live in your heart.

In my opinion, accepting him as your savior is when you are saved.

This is when the interestingly cool stuff starts.

Once this happens, the Holy Spirit, which is the part of the trinity (Jesus, God and Holy Spirit) lives in your heart. (not physically, but mentally and spiritually)

Then the Holy Spirit helps you in your conscience. The Holy Spirit tells you when something isn't right and helps you make decisions.

Its not like a loud booming voice of God but a thought in your head. Once you learn to pinpoint when God is talking to you (and not your mind or the devil telling you bad thoughts, which he tries to) then you learn to hear it more and more. And he talks to you more and more. And you talk to him more and more. Just like a friendship or really any relationship that grows.

Eventually, this will turn into you being to just have full fledged conversations with God. It is really an amazing feeling to know your talking to your creator.

And when he tells you something, listen. If he tells you to do something do it. Not because he said so. But because he created this earth, and he knows that if you don't do what he said you should, you will probably have a bad outcome. And God is not making that outcome, because we have free will. He just knows the outcome of things because he made everything.

Answer 5

It bothers me when so many people keep using the phrase "have to" In order to be a Christian, you first accept that Jesus died so your sins can be forgiven. To get them forgiven, say a prayer & ask it. Simple so far, no catches. Once You have accepted Him into your heart & life, you want to do all the other things, praying, studying the Bible, going to church etc. You don't "have to", you want to. Sure hope this helps. You'll know by the way you feel inside.

Answer 6

No, no catch, that's it that's all.

If you remember the old days (1960's) and dizzeyland.

The ticket to get in was $10 a book of tickets cost $15 both for $22

Now the ticket got you in. Ever go to Dizzyland and not ride anything?
Well belief is your ticket in, but everything else needs an A, B, C, D, or E ticket.

Your works and your deeds are you book of tickets.

Answer 7

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). To believe in Jesus as your Lord & Savior means more than just mental acknowledgement that Jesus is, and that He died and rose again. To believe so as to be saved is to place all your dependancy upon Christ for salvation.
Let me use an illustration that might help. Suppose you were driving down an unfamiliar highway and came to a bridge across a deep gorge. Before you crossed it, you'd want to ask yourself two questions. First, do I really need to get to the other side? And second, can I trust the bridge to hold me? You see, we are separated from God, and the reason is because we have sinned. In other words, there is a deep gorge between us and God—one too big for us to cross. And yet we need to get to the other side, because we need God. We need His help right now, and we need His eternal salvation.

What we need is a bridge—and God has provided one, because He loves us! That "bridge" is Christ, who gave Himself to save us. Therefore, the Bible says, "he is able to save completely those who come to God through him" (Hebrews 7:25). I pray you will cross that bridge today by trusting Christ and committing your life to Him.

Answer 8

Yes, belief is your first step. You must also confess that you are a sinner. You should be baptised if you truly believe. Christ was Baptisted to fulfil righteousness and you should also but some people do not always have time to be baptised. Christ told the criminal on the cross that he would be with him in paradise. The criminal was not baptisted. The criminal only confessed his sins and his believe in Christ. That should be your base line. God will lead you after that.

Answer 9

No you still have to join their cult. With so many different denominations, they(Christians) are constantly attacking each other over who are the TRUE Christians. It doesn't matter just join one of their cults, or churches whatever you wish to call it. And give your pastor his tithe (thats 10 percent of your income). No its not like a retirement plan, you'll never see that money again.
But you might see the pastors son driving a new porshe, like I did when I left my parents church when I was 21 years old.

Answer 10

No, Its true.

You can be the biggest jerk that ever lived and you are going go straight to heaven. From there you can have a front row seat and laugh while all of the good loving people who are of other faiths get thrown into hell to burn for eternity.

Seems perfectly logical doesn't it?

I guess you can't be too deep of a thinker to believe this nonsense.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 11

No, that is not all. Accepting in faith, the gift of salvation that is freely and unconditionally given through Jesus Christ with a sincere and repentant heart is how you become a Christian. Then you spend the rest of your days serving, loving and living your life for Him making Him your Lord and Savior. You let him have you. God wants you to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)
It is a life and heart commitment not just a statement.