BEING A CHRISTIAN: How to Become a Christian FOR KIDS
If you believe all of the gospel story parts, then you have a decision to make. You can choose to become a Christian or you can choose to ignore God and not be a Christian.
Just because you believe the story doesn’t make you a Christian
There are 2 parts to being a Christian.
Becoming a Christian
Living like a Christian
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
Believing in the Gospel Story
Repenting - Saying Sorry for your sins and really being sorry. 180 degrees turn-around
Bible Verse: 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.”
Accept the Holy Spirit
Bible Verse: ACTS 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
LIVING LIKE A CHRISTIAN
Everyone who becomes a Christian must change the way they live. The only people who don’t have to do this bit are the people who become Christians and then die straight away and don’t have time to start living like a Christian.
The criminal on the cross didn’t get a chance to live like a Christian but still went to heaven! Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals hanging there also insulted Jesus by saying, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and save us!” But the other criminal told the first one off, “Don’t you fear God? Aren’t you getting the same punishment as this man? We got what was coming to us, but he didn’t do anything wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into power!” Jesus replied, “I promise that today you will be with me in paradise.””
This is the only person we know for sure is enjoying eternal life with God. He believed and Jesus told him he would be raised to life again in paradise! Did he get a chance to live like a Christian, and stop sinning?
We love God and want to please him so we will want to stop sinning as much as possible, as a way of thanks
Paul saw some people keep on sinning because they thought Jesus death could just clear away their sin anyway and it didn’t matter, so he wrote to them and said, “Should we keep on sinning, so that God’s wonderful kindness will show up even better? No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning?” Romans 6:1-2
If we stuff up and sin, and keep on sinning, but we are trying our best, God knows our hearts and forgives us. We can come to him and repent again and again, and he will keep forgiving us.
Bible verse: It is hard. Even Paul says in Romans 7:19 “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."
MOVING HOUSE ILLUSTRATION
Have you ever moved house? Becoming a Christian is a bit like moving house. There are 2 parts: actual moving day and then decorating
Part 1 is easy, and I know heaps of people who have done part 1 and moved house, but part 2 takes a lot more time and effort.
Why is part 2 harder? We have sin in us
We will never be perfect but will keep working towards it, bit by bit, because we love God and are grateful for all he has done for us.
We will be perfect at part 2 when we get to heaven!
Discussion Questions:
Do you believe in everything from the Gospel Story? (quick summary)
Do you want to change your life, stop sinning as much as you can and start living for God?
If you said yes to both of those questions, and if you haven’t done this already, you might like to pray a prayer, asking God to forgive you for your sins and to give you the Holy Spirit. Doing this will make you a Christian. Your mum or dad would probably be pretty keen to do this with you if you wanted to.
