1) Accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour;
2) Receive the Holy Spirit;
3) Repent and forgive.
When you have done these three things, you have established your relationship with Jesus Christ! You will be a Born-Again Christian!
1. ACCEPT JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOUR
First, you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. You turn your entire life over to Him, and you agree to follow Him as He leads you. You need to speak these things directly to Jesus with your lips, not just think them in your mind. At this point, you are a Christian, and you are "saved." (See John 3:16, Romans 10:9)
"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."
John 3:16 (KJV)
"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."
Romans 10:9 (KJV)
2. RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
Then, you ask Jesus to fill you completely with His Holy Spirit, saturating your entire being with Himself. He will do this, and when He does, you are "born again." Being "born again" means that you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, which has now taken over your life. Your old life is over; your new life is here. You will know it when this happens. (See John 20:22; John 3:7; 1 Peter 1:23)
"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them,3. REPENT AND FORGIVE
Receive ye the Holy Ghost:"
John 20:22 (KJV)
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."
John 3:7 (KJV)
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)
Once the Holy Spirit is within you, He will let you see your previous sins clearly, so you can repent of them. You will be ashamed of them, and glad to get rid of them. As you repent of them and turn away from them, He will forgive you of each one. At the same time, He will ask you to forgive everyone who has ever harmed or offended you in any way. These two things always go together: He forgives you as you forgive others. (See Luke 13:5, Matthew 6:14-15)
"I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
Luke 13:5 (KJV)
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
Matthew 6:14-15 (KJV)
IF YOU ARE READY, HERE IS THE PRAYER
If you are ready to accept Jesus now, here are the words you can use: Of course, you must agree with these words and say them sincerely, from your heart. Be consciously aware that you are seeking Him, trying and intending to speak directly to Him. Don't say these words to Him unless you mean them.
"Lord Jesus, I give myself to You, for You to be my only Lord and
Saviour. I renounce and repudiate all other loyalties, and
I desire no other Lord but You. Please come into me and
take control of my life. Mold me to Your will and to Your
use. I ask that You drive out all other spirits which conflict
with You in any way. I want to belong only to You, to be subject
only to You. I make this prayer to You, in Your name, the name of
Jesus. Amen."
