How to Become a Christian

Paul before Agrippa

As Paul was provided time to make a defense before Agrippa, he took advantage of the opportunity to teach the king and all those who were present about the gospel. When Paul asked him if he believed the Prophets, Agrippa replied, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). The wording of Agrippa’s response may be different in your Bible, depending on which translation you have. Another version says, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (KJV). Regardless of which translation you use, it is plain to see that Agrippa understood Paul’s intention. He was trying to persuade the king to become a Christian.

Paul replied to the king, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:29). Paul was a Christian. He wanted all those around him to also be Christians. But how does one become a Christian? We can look and see how Paul became one and learn what we must do to become such as he is.

Paul, when he was still known as Saul, was on his way to Damascus in order to find Christians and bring them bound back to Jerusalem (Acts 9:1-2). Let us notice what Luke recorded:

As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.’ […] leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. […] And the Lord said to [Ananias], ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying” (Acts 9:3-11).

The Lord appeared to Saul. But that did not make him a Christian. He called Jesus, “Lord.” That did not make him a Christian, either. He was sorrowful for what he had done, evidenced by his fasting. But his remorse did not make him a Christian. His fervent prayer did not make him a Christian. The fact that he was “a chosen instrument” of Christ’s (Acts 9:15) did not make him a Christian. How do we know? Notice what Paul was told by Ananais:

Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16).

Here was Saul in Damascus praying and fasting. What was he told to do? First, he was told to “get up.” Salvation is not obtained through prayer. Ananias did not tell him he needed to say a different prayer. He told him he needed to stop. Stop and do what? Be baptized. What was baptism for? To wash away his sins. Saul, despite his new faith in Jesus, his sorrow over his sin, and his fervent prayer, was still not forgiven. He needed to be baptized. In the act of baptism, he would call on the name of the Lord, making “an appeal to God for a good conscience” (1 Peter 3:21).

So what did Paul do to become a Christian? He believed in Jesus, repented of his sins, and was baptized. Some will ask, “what about confession?” We can infer that he did this as well. Confession is connected with belief in Paul’s letter to Rome (Romans 10:9-10). It is the verbal affirmation of belief.

We can look elsewhere in the New Testament to show that Paul was not the only one to do these things to become a Christian. On the day of Pentecost when the church was first established, the Jews who were saved did the same things that Paul did – believe, repent, and be baptized (Acts 2:37-38).

Shortly before His ascension, Jesus gave His apostles the Great Commission. In it, He told the apostles what they were to teach that men must do to be saved – believe (Mark 16:16), repent (Luke 24:47), and be baptized (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16). Since this was the message that Jesus gave them to teach, we know that this is what the apostles taught “in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8), even though every detail of each conversion account is not recorded for us.

So what does one need to do to become a Christian? The same thing Paul did. The same thing the Jews on the day of Pentecost did. And the same thing that Jesus told His apostles they were to teach. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God and be willing to confess that belief before men. We must repent of our sins and turn to follow Christ. Then we must be baptized into Christ to have our sins washed away.

If you have not done these things, hear the plea of the apostle Paul: “Become such as I am” (Acts 26:29). Become a Christian.


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