How To Become A Christian

1. “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3, ESV). Ever put cash, clout, or a night out over God? That’s idolatry. We’re all guilty.

2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Exodus 20:4). No idols in your garage, maybe, but we worship screens, status, stuff.

3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7). God’s name as a throwaway? Blasphemy’s our badge.

4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Gave God a day lately, or just TikTok? We’ve bailed on this.

5. “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Yelled at your folks? Blew them off? Dishonour is in our DNA.

6. “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Jesus says, “Everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). Hate is murder minus the body count.

7. “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Jesus again: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Lust is cheating in your head.

8. “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). Have you ever stolen anything even if it’s small? We’re thieves.

9. “You shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16). Lied to look good? Fudged a story? Liars R’ Us.

10. “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). Drooled over someone’s gear or life? Coveting is our hobby.

Scorecard? Zero. We’re not “decent”—we’re wicked. Liars, thieves, adulterers, murderers in God’s courtroom. Penalty? “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23)—eternal exile from God. Brutal, right? Hang on.

Look at King David. He’s a legend—slew Goliath, ruled Israel, loved by God. But he crashed hard. One night, he’s on his palace roof and sees Bathsheba bathing. She’s married, but David is hooked. He sends for her, sleeps with her, and she gets pregnant. Her husband, Uriah, is a soldier fighting David’s wars. David tries a cover-up—brings Uriah home, pushes wine on him, hopes he’ll sleep with Bathsheba and think the kid’s his. Uriah’s too loyal; he sleeps at the barracks instead. David panics. He writes his general: “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die” (2 Samuel 11:15). Uriah delivers the note that gets him killed. David marries Bathsheba. Done Deal.

Until Nathan the prophet shows up. He tells a story: A rich guy with tons of sheep steals a poor man’s only lamb—a pet the guy cherished. David is livid. “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die” (2 Samuel 12:5). Nathan nails him: “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). He spells it out—adultery, murder, betrayal. David is crushed. “I have sinned against the Lord,” he admits (2 Samuel 12:13). Only then does Nathan say, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Samuel 12:13). Guilt hits. Repentance flows. Then comes the Mercy from God.

You don’t get the rescue until you see the wreck. You’re not “okay”—you’re a sinner, and Jesus came for that. On the cross, He took your rap sheet—every lie, every dirty thought, every grudge—and paid it off. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Trust Him, and “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Forgiven. Clean.

But it’s more than a free pass. Jesus brought a kingdom. This world is a kingdom of darkness—sin and death call the shots. His first coming broke that. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). He beat death so you can live in His kingdom of light—now. Praying “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10) means begging God to rule your life today.

Jesus told a story to drive this home. A rich man leaves his vineyard with tenants and takes off. He sends servants to collect his share. The tenants beat them, kill some, laugh it off. The owner says, “My son—they’ll respect him.” Nope. They see the son and plot: “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance” (Matthew 21:38). They do. Jesus asks, “What will the owner do?” Answer: “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons” (Matthew 21:41). God sent His Son—us sinners killed Him. Reject Him, and destruction’s coming.

Because Jesus isn’t done. He’s returning. First time, He preached repentance. Next time, it’s judgment. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory… he will sit on his glorious throne” (Matthew 25:31), splitting the loyal from the lost. “The Lord Jesus [will be] revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). He’ll wipe out His enemies and lock in His kingdom for good. No second chances—just a sword.

Choose now. “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15)—join the light. Ignore it, and Jesus warns, “If anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town… the kingdom of God has come near you” (Luke 10:11-12). Reject Him, and it’s on you. “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). You’re a sinner. Jesus saves. Act before the curtain drops.

What Now?

Let’s say you’re in—you’ve put your faith in Jesus. You’re a believer. Now what? You don’t just sit back and wait for heaven. You live in His kingdom today. That means pointing others to Christ, pulling them out of darkness into the light, just like someone did for you. You’re not a bystander; you’re a soldier in the kingdom of the King of Kings. Jesus commissions you: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Step one? Crack open the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, John—and dig into what Jesus actually told us to do.

But here’s the catch: you’ll mess up. Look at David again. He loved God—wrote psalms, killed giants for Him—yet he still fell into adultery and murder. When Nathan called him out, he didn’t double down or ditch God. He owned it: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). That’s the heart of a true follower—when sin’s exposed, you repent. You grow. David faced consequences—his family imploded, his reign got messy—but he kept walking with God, not away from Him.

Same goes for you. Maybe you’re too scared to share your faith. Maybe you snap at a fellow Christian or drag your feet joining a church. You’ll stumble. Grace covers it—not as a free pass to slack off, but as fuel to keep fighting. The Christian life isn’t perfection here—that’s for the next world. It’s continual repentance. Every day, you battle sin, lean on Jesus, and get back up. “Fight the good fight of the faith,” Paul says (1 Timothy 6:12). You’re a soldier now, commissioned to live for Christ and pull others into His kingdom. When you fall short, repent, trust His mercy, and charge on. That’s the gig until He returns.

Let this doctrine embolden you, if you have embraced Jesus fully as your saviour, then you are now a solider in the army of Christ. Advance His Kingdom by proclaiming the truth today.

Check out the podcast episode below for more information.

May God Bless You Today In Christ.