Receiving Jesus Christ means accepting Him into your life as your Lord and Savior. It involves recognizing your sin, repenting, and believing in who Jesus claimed to be – the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again. When someone receives Christ, they enter into a relationship with Him and begin the process of being transformed into His image.
Recognizing Your Sin
An important first step in receiving Christ is recognizing your sin. The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Sin separates us from a holy God. Before accepting Jesus, we must admit our sinful condition and need for a Savior. As it is written, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Humility and honesty before God prepares the heart to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus.
Repenting of Sin
Repentance means turning away from sin and turning toward God. When we repent, we change our mind about sin, feel godly sorrow over our sin, and commit to a life of obedience to Christ. Repentance involves confession, asking for God’s forgiveness, and demonstrating the sincerity of our confession through changed attitudes and actions. Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). And the apostles taught “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Turning from sin is necessary to receive the new life Christ offers.
Believing Jesus is Lord and Savior
At the heart of receiving Jesus is believing that He is exactly who Scripture reveals Him to be. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh, the long-awaited Messiah and Savior of the world (John 4:25-26). To receive Him is to trust His words over any other ideas about who He is. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Whoever believes in Jesus will be saved, but “whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18). Receiving Christ hinges on believing He is the Son of God and Savior.
Entering Into a Relationship with Jesus
When someone receives Jesus, they go from being an enemy under God’s wrath to a forgiven child welcomed into His family. Those who were once far from God become close to Him through faith (Ephesians 2:13). Believers go from spiritual death to new life in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). Jesus described it as being “born again” or “born of the Spirit” (John 3:3-8). He becomes their Lord, and they devote their lives to following and obeying Him. They experience a personal relationship with Jesus through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, prayer, worship, God’s Word, and Christian fellowship. Receiving Christ leads to intimate relationship.
Being Transformed Into Christ’s Image
When people receive Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins His transforming work in their lives. They are called and empowered to grow in godly character and good works. The goal is for believers to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Conforming to the image of Christ is the fruit of being united to Him by faith. Receiving Him leads to transformation.
Turning From False Beliefs
Part of receiving Christ involves turning away from false beliefs. Jesus is the one way to the Father, so all contrary ideas must be rejected: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, not by good works, so all attempts at earning salvation must be abandoned. Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man, so seeking after other spiritual guides is forfeited. Respect for Christ necessitates rejecting beliefs that contradict His claims according to Scripture. Receiving Jesus leads to forsaking all others.
Publicly Professing Faith
While God sees the heart and knows those who have sincerely believed in Jesus, new believers are called to publicly profess their faith through baptism and joining a local church. Jesus instructed His followers to “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Professing faith identifies one with the family of God and allows others to witness the transforming work of Christ. The early church devoted themselves to “the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). Receiving Christ leads to identifying with His people.
Embracing a New Identity and Purpose
When someone receives Jesus, their core identity changes. They go from being an enemy of God to a beloved child of God. They are given new names like “chosen”, “saint”, and “brother/sister in Christ” (Colossians 3:12, Ephesians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 1:10). Their citizenship changes from earthly kingdoms to the Kingdom of Heaven. Believers take on the mission of Christ, living to make disciples and advance the Gospel. Their eternal destination changes from hell to heaven where they will enjoy God forever. Everything changes when people give their lives to following Jesus. Receiving Him brings radical identity transformation.
Counting the Cost
Jesus taught that following Him requires considering the costs: “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27, 33). Receiving Christ means exchanging worldly priorities for eternal ones. It may require sacrifice and hardship. Persecution and suffering should be expected. But nothing compares to knowing Christ: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). Receiving Jesus brings eternal blessing despite earthly trial.
Relying on God’s Grace
Even with sincere repentance and faith, believers inevitably struggle and stumble in their walk with Christ. But receiving Him also means relying fully on God’s grace when shortcomings occur. Through Jesus, forgiveness is assured to those who confess their sins and turn back to Him: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). His righteousness covers the imperfections of those whom He has saved. The Church is made up of fellow sinners equally dependent on grace. Receiving Christ brings freedom to grow through failure.
Longing for Christ’s Return
Part of embracing Jesus as Savior includes anticipating His return to make all things new: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). While still living in a fallen world, believers look forward to the day when Christ will complete His work of redemption in resurrection and final judgment. Receiving Jesus instills longing for the new heaven and new earth where God will reign forever. Until then, the Church lives by faith, proclaiming the Gospel and obeying the Lord who promised to return.
Inheriting Eternal Life
The ultimate blessing of receiving Jesus is the promise of eternal life with God after earthly death: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Through faith, believers have confidence they will enter Christ’s presence when this life ends. Death is not the end but the beginning of unbroken fellowship with Jesus. Without Jesus, people face eternal separation from God. But all who receive Him as Lord and Savior are secure in everlasting life. The gift of salvation never fades. Receiving Christ brings life forevermore.
Living as a New Creation
When someone receives Jesus, the old has gone and the new has come. Though still imperfect, Christ now lives in and through the believer by the Spirit: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). The Church is called to wholly devote themselves to the Lord out of love and gratitude. Actions and attitudes should increasingly reflect Jesus. Believers are empowered to grow in godliness and fulfill their role in God’s Kingdom. Receiving Christ allows Him to live out His purposes through those saved by His grace.
In summary, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means turning from sin, believing He is the Son of God, committing one’s life to following Him, and trusting in His sacrifice for salvation. Those who receive Him enter God’s family and begin the lifelong journey of transformation into Christ’s image. Despite struggles, His grace is sufficient as believers long for Christ’s return and the fulfillment of eternal life with Him.
