HOW TO "BECOME A CHRISTIAN"
It is very simple:
1- Repent of your sins:
Recognize that you are a sinner, with
bad habits and vices, who has done bad to other people and to yourself... and
repent of it!, be sorry for it!.
2- Have faith in Christ:
That Jesus Christ is God, the Messiah,
(1) who died on a Cross to pay for all your sins, bad habits and vices, to pay
for all your pains and afflictions, to make you whole... and (2) who raised
from the death, to make you a new creature, a glorious new man to God in Christ
Jesus.
3- Get Baptized in His Church:
If you have faith in Jesus, do what
Jesus says: Be Baptized in his Church... and that's it.
- For "children":
It is easier: They can't repent, and
they can't have faith, because they are too small... but they can be baptized
"by the faith of the Church". So, baptize your child, and the most
biblical time is 8 days after birth, as symbolized by the Jewish circumcision,
which is the type of the Christian baptism (Lk.2:21)... a baptized child has
Jesus in his heart, the best gift you can give to your child!. The
"children" were baptized in Acts 16:15,33.
DUTIES GLORY OF A CHRISTIAN:
Once you are a Christian, the Bible
tells us you have 3 main duties and
glories: to be a "prophet", a
"priest" and a "king", on earth! (Rev.5:10,
pat.2:9)... in fact, in the Catholic Church, when you are baptized, you are
proclaimed officially a prophet, a priest and a king in Christ... and when you
receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, you are officially Confirmed by the Bishop
as prophet, priest, and king.
- A big problem for many Christians is
that they don't know what they have to do as a prophet, a priest, or a king...
and some they don't even know they are prophets, priests, and kings...
1- To be a "Prophet":
To be a "Prophet" is "to
talk to men about God" with our words and deeds... when you teach you
child to prayer, you are a Prophet!... when you bring him to Baptism or to
church, you are a Prophet of God...
- Those who prophesy speak to other
people, for their building up, encouragement, and solace, they build up the
church, says Paul (1Cor.14:3-4)... every Christian is an evangelist by nature,
a missionary, a minister of Jesus Christ.
2- To be a "Priest":
To be a "Priest" is "to
talk to God about men", to pray for your family and friends... any
Christian, before being a Prophet, has to be a Priest; before talking to men
about God, has to talk to God about men.
- And still more, like a Prophet, a
Priest not only talks, but acts, "offers his body as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God", like Christ! (Rom.12:1)... to help others to go
to Heaven.
- An "ordained Priest" in the
Catholic Church is not only different in "grade", but in
"essence", because he has received the "Sacrament of
Orders", and thus, he only can offer the Mass and receive Confession... to
be an "ordained Priest" is the most a man can be on earth, and in
Heaven.
3- To be a "King":
To be a "King", is to live on
earth with the "dignity" of a King, with the love, joy, and peace of
Jesus, that nobody and nothing can take away... with the "dignity" of
a child of God, the son of the multimillionaire in money, health, power...
being envious to nobody because he has everything in his Father-God, who cares
for him so much that even the hairs of his head has counted (Mat.10:30).
It is to have the "power" of God to conquer the devil,
the flesh and the world: To cast out the devil of vices and bad habits, in
himself and in others, to heal the sick like Jesus, to live in the world in
peace, joy, and love, being afraid to nothing and to nobody, because God
himself is in the heart of every Christian (Mr.16:16-18)...
A Christian is more powerful than all the witches put together,
because the witches have the "power of the devil", and a Christian
has the "power of God"... the only big problem is that some
Christians do not exercise this "power" in their daily life...
exercise your "power"!... "you have made them a kingdom and
priests serving our God, and they shall reign on earth" (Rev.5:10)
A "Christian" in Bible quotations:
"Come to me, all you who labor and
are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am meek and humble of heart..." (Matt.11:28-29).
"Jesus gave
them authority over all demons and to cure deceases, and sent them out to
proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal" (Luk.9:1).
"Jesus said to them: Go
out to the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved... these signs will accompany those who
believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues
(of love, joy, praise...); if they handle snakes or drink a deadly poison, they
will not harm them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover"
(Mr.16:15--17).
"Whoever believes in me
will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these... if you ask
anything in my name, I will do it" (Jn.14:12-14).
"You are a chosen race, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, God's own people, to proclaim the glorious deeds of God..." (1Pet.2:9).
Copyright © 1998 Dr. Domínguez