Dorothy was instructed to follow the yellow brick road. Her desire was to get back to Kansas and ultimately back to where she belonged…home. The way to Christianity and ultimately into the arms of a loving Father requires us to follow directions which will keep us from deviation. Many in the world wish to tell you there are various ways to be a Christian but unfortunately they neglect Scripture or the seriousness of Scripture. If Dorothy were to listen to the world today she would be told that any color road will get her to the same destination. Let’s examine the required directions to take in order to become a Christian.
Hearing God’s word initiates a truth seeker’s journey which draws us closer to a relationship with the Lord. When we hear His words and they pierce our heart and mind we begin to develop a faith (Romans 10:17) which encourages our desire to know Him better.
Believing that God sent His Son to redeem man for his sins is an incredibly important step that cannot be over looked. Belief in God’s scheme of redemption doesn’t just create a nice, warm-fuzzy feeling. In the Bible, the word belief is either coupled with an obedient action or inferred when relating to a belief and personal relationship in God (Acts 8:12, 36, 38; John 3:36).
Repentance is a result from being convicted by God’s word that we are truly guilty of sin. What repentance is, is a determined action to turn away from our evil deeds or basically, do an ‘about face’ in our current walk towards destruction. A truth seeker desires to please God because their love and faith is now directed at God’s will (Acts 2:37-38).
Confessing Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior is another crucial step for the truth seeker. Jesus states that the person who confesses Him before man will be confessed before God the Father (Matt. 10:32). Also, confessing Christ Jesus as Lord is just a part of the whole in the journey to being a Christian (Romans 10:9). The love for God and His will is so overwhelming that it cannot be held in and He wants that love to pour out by expressing it through words.
Baptism is the final step along the way to becoming a Christian. The book of Acts shows numerous accounts of people completing their search for God through baptism (Acts 2:38-41; 8:12, 38; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8). These people, too, had a destination to reach and followed God’s perfectly planned road to redemption.
Will you follow the correct road to everlasting life in Christ?
