4 Simple Steps to Receiving Christ

THE MOST BASIC thing in your relationship with God is to have the assurance that Jesus Christ lives in you.

The Bible guarantees that you can have this assurance:

"Do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you . . .?" 2 Corinthians 13:5

"[God] was pleased to reveal His Son in me." Galatians 1:15-16

"Behold, I [Christ] stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opensthe door, I will come in to him . . ." Revelation 3:20

"If Christ is in you . . . the spirit is life because of righteousness." Romans 8:10

"God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27

Since the Bible reveals that man can have the definite assurance that Christ lives in him, how do you personally get this assurance?

Step 1

THE FIRST STEP in gaining the assurance that Jesus Christ lives in you is to understand that man was created with an inner capacity for Christ to live in him.

The Bible describes this capacity by telling us that man is composed of three parts:

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1 Thessalonians 5:23

The human spirit is the place in man where Christ comes to live: "The Lord who . . . forms the spirit of man within him." Zechariah 12:1

"The one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 1 Corinthians 6:17

"The Lord be with your spirit." 2 Timothy 4:22

"That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 3:6

Thus, when you receive Christ, He enters directly into your spirit and you are born again.

Step 2

THE SECOND STEP in gaining the assurance that Christ lives in you is to acknowledge man's problem in the light of God's standard.

The Bible diagnoses the condition of every man before God:

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

"And you being dead in your trespasses and sins . . ." Ephesians 2:1

Because of the problem of sin, man is separated from God, and his spirit is dead.

Therefore, man's problem of sin and separation from God must be solved.

Step 3

THE THIRD STEP toward having the assurance that Christ lives in you is to believe in Jesus Christ as God's full provision for man's sinful and deadened condition.

The Bible reveals that God's provision is based upon the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the process He went through to accomplish our redemption and to impart Himself into us:

The Lord Jesus Christ passed through this entire process to solve our problem of sin and to forgive us, in order that He might impart Himself into us.

Step 4

THE FINAL STEP in gaining the assurance that Christ lives in you is to receive Him. The Bible invites everyone to receive Jesus Christ. It also gives us the assurance that when we receive Him, we immediately "become children of God."

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13

By receiving Christ a definite transaction takes place - Christ comes into your spirit, and you are born again as a child of God:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20

You can now have the full assurance that Jesus Christ lives in you by opening the door of your heart and inviting Him in. The moment you do, He will come into you.

HOW TO OPEN AND RECEIVE CHRIST

1. Confess His Name

"That if you confess with your mouth ['Lord Jesus,'] and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10

2. Invite Jesus Christ to come into you.

The following is a suggested prayer to open your heart to the Lord and receive Him:

"Lord Jesus, I open myself to You and acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe that You love me and shed Your blood for me on the cross. I believe in my heart that You were raised from the dead.

I open my heart to You and receive You right now.

I invite You to come and live in me. Thank You for coming into me. I believe that I am now a child of God. Thank You for forgiving all my sins. Thank You for the assurance that You now live inside of me. Lord Jesus, I confess Your precious Name with my mouth - Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus! Amen!"

THE ASSURANCE THAT CHRIST IS IN YOU

Now that you have received Christ, and called upon His Name, God wants you to know that your prayer has been heard, and that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is now living in you:

"He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence which we have toward Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him."
1 John 5:12-15

Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Version.