Answer:
1. Acknowledge that you have been guilty of sin at one time or another.
Everyone has sinned, which is another word for disobeying one of God's commands. A sin can be something as small as a little fib or as serious as murder. For instance, maybe you exaggerated to one of your teachers or your boss to try to get out of an assignment, you might have been unkind to someone out of anger, or perhaps you disobeyed your parents when you knew they wouldn't find out. However, in order to become a follower of Jesus, you have to admit that you have sinned.[7]
•Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
•Being a sinner doesn't necessarily mean that you're a bad person; it just means that no one is capable of being perfect. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus was the only person to ever live who never committed a single sin.
•Because of sin, no one is worthy of an eternal heaven with God. However, He is loving and kind, so He has made it possible to attain that anyway. Romans 6:23 explains, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Many Biblical scholars believe that in this scripture, “death” means being separated from God in the afterlife.)
2.Believe that Jesus is God's son who was sent as a sacrifice.
The Bible says that Jesus was a man who was killed for his radical teachings about God. He was hung from a cross until he died. Then, 3 days later, the Bible says Jesus rose from the dead and left his tomb, and by conquering death, he created a bridge between sin and God.[6]
•In order to understand how Jesus' death was payment for our sins, it helps to know that in the Old Testament, people were commanded by God to make sacrifices of their animals and crops in order to attain God's forgiveness. God sent His son Jesus to Earth to take the place of those sacrificial ceremonies, earning forgiveness for all people.
•John 3:16, one of the most well-known scriptures in the Bible, describes Jesus' role in our forgiveness: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life."
•John 14:6 reiterates this message: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
3. Study the historical context around Jesus' life.
While there's no direct archaeological proof that Jesus existed, many historical experts do believe that he was a real man. By picturing Jesus as a real person whose words and acts had a unique social and political impact where he lived, it becomes easier to have faith in him.[5]
•If you really want to dig deep into the historical context around Jesus' life, try reading books like Journal for the Study of Historical Jesus and Studying the Historical Jesus: A Guide to Sources and Methods.
