[The following is my answer to a professing Catholic about how to become a Christian.]
Your answer, does indeed, show you have thought about your answer before emailing me back. It really blessed me to read that you consulted and cited only the Bible, which is not typical for a Catholic. That is to your credit and major advantage (2 Tim. 3:15-17). That is great! You also gave a MUCH BETTER answer than the indoctrinated Catholic who would say one becomes a Christian when he is infant baptized. Again, good for you!
If you asked me the same question I asked you [If I didn’t know how to become a Christian and I asked you, what would you tell me?], if I answered in a few words I would say cry out from your heart to God for mercy and forgiveness in humility and sincerity as the tax collector did in Lk. 18:13,14 and you’ll be justified. (That summarizes how I personally came to initial salvation and was instantly changed.) That same answer implies repentance (turning away from all sin) and committing to Jesus though it isn’t clearly stated. The same can be said about the words to “believe on Jesus,” which becomes apparent if one compares Scripture with Scripture. So it isn’t a mere mental assent in or about Jesus which brings about eternal life. One must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Jesus unashamedly in this sinful, truth-rejecting world (Lk. 9:23-26; John 10:27; etc.). He must be FIRST, even before our family and life, to be worthy of him (Mt. 10:37-39; Lk. 14:26,33 cf. Mt. 12:49,50). We must take his yoke upon us (which implies submission) to be a Christian!
A more detailed answered from me might point you to the nearly 2 dozen salvation sermons or inferences in Acts about their gospel message which they taught for initial salvation [to get one born again]. Since their message is what CHANGED LIVES back then, it will do the same today, IF we do the same as the recipients did (from our hearts) today. That same change is what both the Lord Jesus and Paul referred to when they mentioned being set free from sin addictions (John 8:34-36; Rom. 6:16,18,22; etc.). That same spiritual freedom and deliverance from sin occurs when one contacts the cleansing blood of Jesus (Rev. 1:5) and gets forgiven. Anything less than getting set free from sin addictions (lust, greed, hate, alcoholism, cocaine addictions, adultery, etc.) is a worthless religious counterfeit which only has people thinking they will be okay, when they surely will NOT. They remain on the road to hell as a religious church goer. When one gets saved there will be a RADICAL change in his life. When I got saved that happened to me. All my ungodly friends etc. knew something happened to me!
You are NOT the usual professing Catholic and it is a blessing to correspond with you. Does my answer to you make sense? Have you been set free from your sin addictions? Are you aware that your ETERNAL EXISTENCE beyond the grave depends on what you do with the message of the Bible? GOD BLESS YOU,
