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NASB | Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 16:24 ¶ Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. |
Bible Question: If you are trying to become a christian how will you know when you become one? |
Bible Answer: This is a profound question and one of great importance. The Bible indicates to us that the first step to becoming a Christian is to believe in Jesus Christ. What to believe? In my estimation, 3 things are key: (1) That there is only one true God - the GOd of the Bible - and that He created man to have a relationship with Him. (2) That man has sinned against God and that there is no HUMAN way we can restore that relationship (3) That God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for sin, thereby making a way for us to be reconciled to God. Not only the Jesus Christ die for us, but 3 days after His death, He rose again and He lives today! In a nutshell, those are I guess 3 of the key things a Christian should believe. In light of these beliefs, our lives should conform to what God wants - after all He is God. What is the standard? Again, the standard is Jesus Christ. He is our great example. So a Christian is one who believes and then lives out that belief. Hence the verse in Matt 16:24 which calls to us to relinquish control of our lives and allow God to direct us. Does this all happen at one go? I daresay probably not. Trusting in God and allowing Him to change us is a process. My encouragement to you is to not give up. It sounds like you already believe in the God of the Bible and in the work of Jesus Christ. As you read the Bible and pray (one aspect of prayer is conversing with God), He will lead you. You may make mistakes along the way but rest assured that 1 John 1:9 says that God will forgive us if we sincerely ask Him to. God bless you! |