How can you be a Christian?

There can never be any communion with Christ without surrender, and then He by His Spirit will crucify the 'old person', and restore. The cross/christian question is not an 'either or', it is rather 'both or neither'. Jesus said: "If anyone desires to follow Me, he must take up his cross daily..."

Paul said: "The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who believe it is the power of God unto salvation" (1 Corinthians 1:18).

So in conclusion: The cross is not optional but compulsory.

Yet, as you imply here, so many do this, don't they? I wonder if the way of thinking

perhaps is ...not thinking, just doing. The (hidden) reasoning might be 'I am good enough',

'Jesus is ...lucky...to have me'....and there would be the sense that 'I am doing all these

good works, these ministries, going to school for Him. Coming to the cross? Why that

is for other people, not for me.

I'm speaking about how people might do this, because they do it. I never noticed

much discussion on sin prior to baptism, never noticed anyone discussing ANY of this,

just 'join up', join up now, add to our numbers.

All of that was grace, came to me as I heard 'a little here, a little there'.

I'm glad I was allowed to know these things. Those other ones become

'righteous' and Jesus did not come for them.

Repentance is essential for salvation and this is borne out time and time again in the Scriptures. However, it is disturbing to note how many popular evangelists leave out this fact and make it sound as though salvation can be easily acquired simply by going through a formulaic expression and signing along the dotted line. Unless we are aware of our sin, we can never understand what Christ did for us.

You have to know Christ and follow Christ. In order to do that you need to believe first and come humbly before the throne of grace asking for his help and/or to come into your life to change it. The sinner's prayer isn't always necessary because God knows what is on our hearts. He reads our hearts not just words. If we call upon him in the day of trouble, he will deliver us and we will glorify him (Ps. 50:15, Rom. 10:13). There were times that I didn't speak any prayer or even have the words or know what was about to attack me, but the Lord answered and rescued me from death.

For those who hate God, there is no way they can be saved unless they change their whole view point and confess their sins and ask forgiveness with tears.

We can read and reread the book of John, Romans, Eph. 2:8-10, and all the verses pertaining to salvation, and that helps us to understand before praying for him to come into our hearts. We have to be forgiven or he will not hear us. (Ps. 66:18).

Romans 10:8-10 says, 8But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This is how to be born again.

One cannot. But i did and He forgave me and renewed and restored me and loved me back to life again when my life was a shambles from bad choices and I had no one to care but Jesus Christ.

He is the one that is the lover of our souls.

(((((Carl)))) howdy nice to see you!! God bless you daily!!