How to Become a Christian
Yes, you can
believe in an old earth, and become a Christian. Yes, the Word of
God is inerrant, and its account of the creation story in Genesis is
perfectly in line with the scientific record. God created the world,
and the doctrine of salvation has nothing to do with the age of the
earth. The Bible does not say, “Believe in a young earth, or be
condemned to hell.”?
You may ask how you can believe in an inerrant Word and believe that the
world is over 4 billion years old. You may have read all the
arguments about the word “day” meaning a literal twenty-four hour
period.
The Bible says a day to the Lord is as a thousand years to man (II Peter
3:8). Remember, Adam was created on the sixth day, and these “days”
were as God sees days, because only God was here…not man. Can the
word “day” be interpreted as anything other than a twenty-four hour
period…I would argue yes, but in reality, it doesn’t matter how I
interpret the word day…the question is, ‘what is a day to God’? You
are already convinced that the earth is old, so you must come to the
conclusion that a day for God is a long period of time. God is God
of the universe, not just God of the earth. Day as a twenty-four
hour period only applies if you are standing on planet earth. What
is the meaning of day if you are in the middle of space? There is no
day or night there, so why should we limit God to a limited
twenty-four hour earth day?
So, how do you become a Christian? You begin by recognizing your human
nature. It is true that we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says,
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
And Isaiah 59:2 states,
But your iniquities have
made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have
hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
Therefore, you
are separated from God by your sinful nature. Think of it as a big
gap, with you on one cliff, and God on the other, and a big chasm
separating you. There are many ways people try to reach God, such as
doing good deeds, or going to church. While these things are
important, they will not bridge the gap between you and God. The
Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9,
For by
grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may
boast.
And in Proverbs 14:12,
There is a way which
seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
You cannot
reach God by being good. Although this may seem right to you, it was
never His plan. What was His plan? He did not create you and leave
you without a means to come to Him. God’s remedy is the cross of
Christ, and his sacrifice for our sins. I Peter 3:18 says,
For Christ also died for
sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring
us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in
the spirit;
And I Timothy 2:5,
For there is one God,
and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
And Romans 5:8,
But God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us.
Jesus Christ,
God’s Son, is the One that can bridge the gap between you and God.
It all depends on your response to Him. You must acknowledge your
sinfulness, trust in Christ’s forgiveness, and give Him control of
your life. If you do that, you will have eternal life. John 3:16
says,
For God so loved the
world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
And John 5:24,
Truly, truly, I say to
you, He who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal
life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death
into life.
You should take
a moment right now, and use Jesus Christ as the bridge to get to
God. Do not delay this decision, for you do not know what tomorrow
may bring. You could die in an accident, and once you are dead, you
will not have another chance to accept eternal life.
How do you receive Christ? Follow these simple steps:
1. Admit you are a sinner.
2. Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from
the grave.
4. Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your
life through the Holy Spirit (Receive Him as Lord and Savior of your
life.
How do you
pray? You may do so like this.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that
You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite you
to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as
the Lord and Savior of my life.
In Your name. Amen.
If you have
prayed this prayer and trusted Christ, then the Bible says that you
can be sure you have eternal life. Romans 10:13 says,
For whoever will call on
the name of the Lord will be saved.
And I John 5:12-13 says,
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, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
What should you
do next? This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in
Christ. To deepen this new life you should:
1. Read the Bible on a daily
basis to learn more about Christ.
2. Talk to God every day in prayer.
3. Tell others about your new faith in Christ, and demonstrate to
them your new life of love and concern for others.
4. Seek out a good church so that you can fellowship with other
Christians.
Welcome to the
family! I encourage you to find a good church to attend, and may God
bless you as you get to know Him.
You may have other questions that are yet unanswered when it comes
to creation. I encourage you to continue your research into
creation. May God bless you as you come to a greater understanding
of His creation, whether you believe that to be young or old.
Old Earth Ministries
P.O. Box 571
Fairborn, OH 45324
Can I Be a Christian and Believe in an Old Earth?
