What does it mean to follow Jesus?

If you've read this far, you may be wondering what it would actually mean to become a follower of Jesus. Is it joining a religion? Changing your behavior? Saying a certain prayer? This guide explains simply and honestly what Christians mean and what a first step could look like. You're free to stop here or to take your time.

The good news

Christianity starts with news. The word "gospel" means good news, and the news is that God loves people who have turned away from him and has done something about it. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world, lived among us, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because of that, anyone can be forgiven and can receive God's own life.

Christians summarize it this way: we couldn't rescue ourselves, so God rescued us. It's a gift, and it's offered to everyone.

The problem we can't fix

The Bible is honest about the problem. Every person has done wrong and fallen short of what God intended. That isn't a claim about being a terrible person compared with others. It describes a broken relationship with the One who made us, and we see the results all around us and inside ourselves. Good deeds don't erase it, and only forgiveness can.

That's why Jesus' death matters so much to Christians. They believe he took the penalty in our place, and that his resurrection shows the price was accepted and death defeated.

Repentance and faith

Jesus began his public teaching with a two-part invitation: turn and trust.

¹⁴Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and God’s Kingdom is at hand! Repent, and believe in the Good News.”

Repentance means turning around. It doesn't call for groveling or feeling as bad as possible. You agree with God about what is wrong in your life and change direction toward him.

Faith means trusting Jesus, relying on him personally for forgiveness, guidance and hope, and going well beyond agreeing that he existed. Think of sitting in a chair. Believing it can hold you is one thing, and putting your weight on it is another.

The apostle Paul described the heart of it in a letter to the Romans.

⁹that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. ¹¹For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.” ¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. ¹³For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Look at that last line: everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved. It has no exam and no prerequisite. It covers the good, the bad, the religious and the uninformed alike.

What changes

When someone trusts Jesus, Christians believe several things happen. You're forgiven, past and future, because of what Jesus did. You're adopted, so God becomes your Father and you join his family, the church. You receive the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in you, gives you new desires and helps you grow.

You also begin to change, slowly and imperfectly. Following Jesus is a lifelong journey of becoming more like him. You'll still struggle and fail, but you have a Savior who doesn't give up on you. It also changes how you spend your days. Christians try to love God and their neighbors, to be honest, to forgive, to serve and to care for people in need.

What it doesn't require

Following Jesus doesn't require having everything figured out, pretending to be perfect, or doing it alone. It also doesn't promise that your problems will go away.

Next steps

If you'd like to begin, here is a simple way.

1. Talk to God in your own words. Tell him you're sorry for the ways you've gone your own way, that you believe Jesus died and rose for you, and that you want to follow him. If you'd like help with the words, our guide on how to pray can help.
2. Tell someone. Faith grows when it's shared, so tell a friend, a pastor or us. You can ask us a question or send a prayer request, and a real person will answer.
3. Read the Gospels to get to know Jesus better. Start with John.
4. Find a church. Following Jesus wasn't meant to be a solo project, so look for a welcoming church that teaches the Bible. Baptism is usually the next step Christians take to follow Jesus publicly, and a pastor can explain how it works in their church.

If you're not ready, that's okay too. You can keep exploring as long as you like, and nobody will rush you.

One more thing

Whether you prayed today or just feel curious, we'd love to hear from you. You don't have to share your name and we won't pressure you. We'd like to help you take the next step, whatever it is.