Have you ever told a small white lie, at least once in your life? Do you exaggerate or embellish from time to time? If so, that makes you a liar. God says, “…all liars, will have their part in the lake of fire…” (Revelation 21:8).
Have you ever had intense thoughts of dislike toward another or been really angry with someone? If so, that makes you a murderer at heart. God says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer…” (1 John 3:15).
Have you ever stolen something in your lifetime, even as a child or something small of minimal value? Have you ever illegally burned a copy of a CD or downloaded music off the Internet? If so, that makes you a thief. God says, “No thieves…will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:10).
Have you ever looked at someone and had strong desires or lustful thoughts? If so, that makes you an adulterer at heart. Jesus said, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).
Have you ever used any form of “God” or “Jesus” as a curse word? (such as “Oh my G-d!”) Do you willingly submit yourself to being entertained by the misuse of God's holy name? If so, you’re guilty of blasphemy—taking the name of the God who gave you life and using it to express disgust in an irreverent manner. God says, “Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16).
Have you ever immoderately attached devotion to anything other than God? (such as children, spouse, posessions, work, sports teams, hobbies, etc.) Have you ever characterized God with your own personal preferences, making God into anything other than his true nature and character? If so, that makes you an idolater. God says, “No idolaters…will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Sin is a gravely serious matter. Only 6 of the 10 commandments are listed above. How do you fare? God says it only takes one sin to deserve death, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). All the good things we do aren’t good enough—“our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). God’s standard is perfection, which everyone fails to live up to, “none is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Because we all desperately fail against God's standard of perfection, we deserve eternal separation from God in hell. It doesn’t make a difference if we are sorry for our sin just like a remorseful serial killer standing before a judge still receives the death penalty. Justice is still necessary regardless of our remorseful state.
Though we don’t deserve it, Jesus has paid the punishment by suffering God's wrath for us. God sent his only Son, Jesus who lived a perfect life without sin, to die for our sin. Jesus took our place by suffering the punishment that justice demands. Jesus was brutally murdered for our sins, yet he rose from the grave, defeating death and sin’s curse once and for all. The Bible says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). If you confess your sins (genuinely forsaking them) and believe in Jesus (putting all of your trust in him), God says he will forgive you of your sins and you will be saved—saved from sin’s punishment, while you receive the gift of everlasting life (finding true satisfaction in Jesus and spending eternity in heaven).
You don't become a follower of Jesus to get something. You don't become a follower of Jesus for the sake of heavenly rewards. You don't become a follower of Jesus to make all of your problems go away. Following Jesus isn't easy. Jesus himself said his own followers would be persecuted (John 15:18-21, Philippians 1:29), but God promised he would never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). You become a follower of Jesus because you are hopeless without him (Romans 6:23). You have no other option (John 14:6); you are spiritually bankrupt. Without Jesus, you are spiritually dead, eternally separated from God because of your sinfulness. Do you sense the guilt and your hopeless condition? If so, perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling you to respond to God's mercies and make the most important decision of your life.
If you are ready to genuinely make the most important decision of your life and place your trust in Jesus, you can talk to God and pray a prayer similar to, “Heavenly Father, I repent of all my sins, including… (name them). I believe that you sent your only Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for my sin. I put all of my trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, making him master over all of my life. Forgive me for my sin and thank you for giving me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.”
The Bible is God’s full and complete revelation to humankind. We learn what it means to be a follower of Jesus by reading the Bible every day and obeying what we read. A good place to start reading is in John, followed by Romans. As Christians it is impossible to survive without a steady diet of God’s Word. Some days we may not be particularly interested in reading the Bible; in those cases we can pray and ask our Heavenly Father to give us a hunger for his Word, a hunger to read and study the Bible. In addition, check out 10 Important Steps for New and Growing Christians.