Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior: An Invitation
“How do you feel about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior?” a young man asked me over dinner on our first date.
The question caught me off guard. Who asks this on a first date?
“I’ve been a Christian my whole life,” I told him. “I think I already did that.”
“But do you remember the moment when you decided to follow him?” my date asked.
“Not really. I’ve just always believed,” I answered.
“It can be really helpful to have concrete moment of decision,” he pressed.
“Are you trying to convert me?” I asked, becoming defensive. “I’m pretty sure I’m already converted.”
Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior
This date took place in college. It was a time in my life when I wasn’t living by the Christian morals and values with which I’d been raised.
There was no second date with the young evangelist (who might have been more concerned about the state of my soul than a romantic relationship). But our conversation led me to pause and consider the state of my relationship with Jesus.
I believed in Jesus. Wasn’t that enough?
Believing Jesus is Lord Vs. Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior
Many years have passed since that strange date, and I’ve grown tremendously in my faith since that time.
Here is what I’ve learned since that day: Many people claim to believe in Jesus but never live for him. The Bible says that even the demons believe Jesus is Lord. But they don’t worship or follow him.
Believing Jesus is God’s Son is a good place to start on the journey of faith, but there is so much more.
Jesus wants to more than a distant deity we “believe in.” He wants to come into our lives and transform us from the inside out. He wants to heal us, deliver us, restore us, and set us free.
This transformation process is often referred to as “accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.”
John 1:12 offers an even more poignant word than “accepting.” John wrote that all who receive Jesus become children of God. For this reason, the idea of receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior can be more helpful than accepting him.
Receiving denotes welcoming Jesus into every part of our lives and giving him control.
Let’s talk about how we go about receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior.
In short, receiving or accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the act of faith in which a person humbly acknowledges sin, turns from sin in repentance, believes Jesus died to take the punishment for sin, and invites him to become the Leader of one’s life. Let’s break this down with details.
A Breakdown of Receiving or Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior
Let’s talk about several points upon which we need to agree if we are going to become followers of Jesus, receiving him as the Savior and Leader of our lives.
Point #1: We have all sinned.
The Bible reminds us in Romans 3:23 that we all fall short of being “good enough” to earn our way to heaven.
We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s perfect standards.
None of us are good enough to earn our way into heaven.
The first step toward receiving Jesus is agreeing that you have sinned.
Point #2: Everyone needs a Savior.
We can’t earn our way to heaven by making sure good deeds outweigh bad deeds. We can’t give up swearing or lying or cheating or gossiping and suddenly feel confident of our eternity with God.
We’re broken people, and we need someone to save us from ourselves.
We all need a Savior. Agreeing that you cannot save yourself is the second step. This requires humility and letting go of the notion that you’ve been a “basically good person.” No one is good enough.
Point #3: God is just, and he has to punish sin.
God is good. Because he is a good judge, he is also just. He cannot let sin go overlooked.
Sin is so serious that there must be payment, and if there is no payment, an eternity in hell awaits.
Our punishment for sin should be complete separation from God while we live on earth and eternity in hell apart from him when we die.
(I know this is getting dark but keep reading. God has a good plan.)
Point #4: Jesus took the punishment we deserve when he died on the cross.
Before Jesus died on the cross, God had a different way of forgiving people for sin so that they were not punished. They sacrificed animals to pay the price (make atonement) for their sins. The blood represented life, and when they killed animals, they showed that they understood the seriousness of sin.
Read the Old Testaments, and you’ll read plenty of details about requirements for these sacrifices.
When Jesus came, he did away with the old system.
Unlike the bulls and lambs that the people sacrificed in the Old Testament, Jesus was perfect. He was God’s perfect Son, and he never sinned.
When he died on the cross, God punished him, once and for all, so that all who follow him are no longer separated from God.
He did away with the old system in which animals had to be sacrificed to pay for sins. This is why he is the “Spotless Lamb of God.”
Let me say this again so we don’t miss it: God punished Jesus instead of punishing you and me.
God’s Immense Love
I wouldn’t send my precious children to die in the place of anyone on this earth. But this is how God showed us just how much he loves us. He willingly sent his Son to die as a demonstration of his love.
Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is believing that he paid the price for your sins on the cross. It is telling God that you receive his forgiveness through Jesus. In doing so, you commit to doing your best to turn away from sin and live for Jesus, asking him to be the Savior who died for you as well as the Leader of your life.
Here is a prayer you can pray: “Jesus, thank you for dying to pay the price for my sins. I confess that I have sinned, and I receive forgiveness through your death on the cross. I receive you into my life as my Savior and my Lord. Today, I make the commitment to do my best to follow you and turn away from sin. Thank you for your love for me. I give my life to you.”
If you prayed this prayer, be sure to read to the end of today’s post for a free devotional eBook to help you start growing closer to Jesus today.
Point #5: Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the act of believing, receiving, and committing to a life of following him.
It sounds too simple. In our humanness, we feel a deep need to prove our goodness and earn our way into heaven.
This is where grace comes into play. Grace is a free gift. You don’t deserve it and cannot earn it. It is given because of love.
Because of love, Jesus paid the price for your sins.
Because of love, he died on the cross for you.
He would have died on the cross even if you were the only one on earth.
You can rest assured that you will go to heaven if you believe he died on the cross for you and that he rose from the dead to prove that he is indeed God’s Son.
Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouths and believe with our hearts, we will be saved.
But I’ve Made too Many Mistakes
Maybe you’ve been wrestling with the idea of surrendering your life to Jesus.
Perhaps you’ve done unspeakable things, and you’re sure Jesus won’t accept you.
You might be afraid that Jesus will ask you to walk away from something you’re not ready to give up just yet.
Turn to Jesus in the Middle of Your Mess
Sadly, when we think we need to have our lives together before coming to Jesus, we have it backward.
Jesus wants us to run to him in our messiness, brokenness, and sinfulness, and he will do the work of helping us honor him with our choices. This is a process, and it rarely happens overnight. It takes time, and the longer we seek Jesus, the more he works in our lives to help us become more like him.
How will you respond to Jesus today?
Before we go, I’d like to share some Bible verses about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior to help complete this picture.
Bible Verses About Accepting Jesus as Your Lord and Savior
1. John 14:6, ESV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus drew a hard line. He declared that there were not many paths to God or many ways to go to heaven.
Jesus is the only way to heaven. This is tough to swallow in an inclusive society. Here is what we must remember: Jesus left the perfect throne room of heaven to live in a broken human body.
He suffered and died to pay the penalty for our sins. If we turn away from this immense sacrifice, we are essentially saying, “Thanks, but no thanks, Jesus.”
Let’s take a closer look at why Jesus suffered and died on the cross.
2. Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
When God originally created humankind, his relationship with them was perfect. Adam and Eve lived in a glorious garden, and they talked to God face-to-face. Everything was unbroken.
Sadly, when they chose to disobey God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin entered the world. From that point forward, all humans have been born sinful by nature. We are self-serving and self-centered. We do not have face-to-face relationships with God.
All people have sinned and fallen short of God’s perfection.
The first step toward receiving the assurance of heaven one day is realizing that we have sinned. We have to humble ourselves and recognize that we are not “good enough” to go to heaven. Even one sin disqualifies us.
This is the great tragedy of sin.
3. Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God is good. Because he is a good judge, he is also just. He cannot let sin go overlooked.
Before Jesus came, God’s followers sacrificed animals to make payment for their sins. It was bloody, but the blood was an indication of just how serious sin is. Sin is so serious that there must be payment, and if there is no payment, an eternity in hell awaits.
The end of this verse offers the solution. We no longer have to sacrifice animals to pay the price for sin. If we turn to Jesus, receive him as the Savior and Leader of our lives, and follow him, God forgives us. We are assured eternity in heaven.
4. John 1:12
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
This verse offers a key word: “receive.”
The Bible states that even the demons believe Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of all who follow him.
Receiving Jesus goes beyond believing in him. When we receive Jesus, he is no longer a distant deity we cry out to in crisis moments. He comes to dwell within us. He promises to be with us always, never leaving us.
We commit to lives spent doing our best to follow him (and we will all do this imperfectly). As we walk with him, our relationship continues to grow deeper and stronger.
This is a good test to determine whether you will go to heaven: Have you received Jesus as the Savior who took God’s punishment for your sins? Are you growing in your relationship with him?
5. John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
When I became a mother, this verse meant something very different to me.
I realized I would never allow my precious child to suffer, let alone die, for another person. To do so would be the ultimate demonstration of love.
This is what God did through Jesus. He demonstrated his love for us, for you, once and for all, when he sent his Son to bear the punishment you deserve for sinning.
We struggle to wrap our minds around this because God was also the one who poured out the punishment.
Remember, God’s ways are not our ways. They are higher than ours.
When God punished Jesus, his heart was broken. It was not a vengeful or enjoyable moment for him. He was doing what he had to do for the sake of his great love for us.
6. Romans 10:9
Because, 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.
In his letter to the Roman church, Paul wrote that confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing he was resurrected are keys to eternal life with God.
7. Romans 10:10
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
We believe in Jesus with our hearts and find justification here. By confessing that we are his followers, we declare to the world that we are his.
8. John 17:3
And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
The first time I realized what this verse means, I was deeply impacted in a way that has changed me.
Eternal life is more than eternity in heaven with God. Eternal life begins the moment a person receives Jesus as Lord and Savior. We have eternal life while we live on earth, and this eternal life is a relationship with Jesus.
Through knowing Jesus in this life, our eternal life has already begun. It is not perfect, and we wait for heaven with longing, but eternal life has already begun.
10. Ephesians 1:13
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
All who receive Jesus also receive the Holy Spirit. He comes to dwell in our hearts and guide us through life.
The Holy Spirit seals the promise that we belong to God. If you have received Jesus into your life, the Holy Spirit dwells within you.
He will help you make godly decisions and guide you.
11. Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Jesus spoke these words to convey a powerful truth: He wants more than lip-service.
We can say we believe in him and follow him, but if we don’t follow through, it’s worth considering that we might not be true followers.
Jesus’ followers are always growing closer to him in a relationship. Does this describe your walk with God?
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If this post about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior blessed you, or if you’d like to help a child in your life grow closer to God, I invite you to explore our family devotionals below. Also, scroll to the bottom of the post for a free devotional eBook to begin growing closer to God today. You’ll find an entire library of free eBooks and devotionals.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Grow in Faith
Lastly, if this post about accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior blessed you, I have a gift for you today: my free 31-day devotional Mornings With Jesus. Mornings With Jesus is not your average daily devotional—it is so much more! This devotional is unique because, in addition to daily readings and reflection questions, it also offers a special section at the end of each post called “Your Invitation to Encounter God and Begin Well.” These exercises will help you actually encounter the Living God during your quiet time. Instead of asking $9.99, I’m offering this devotional for free with promo code JESUS for a limited time right here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
