If you have read this web site and are now thinking, "What do I do next?", this is the section for you. To even be considered for a place in this marvellous Kingdom, you must first follow the simple instructions of Jesus Christ; believe, repent and be baptized.

Believe what?

• This is a very brief list of the key things that we as Christadelphians believe:
• The Bible is God's word and the only message from Him. It is without error, except for copying and translation errors
• There is only one God - the Creator. The Holy Spirit is God's power.
• Jesus is the Son of God, and a human being, through his mother Mary.
• By living a sinless life Jesus has opened the way of salvation from death.
• Jesus is currently in Heaven, on God's right hand. He will one day return.
• When he returns, he will rule the earth and give immortality to those who have tried to follow him and do the will of God. His followers will help him to rule.
• Man is mortal, having no existence when dead. The reward for the faithful is resurrection from the dead and eternal life on earth after Christ's return.
• Baptism is essential to gain this eternal life.

(For more details see Who are The Christadelphians?)

Repent

Repent is a very old fashioned word, and what it means is to feel regret for what you have done. If you've got as far as believing in God's word, repentance usually follows automatically when we realise how badly we have failed God! None of us can say that we always do God's will, so we are all usually in a state of repentance, so don't feel too bad about things - we are all in the same boat. What repentance should lead to, though, is a realisation that you have to change your life, and try harder to follow the teachings of Christ and do God's will. This brings us onto the next point.

Baptism

The Bible states quite explicitly that baptism is the essential first step. As Jesus said:

5 Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
	John 3:5

And if we look, we can see the early followers of Jesus (called the Apostles) obeyed his commandment to baptise converts:

38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..."
	Acts 2:38

 

19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out...
	Acts 3:19

The Bible is also clear about what it defines as baptism. It doesn't mention a light sprinkling of water on the head of a baby. After all, a baby doesn't understand the commitment involved in becoming a follower of Christ, so how can it be baptised? The Bible talks of full immersion in water, after the person has made the personal decision that they want to be baptised (nobody else can make it for them). The word "baptise" actually comes from a word that was used in the business of dyeing clothes, when cloth is immersed in water to take the colour in which it is being dyed. If you think about it, if you only needed a small sprinkling of water to be baptised, why did John the Baptist baptise people in the River Jordan, and not at a well?

In baptism we are symbolically burying the "old us", and coming out of the waters of baptism as "a new person" who will try and follow Jesus and do God's will.

But what happens if we fail?

As we said earlier, no one is perfect. In fact, Jesus was the only perfect man ever to live, so we will fail. But God has thought about this and has told us that, if we ask Him for forgiveness in our prayers, He's happy to grant it to us.

24 "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
	Mark 11:24-25

Of course when we ask for forgiveness with the intention of sinning again in the same way, then we should not assume that God will forgive us.

14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses , neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
	Matthew 6:14-15

But if we are genuinely sorry (it's that repentance theme again), and ask for forgiveness, then He will grant it you. How reassuring is that!

It all sounds too simple

Many people are surprised how simple the instructions of Jesus are, but as the apostle Paul wrote:

27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;
	1 Corinthians 1:27

Jesus laid down very few absolute instructions for us to follow. One important one, though, is about remembering him in bread and wine, which we as Christadelphians do on the first day of each week, following the example set for us by the Apostles. (For more details see Who are The Christadelphians?).

22 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 "Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."

Mark 14:22-25

So, what do I do next?

If you want to find out more about the Bible, we would suggest you take a look at our Distance Learning Course, which is available free of charge. If you have a question, you could e-mail us, or if you would like to speak to someone in person, why not look up your closest Christadelphian meeting.

 

Whatever you decide to do, do something and do it soon! It won't be long before Jesus returns. Are you ready to meet him?