What We Believe

How to become a Christian

Becoming a Christian is the best possible decision a person could ever make. The Bible backs this up in John 3:16 and 17: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son (JESUS!), that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him (JESUS!) might be saved.”

The “ABC” of Salvation:

You need to ADMIT that you have sinned, kept God out of your life and gone your own way.

Next you need to BELIEVE that Jesus, God’s only Son, took the punishment you deserve when He died for you on the cross. He rose from the dead on the third day proving that He had conquered the power of sin and death, and making a restored relationship possible.

Then you need to COMMIT your life to Jesus. This involves being truly sorry for your sin and turning around from living your life for yourself – towards living your life to please God.

If you are willing to do these things then you could simply pray the prayer below and receive Jesus Christ into your life and follow Him:

This is a simple prayer you could pray to ask Jesus into your life:

“Father God, I know that I have not put you first in my life and my sins have separated me from You. I am truly sorry and now I turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, rose from the dead, is alive and hears my prayer. Jesus I invite you to be Lord of my life. Help me now to live for you each day. Amen.”

Here are a few Bible verses to encourage you on the decision you have made:

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

STATEMENT OF FAITH

The following is the Doctrine Statement of Pakenham Christian Church and the Australian Christian Churches of Victoria and Australia (Formerly called the Assemblies of God):

• The Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-21).
• There is one God, eternally existent in three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
• In the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, in His personal future return to earth in power and glory.
• In the blessed hope – the rapture of the Church at Christ’s coming (1 Thessalonians 4:17) in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting
  damnation. (Daniel 12:2; John 11:25-26; Revelation 21:7,8).
• The only means of being cleansed from sins is through repentance and faith in the precious blood of Christ. (Ephesians 1:7).
• Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation. (John 1:13; 3:3; 1 Peter 1:23).
• In the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. (Galatians 5:16).
• The baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4 is given to believers who ask. (Luke 11:13).
• In the present day reality of the super-natural operation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:8-10; Hebrews 2:3-4).
• The redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer. (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:17).
• In the observance of the ordinances of Christian baptism by immersion for believers and the Lord’s Supper. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).