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Come To Jesus: What Does It Mean
Modified: January 9, 2024
Peter Smith, Editorial Director at Christian.net, combines deep insights into faith, politics, and culture to lead content creation that resonates widely. Awarded for his contributions to religious discourse, he previously headed a major organization for religious communicators, enhancing dialogue on faith's societal impacts.
"Come to Jesus" is a powerful statement that redefines how we live and how we communicate with God in both our good times and bad times.
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Can you come to Jesus even if you think you’re already with Him? What does it mean to “come to Jesus”, and most importantly, what will it do? The answer is, we come to Jesus in times when we feel stressed out, during those moments where we feel like the world is against us, and those upsetting times when our burdens seem higher than our faith. When life seems like a breeze with blessings upon blessings or when our life is full of negativity – These are all indications of our call to come to Jesus. But, here’s the thing – If we’re already with Jesus, why should we come to Him again?
Our relationship with God is like our homes. When you purchase a house, it is a given that you own it. But, there are occasions in which you go out to school or work or run errands. At these times, you leave your house. Does this mean that when you leave your house to do errands such as buying groceries, your ownership of your house is lost? No. No matter where you go, you are still bound to come back to your house at the end of the day. So, even if we already belong to God, and our lives are already trusted in His Hands, we are still expected to come to Jesus. This might be shocking but, here are the moments in which we are called to come to Jesus.
The First Time
“Come to Jesus” is a powerful phrase that best describes baptism. The act of being baptized serves as our first official public declaration and act we will do to “come to Jesus”. Why do we get baptized in the first place? See, after being baptized, we declare our lives with Jesus. We identify ourselves as God’s children saved by Jesus’ Sacrifice.
In Romans 6:3-4, it is said that if we get baptized, we get baptized into His Death too. It means that we accept the death of Jesus as our starting point to forgiveness and a new life. Baptism allows us to start from zero, to proclaim that we were sinners. But, at the same time, we also acknowledge that Jesus paid the price. Therefore, we live a life without the weight of our sins. It acts as one of the earliest foundations of our Christian faith.
Romans 6:3-4 “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life”.
“The old has gone and new has come” explains the significance behind declaring our faith in the Name of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). It says that if anyone is “in Christ”, he or she is regarded as a new creation. This is what happens when we come to Christ through baptism. A person baptized is a person declaring that they live their lives “in” Christ. In Christ’s Love, Sacrifice, and Truth. Basically, baptism is our first “come to Jesus” moment – a beautiful and meaningful declaration that we live and die in Jesus’ Name.
Read more: What Does It Mean To Abide In Jesus Christ
Come To Jesus: The Call To Pray
Coming to Christ has a lot to do with prayer. Praying is an essential factor in determining how close or far we are to the Lord. Sometimes, when we feel completely devastated and discouraged by the way life is going, we forget to pray. While it sounds like a simple slip when we forget how to pray, the impact of separating ourselves from our daily obligation to pray is more detrimental than we think it is. Here are some of the untold information about coming to Jesus through prayer.
Prayer Is Our Wellness
Every day, people take their vitamins, eat their breakfast, and drink their water to function well physically. We do all these things because we want to maintain a particular standard health-wise. In the same manner, prayer acts as the effort we take to maintain our relationship with God. We cannot come to God if we act like strangers towards Him. As believers, we are not aiming for anything else but, a strong relationship with God. The whole concept of coming to Jesus requires prayer. When we acknowledge Him, we pray to Him. If we say that want to come to Him, it means that we are seeking to talk and feel His presence as well.
Praying Is Our Reminder
Coming to Jesus means we have to be constantly reminded that we allow Jesus is in our lives. When we say we return to Jesus, we mean we return to all he has done for us and we live by these promises with all our hearts. Praying is an act that enables us to do this. Whenever we take time in our lives to talk to God, we are indicating that we are allowing ourselves to be reminded of the humility and love Jesus has shown through his death. So, baptism and prayer are like baby steps we can take towards the path that leads to the Light that is, Jesus Christ.
Come To Jesus: In Sadness
We are most vulnerable when we are experiencing sadness. The enemy takes advantage of us when our spirits are crushed. In moments like this, we are called to come to Jesus. We have moments when everything seems dark and there is no way out. If we allow ourselves to listen to these lies, we’ll end up with doubts, disbelief, and ignorance from the Truth. But, John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If we come to the Way then, there will always be a way for us!
Some people fail to remember this; we need to come to Jesus when life gives us a reason not to return. The more the world drags us away, the more we should fight to come closer to God. We are commanded to seek the Lord and His Strength (1 Chronicles 16:11). No matter how great our problems are, we are well assured that the Lord is greater – This should be a motivator for us to seek Him consistently.
When life sets traps for us through anxiety, enemies, or anything. We have to set our plans to navigate our paths to Jesus. When life gives us an excuse to stay away from Jesus, we have to fight back with a reason to continually seek Him. Until then will we realize that our problems have a purpose and our inconveniences are God’s way of saying “live harder”. So, when you’re upset, rise and realize that God is using this problem for you to come to Him and know His Grace better.
Read more: What Does The Name “Jesus Christ” Mean
Come To Jesus: In Happiness
It does not apply only to the sad moments, we are expected to come to Jesus in times of happiness as well. Before that, we have to prioritize answering this question – “What makes you happy?”
Is it helping others? Is it the feeling of being loved or is it more on money or success? Actually, our answer to this question tells a lot about who we are and what our relationship with God is like. Happiness is a great drive in determining what we prioritize and what we find significant in our lives. It does not mean that if success makes you happy then, you are automatically tagged as a “bad person”. Absolutely not. But, the Bible teaches us a lesson about coming to Jesus through our happiness.
In Psalm 37:4, we are being told to “take delight in the Lord”. What does this mean? This refers to our responsibility to shift our perspective on what makes us happy. See, happiness is a choice. It is our decision to identify and appreciate something with great relevance. Thus, making us happy. So, if God is not our main happiness, we need to change this mindset. Sometimes, God sends us different trials so that we can recognize what real happiness looks and feels like in the Name of Jesus Christ. If we want to feel that type of happiness that is not dependent on how much money you make or what number appears on your test papers or what your social media comment section looks like – Then, it is time to come to Jesus.
Come To Jesus: In Love
Jesus Christ is love and He has always been the ultimate measurement of what true love looks like. When we come to Jesus, it means that we choose to love . 1 John 4:8 makes it very clear that those who do not love do not know God because He Himself is love. See, the process of coming to Jesus isn’t seen only in baptism, prayer, or even repentance. We need to add love in everything that we do and say so that we can mimic the love Jesus showcased in His existence on Earth.
Coming to Jesus is like obeying our parents. As a child, when our parents tell us to come to them, we do it because we follow their words. If not, we’d get scolded or face consequences. In the same manner, coming to Jesus means that we listen to what he commands. It is like returning home after an event immediately right after our parents tell us to come home. With this, we are responsible for following Jesus’ commandment which is to love each other (John 15:17).
Seeking Jesus In Marriage
Speaking of love, marriage is an important place where we need to come to Jesus not as separate individuals but, as a pair. Ephesians 5:25 uncovers a beautiful meaning behind loving each other before marriage. It commands the husbands to love their wives just as much as Jesus loves the Church. If a man and a woman decide to get married, they need to come to Jesus in order for their relationship to prosper and withstand trials. Why? What makes a relationship that comes to Jesus differently than those who do not?
First of all, matrimony is a vow before God. Therefore, when we get married, we automatically make God the witness of our love for each other. It is like sticking two objects together. The other object is the wife and the other is the husband, no matter how compatible they are as items (i.e. They have the same size, color, and properties as items), if there is no glue that can bind them together, these items will not stick. God is the glue that binds a relationship. As stated earlier God is the source of love. Therefore, anything that does not take God as the source of love, doesn’t actually love. If two people are married, then, they are responsible to come to Jesus not as one but, as two people with the same vow before God.
Come To Jesus: In Sin
The song, “Come to Jesus” by Planetshakers explains the entirety of the idea of returning to God after sin. There’s one thing everyone has in common; we are all sinners, all of us have done actions, released words, and thought of things that offended the Lord (Romans 3:23-24). But, we also share the same glory and forgiveness that is granted through the Name of Jesus Christ.
When we sin, we should never allow ourselves to feel like God no longer wants us or loves us. This is the greatest lie we can ever tell ourselves (Matthew 26:28). We need to come to Jesus because in Him and through Him, we are forgiven. It is like baptism; whenever we return to Jesus, we are fully renewed – We are given a new day and a new heart.
Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.“
However, be cautious; sin is a master manipulator. The more we do it, the farther we get from God. Thus, the enemy can convince us into believing that it is “too late”. By allowing other forces to persuade us into this thinking, we justify instead of repenting. This is why prayer is crucial in coming to Jesus. If we allow ourselves to forget what God stated in the Bible, our sins are going to be forgiven if we confess because He is faithful (1 John 1:9). Our minds can forget the need to seek the Lord’s forgiveness. So, come to Jesus because how can God forgive someone who never asked for forgiveness?
Read more: What Does “Jesus Christ” Mean In German
The Prodigal Son
In Luke 15:11–32, Jesus shares the Parable of the Prodigal Son. This story is well-known to almost all believers. But, here’s a different insight about this wonderful parable; Most of the time, readers think that since the title is “The Prodigal Son”, the character being described more is the son. But, if we look at it in a new pair of eyes, it is actually the father!
Despite the lapses the son has done, the kind, welcoming, and forgiving character of the father is what we should always remind ourselves of. In the same manner, no matter what we’ve done, the Lord will love us. Even when we fail to love ourselves, He will love us. Just like the one in the parable, God will always be happy to see one of His children run back to Him at the end of the day. What better day to come to Jesus than today, right?
Will Jesus Be There?
There’s all this talk about coming to Jesus. But, will Jesus be there if we reach the gates of Heaven? Will He still accept us? Absolutely. There’s a reason why God’s Love is unlike any other love we’ve seen; His Love is unconditional. Romans 5:8 answers this question (“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”) – Think about it, Jesus died for you despite you being a sinner. What makes you think He’ll love you less now? Absolutely nothing and no one can take away the love God has for you whenever He hears your name and sees your face. He made you, named you, called you, and loved you. So, come to Jesus. He will be more than delighted to see His people returning home.
Come To Jesus: A Daily Decision
Just like taking a bath or sleeping early, coming to Jesus is a decision we make every day. It does not have a particular set of actions or words that universally define how we do it. But, there are certain guidelines we can use like baptism and prayer. Aside from this, coming to Jesus is a process that is defined by how we live and what choices we make. So, no matter what life offers, good or bad, easy or hard, life-changing or heartbreaking – Be firm and always choose the option, the person, and the words that come to Jesus!