At the close of the sermon an invitation is extended to encourage anyone whose relationship with God and Christ is not what it should be, to come and give himself to the Lord in obedience to the gospel of Christ. At that time the assembly stands and sings a hymn of encouragement. The invitation is extended for two types of persons: the one who has never become a Christian and the one who is unfaithful and wishes to return to Christ. No one is ever pressured or embarrassed at this time, however.
We teach that to become a Christian, one must do what men were taught in the days of the apostles. We cannot assume that we can do anything less and become a Christian today. The New Testament teaches that one must:
- Believe in Christ (Mark 16:16; Heb. 11:6; John 3:16). Believing in Christ involves believing who He is (the Son of God) and believing what He says (in the gospel).
- Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 2:38)
- Confess faith in Christ as the Son of God (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:9)
- Be baptized for the remission of sins (Matt 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-5; Gal. 3:27; 1 Pet 3:21)
If one is an unfaithful Christian, having turned back to sinful things, he must return to God so he will not be lost. The New Testament also teaches how that is done:
- Repent of sins (Acts 8:22; Rev. 2:5)
- Confess sins (2 John 1:9; James 5:16)
- Pray for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 2 Pet. 3:9)