Faith

How to Know Jesus

My hope is to give you a simple way to know Jesus, the lover of my soul. I cannot imagine life without Him, and I now have assurance that I will be with Him for eternity as I continue with Him and endure to the end.

If you don’t know Jesus, or if life feels like a dead end—or anything in between— please take a few minutes to read this and see where He might be leading you.

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A simple overview

This page is my personal testimony, a short explanation of salvation, and a few Scriptures that have shaped what I believe about coming to Jesus.

My goal is not to impress you with words, but to point you to Jesus Christ, His death, burial, resurrection, and the life He gives.

The message

I wanted this page to be plain, personal, and easy to follow—something that shares both my story and the Scriptures that matter most to me.

How Jesus got my attention

When I was 17 years old, what I understood most was frustration. My life revolved around a relationship, and what that person said felt like “the gospel” to me. Deep inside, though, I did not have peace.

At 25, I began going to church for six months straight. Week after week, I heard about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. After six months of hearing this, it finally hit me: this message was really for me.

I needed to receive Jesus as Savior and submit to Him as Lord, not just hear about Him. Later I came to understand more clearly that coming to Jesus means both faith and repentance—turning from sin and turning toward Him.

A key verse for me

Acts 2:38 says:

“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; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

That verse has helped shape how I understand repentance, water baptism, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Turning toward God

Repentance means turning away from a life of sin and self-reliance, and turning toward God.

It means trusting in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and expecting Him to live a holy life through you.

As you walk with Him, you then have access to the baptism of the Holy Spirit either at salvation or afterward, depending on God’s timing.

The outward action

Water baptism in the name of Jesus is the outward action. It is a public declaration of faith by way of water baptism, symbolizing the washing away of sins and the believer’s identification with Christ’s death and resurrection.

The gift of divine power

The gift of the Holy Spirit is God’s part. It refers to the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit, received by speaking in tongues (even when some never speak in tongues again), which happens when Jesus seals a believer in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Practical next steps

If you are wondering what to do next, I recommend finding a non-denominational, Spirit-filled church and listening to what is taught there. This will help you see Jesus’ influence in action.

At the same time, take your time reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament; it is one of the clearest ways to come to know Jesus through Scripture.

As you follow Him as both Savior and Lord, seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit so that your life will be in power, not just in words (see 1 Corinthians 4:20).

Repentance

What it is all about.

2 Chronicles 7:14
"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. "

Psalm 51:17
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise.”

Acts 3:19
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”

Luke 13:3
“I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

Salvation Comes To Those Who Believe

The Bible shows that Jesus gives salvation.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Acts 4:12
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

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. ”

Ephesians 2:8-9
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit

The Bible shows that Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit in all four Gospel books.

Matthew 3:11
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Mark 1:8
“I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 3:16
“John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’”

John 1:33
“I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’”