As you browse through the City Gates website, or attend one of our events or services, you may have wondered what it means to be a Christian, or you may have wondered why we like to talk about Jesus so much.

This page is dedicated to share a little with you about who Jesus is and why it is so important to become a Christian.

In the beginning God created the heavens, the earth and everything in them. He made man in His image. We are created in the image of God. We were in relationship with our Creator, walking daily with Him, talking with Him, sharing life with Him.

Then sin. The devil saw the relationship we had with God, and out of his intense hatred for God and humanity, he stepped in to break-up the two-way close bond we shared. Targeting Eve, satan twisted the words of God, so they took on a different meaning, and deceived her to believe an untruth of what God had said to her husband Adam… And the devil has been using this same trick every moment, of every day since then, to convince mankind that God is not Who He says He is.

Who do you say God is? Have you though more about Him beyond the swear word or prayer in times of great stress?

Since that first moment, when Adam and Eve accepted the deception above the Truth, our relationship with God was destroyed. We were separated from Him. We were removed from His closeness. We were lost in our humanness and sin without Him.

At various times God tried to reach out to His creation, providing us with a law to help us live right with Him and with each other; offering us His guidance through prayer, through sacrifices and atonement. He desired for us to draw back into our relationship with Him. But each time, we rejected God. Every step He took towards us, we took more steps away from Him. Every time God tried to extend His love to us, we responded in sin… Look back. Have you ever lied? Have you ever cheated? Have you ever stolen anything- not even a biscuit from your parents jar? Have you ever worshipped anything… money? A celebrity? A football team? Have you ever shouted at parents or dishoured them by lying to them or hiding something from them?

The world became a dark place without the light and the love of God’s presence in our lives. Every man lived for himself, each one doing what is right in his own eyes, regardless of God’s laws and guidance.

But God never gave up on us. He never gave up on you.

God sent His Son Jesus to build a bridge between Himself and His precious creation: Mankind. Us. You. A bridge which needed to span right through history. A bridge to span right across the diverse gap of heaven and earth. A bridge which extends from that moment in history when Jesus died on the cross, to this moment in history when you are reading this article. This is your moment of reaching the bridge. You have a choice. You can stay on your side of the bridge, and continue with the life you have known. Or you can cross the bridge of Jesus Christ and reach the side of life which God originally intended you to have.

If you decide today you want to renew your relationship with God, and can accept that Jesus Christ died for you, removing the darkness of all your sins from your life. If you can accept that Jesus also rose again from the dead after 3 days, and is in heaven, where He ascended, seating at the right hand of God the Father. If you can accept Jesus is the name above all names, and He is worth all you can offer to Him as He continues to intercede for you. If you are prepared to leave the side of the bridge where you had been making your own decisions and your own choices according to what was right in your eyes, and follow after all God has for you, through the blood of Jesus and by the leading and power of His Holy Spirit, then this next step is very important for you.

Pray: “Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I have chosen to live life my own way and I have messed up so many times. Lord Jesus, I realise today I have dishonoured You, rejecting God so many times in the past, but I am prepared to move away from this side of the bridge and follow after you. I ask You to forgive me of everything I have done wrong, which had stopped me from being in a relationship with God. I acknowledge You are the Son of God who was sent to die for me so I wouldn’t have to be punished for my own sins, and I believe You rose again after 3 days, ascending into heaven where You are seated, continuing the work You started so I would come to know You for myself.

Lord Jesus, I ask You to come into my life, building the bridge over the gap between me and God, so I can live in all the fullness of all God has created me for. I renounce all my sinful ways and take on the newness I can find in You, through the leading of Your Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me so much, that You would have done anything to draw me back to the Father. I believe in You. I believe Jesus Christ – You are Lord. Amen”

Phone: The Church Office on: 020 8514 0188, so you can share this moment with someone who has been in the same position you are now in. We would like to have the opportunity to send you some materials to help you, and to put you in touch with people who can guide you through the next stages of your decision. This will include joining a local Church wherever you are, and attending an introductory course, such as the City Gates Life Course. This will provide you with an understanding of what it means to be a Christian, as well as providing you an arena to ask questions.

Pursue: The relationship you now have with your Heavenly Father is a great adventure. Grab a Bible – it is God’s love letter to you.. read what He says to you personally. Pray – this is a chance for you to converse with God – and He will speak back to you in various ways.. through His Word, through dreams and visions, through conversations with people, through a still small voice you will hear in your heart. Over time you will come to recognise God’s voice in your life. Worship – this is our way of honouring God and letting Him know of our love and acceptance of Him in our lives. We are called to live a life of worship – find out more about what this means for your life.

This is the most important decision you could have taken – and you made it!

We look forward to sharing more of your journey with you.