I have taken the time to thoroughly examine the various answers circulating on the worldwide web as it relates to this topic. And here is what I have found. These are all real people’s confessions

Confession 1:

Some people feel that Christianity will help them become a better person, others enjoy the shared community experience of being in a church, and some are just born into it without any say in the matter.

They became convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, who the prophets of old had promised would come.

Confession 2:

Let me begin by asking you a question. If you were to die today - and you never know if this really is your last day on earth - and you were standing before God and He asked you, "Why should I let you into MY heaven?" What would you say? What would be the reason He should let you in?

Think about that for a moment and consider your answer before you read anymore. What would your answer be?

Now, let me tell you how I would answer that question. "Lord God, I have never done anything in my life good enough to get into heaven. I could never earn the right to get into heaven even if I tried to be a good person. My sins, no matter how many or few they are - no matter how great or small they are, have disqualified me from ever entering heaven on my own merit. And in fact, because of my sins, I deserve nothing but eternal punishment. But I know that I can enter your heaven with confidence because Jesus took upon His body, His sinless and perfect body, the punishment that I deserved. And because He has taken my sin upon himself. I am now free from sin. I can now enter heaven because I have no sin credited to my account. Jesus paid the full penalty for every sin I ever committed."

Confession 3:

· God loves you and will forgive anyone who turns to him.

· He can heal you of any sickness.

· He can set you free of gambling, drug addictions and anything that is controlling and ruining your life.

· He can give you strength to cope with whatever you may be facing in the present.

· If you are hurting because of the things that happened in your past then God can heal you of that pain and give you a fresh start.

· You can be set free of all fear including the fear of death.

· He can help heal broken relationships or help you cope after a relationship is lost.

· You can know him in a real and powerful way.

· You can know his love, peace and joy.

· He is your Creator and you were designed to know him, he is the ‘something’ that is missing from our lives.

· He is interested in you and has a great plan and purpose for your life.

· God provides for all our needs and you can be assured of his protection.

· It is only through Jesus that you can have a sure hope of living forever in a wonderful place.

· No one who has ever lived is like Jesus. He taught about love and forgiveness, he gave up his life to save us and he prayed that the people who executed him would be forgiven.

Confession 4:

When I was younger I worked with a guy on a business deal that was a Christian I used to tease him mercilessly about his faith. We ran out of cash and had no money for anything at all. However we did have a box of Kraft Dinner but no bread or milk to go with it. So I said to him (as a joke) I was going to pray for some bread and milk I put my hands together and prayed right there on the street "Jesus please give us some bread and milk to go with the Kraft Dinner, Amen". We walked a ways and right there on the street we found a bag with bread and milk in it, the milk was still cold. I don't think I ever enjoyed Kraft Dinner as much as I did that day. Well needless to say I never became a Christian that day but shortly there after and have been growing in my faith ever since. Although I did spend some time in the desert trying to figure out what it meant to truly be a person that believes in Jesus Christ.

Confession 5:

Introverted and meek, I had my thumbnail ripped out with a pair of pliers at age five. Stabbed at eight. Beaten with a belt biweekly by my loving father at the insistance of my scitzophrenic child hating mother. Abducted as a child. Gang raped in my teens. I grew up thinking I was less than nothing.

At 15 I retaliated. I fought back for the first time in my life. Anger was my vindicator. It gave me freedom. It was my wall. My Protector. I believed the lie and became the abuser. Being the abuser is MUCH WORSE than being abused. I know. I've been both.

At 41, suicidal, and seeking something but not knowing what... I was drawn to a place. An easygoing hippie type spoke about the 'real' Jesus. Not the stuffy religious figure I thought he was.... and I liked what I heard.

One night, all alone, I called out his name and he showed up. Not a vision, but a visitation. I won't tell you what happened that night, but I will tell you that nothing on this earth compares to the bliss of being with God.

That was 6 years ago. Today I have joy and peace, I'm known as this cool funky chick who loves the unlovable, and I don't have an angry bone in my body.

Confession 6:

I prayed one day, "if there is a God, please do something for these poor dormitory students". Then next day tons of us got little gedeon bibles. They were being handed out by some old guy. I before that had been thinking the stars might be some sort of living creature. And I opened up my gedeon bible to a random page. I read 5 chapters, and in them were signs for me; the biggest being Paul talking about "how he doesn't know what bodies we'll have in heaven, heavenly bodies!" So I realized right away that the stars are the angels, and that everything in the Bible must be generally true.

Confession 7:

The answer is supposed to be because you wanted to go to heaven, or were afraid of going to hell, or fell in love with Jesus, or something “spiritual” like that. I can’t help but think, in light of these thoughts from last night, that a big part of my becoming Christian, of my choosing to follow Jesus, was that I saw the same decision being lived out passionately and credibly by people who meant something to me.

Plenty of people make that decision because of the persuasive abilities of a preacher or teacher. I suspect, though, that the ones for whom such decisions “stick,” though, are the ones who are not set adrift with a personal copy of the Bible after such a decision, but the ones who have someone credible and passionate to follow after. (Anonymous)

Confession 8:

1. So you don't get destroyed in Hell.

2. So that you can be forgiven.

3. So that you can be Born Again.

4. So that you can begin an incredible relationship with God.

5. So that you can have peace.

6. So that you will know the truth.

7. So that you can have direction in life.

8. So that you can be set free.

9. So that you can rejoice.

10. Covering over children.

11. So that you may know the Cornerstone

12. So that you will have an ability to pray.

13. So that you may know healing.

14. So that you can forgive others, and be forgiven.

15. So that you can be mature.

16. So that you can have direction in life.

17. So that you can say death, where is thy sting?

18. So that you have a meaningful life.

19. So that you may know the power of prayer.

20. So that you may know God's support.

21. So that you may know tremendous joy.

22. So that you may have understanding from God.

23. So that you may have an inheritance in Heaven.

It is unfortunate that most of these answers are self-centered. Out of this list no one has been inspired to respond that he or she became a Christian in order to reflect the unconditional love of God through the Cross of Christ toward his/her neighbor. This ought to be every Christian’s goal and duty. I am not implying that no one has converted for this purpose; what I am in fact rectifying is that most do not convert because of their desire to live for and love others. Nonetheless, one of the confessions reflects a longing to forgive others.

I, the author of these devotional series, became a Christian for the following reasons:

1. Calvary gave me no other choice

2. HOW? I was not able to fight off the power with which the Holy Spirit moved me to surrender my life to my Master.

3. WHY? In order to reflect heaven’s love toward my neighbor whether he or she may be a criminal, prostitute, terrorist, homosexual, homeless, illiterate, jihad Muslim, drug addict, Ku Klux Klan member etc.

Whether you are eating, drinking, singing, preaching, whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God. Live today as if it was the last day you are living for and in Christ.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY AND FOLLOW CHRIST!