“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).

“Come to Christ” is a popular expression. It reminds us of the words of Jesus, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus spoke nearly two thousand years ago, and this invitation He offered then has been extended to every generation since.

How do men come to Christ? The idea in “come” is for something that is considered “there” to be moved to another place that is considered “here.” In the time of Christ men could literally come to Him, that is, walk up to Him. This happened in several instances:

First, there is the occasion in Matthew 14:23-28 where Jesus walked on the Sea of Galilee to the disciples when they were in a ship that was being driven by a storm. When they saw Him they heard Him say, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” Peter then asked, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” (Matthew 14:28). “And He said, Come” (Matthew 14:29). In this case there is the idea of a literal movement from one place to another.

Again, in Matthew 19:14 Jesus spoke of little children when He said, “Suffer little children and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Little children could then literally approach Him. The disciples apparently thought the children were a bother and were trying to keep them away.

In Matthew 11:28 the idea is not that of a literal approach. Jesus is not on earth in bodily form today. He ascended into heaven long ago (Acts 1:9-11), so He isn’t in Jerusalem or Judea, as He once was. A different kind of “coming” is implied when we say “Come to Christ.” His calling requires a spiritual response. It is identical to the call referred to in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (John 6:44, 45).

Today, men must make a spiritual response to the invitation of Christ. The idea of movement from one place to another is still involved as men move from being lost to being saved, from being servants of Satan to being servants of Christ. To make this move men must be led to see Jesus is the Son of God and their Savior. They must undergo a change of heart. They must repent and they must complete their obedience to the gospel. What then takes place is a change of relationship. Once having obeyed the gospel they no longer stand apart from Him, but with Him.

The Bible points out cases of people coming to Christ. Some of these took place after Jesus ascended. These are: the conversions on Pentecost (Acts 2), the conversion of the Ethiopian (Acts 8), the conversion of Saul (Acts 9), the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10), the conversion of Lydia (Acts 16) and the conversion of the jailor (Acts 16). In each case the gospel is taught and accepted.

How did the lost accept the gospel? By repenting of their sins (Acts 2:37,38), confessing their faith (Acts 8:37,38), and by being baptized in water to wash their sins away (Acts 22:16).

How do lost men come to Christ today?
The same way. They learn about Christ and obey the gospel. They accept the truth that Jesus is the Son of God and their Savior, and they obey Him by meeting the conditions of salvation that He announced. Once they have obeyed they have “come to Christ.” In so doing they have changed positions. Before they were apart from Him; now they are saved (forgiven). Before they were children of the Devil; now they are children of God.

The question is, have you come to Christ that you might belong to Him? He invites you and you must accept the invitation, which, by the way, is the greatest invitation ever offered to anyone. Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. To accept His invitation is the greatest decision you can make. To reject it is the greatest mistake.

You are also invited to attend the services of the church of Christ where you will hear more about how men come to Christ.
— Delton Haun

Psalm 23: 1–4

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.