HEAR

The first step to becoming a Christian is to hear the gospel. This is obviously very important, because it is impoosible to believe anything which you know nothing about.

The question is, what is the gospel?
I Corinthians 15:1-2 says: Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast to the word preached to you, unless you believed in vain. This tells us that the gospel is something that can be made known, or preached, and it is something that must be received. It is the gospel in which we stand and by which we are saved.

The word gospel means "good news". So what is this good news that we can receive, stand in, and by it be saved?
I Corinthians 15:3-5 continues: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve."

The gospel, or good news, that we must hear in order to be saved is that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, that he was buried and that on the third day he rose again!

I Corinthians 6:44-45 says: "No one can come to me unless the Father, who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'They shall all be taught of God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me.
These verses show that when we have heard and learned the gospel, we will go to Jesus.

Romans 10:17 says: "Now faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
The only way to gain faith is by hearing the gospel.