What is a Christian? How do I become a Christian?

I believe many people ask one or both of these questions.  I know there are even many church goers, or people that were raised Christian who are not really sure about the answers. These are very good questions to ask.   

I don't explain things well, but here is the answer in my words.

MY EXPLANATION / STATEMENT
A Christian is someone who has made a choice to BELIEVE in Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord.
We believe by FULLY PUTTING OUR TRUST in His Love, His Forgiveness and His Salvation.
We believe by giving to God and trusting Him with it.  

I believe, we were created to be significantly relationally connected to God but not on some theoretical habitual doctrinal level, out of tradition and obligation. We were created to be connected to God, in a deep love family relationship with Him - to receive His Love and Love Him back.    

Our sin is what messes things up, but Gods Love and God's Gift have overcome that problem.

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FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
(Sam says) --God Loved--
Hear how much God Loves us. It says here, not just loved, but SO LOVED "
My interpuptation, God says, "How much do I love you? SSOOOOOO MUCH!!!"

THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON
(Sam says) --God Gave --

God reached to us - God GAVE to us – Himself, His ONE and ONLY - God did this for us because not only did He just love us He SO LOVED us.  We are separated from God by our bad thoughts actions & choices (by our sin). The penalty for sin is death (separation from life in God). We are helpless to do anything about it.  (All of our righteous deeds are but filthy rags compared to the Goodness and Perfectness of God.  Even a little sin is too dirty for the Perfectness of God.  There is not righteous not one.)  God knows this and God knows that all our efforts won't get us there.  So God loving us so much, sent His Only Son – perfect and sinless – to pay the penalty we could not pay.   Yes,  God loved us SO MUCH, and God gave us SO MUCH.

THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM
(Sam says)  --we believes--
Believes means to trust fully in, like sitting on a stool with your feet on it's footrest.
To believe is the one thing we have to do. He did the rest. He LOVED us SO MUCH. He GAVE SO MUCH and the only thing left for us to do is trust fully in HIM - believe).  To put our full trust in God and in Jesus Christ's sacrifice (His death and resurrection)

"whoever" = all the mindless little sheep, all the wayward stubborn rebellious children, all the ones trying to earn their way into God's favor - everyone - The gift is available to everyone/anyone who will believe in Him.

WILL RECEIVE EVERLASTING LIFE
(Sam says) --we receive--
What happens when/after we believe.  We receive life-  real life - freedom from slavery to sin and it's result death - LIFE with hope - - God loves us so much that He gave so much - that if we believe, we receive ... you got it ... if we believe He gave so much we receive so much life – life everlasting.

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We must accept, receive, and believe (put our trust fully in) God, in what Jesus has done for us. 

I like the visual explanation of the bridge. We have to put our full weight on the work of the Cross in order to cross from separation/death/sin to God/Life/Hope. We must continue to put the full weight of our lives our trust etc in God, as we live out our lives.

There are other sites that explain how to become a Christian with more clarity than I.

Go Here 

Or Here 
Or Go Here 

This is life of following the 2000 year old trail blazed by Jesus Christ, is my adventure. It is hope filled life.  It is real.  I am not deluding myself with niceties and wishful-thinking for my faith is based on evidences, and reliable documented accounts.

I believe that the most historically accurate book (group of documents) that we have on this planet (The Bible) supports my beliefs and statements.