Does a person have to become emotional and cry to truly receive Christ as personal Savior and Lord?

There are a variety of emotional responses when people come to Christ. Some people cry because of the joy they have experienced in the total forgiveness of their sins and the realization that they are now a part of God's family. Some people simply rejoice with feelings of lightheartedness as though a great burden has been lifted away. Others seem to experience or express very little emotion at all.

The Bible says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Establishing a relationship with Christ is based upon faith and not feeling. God responds to faith whether tears are present or not. Emotion can have a part in conversion, but simply because a person does not cry when repenting of sin and trusting in Christ does not mean that he or she has not been saved.