I'M A CHRISTIAN – NOW WHAT???
Now that you have made a decision to follow Christ, you are a new creation, rebirth into a new family. Being a Christian is not about throwing up your “Halleluiah sign” but about an intimate, personal relationship with God (Romans 5:6-11). Below are some answers to questions that you’re probably wrestling with in your new walk with Christ. We trust that they will be useful to your growth.
AM I REALLY SAVED?
Was it that easy? All I did was go up for prayer? Is there more to it than that?
Being saved is as easy as the ABCs:
- A-Admit you have sinned (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 1 John 1:10)
- B-Believe in Jesus (John 1:12)
- C-Confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8,9)
That’s all there is to it. If you did that then you are now a child of God and God’s Holy Spirit is working inside of you. You will not automatically become perfect but with His Spirit working in you, you will begin to see progress and have a deep desire to change your ways.
IS FOLLOWING JESUS THE ONLY TO BE SAVED?
Let’s hear what Jesus had to say on the matter:
· “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
· Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
· “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and find pasture … I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” (John 10:9)
· Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.” (John 11:25)
· Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
· “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8)
· “…knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ … for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)
· For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:15-16)
The bottom line is we are not saved by being religious and following all the laws and tradition of church. Being a faithful member of The First Church of Anything, paying our tithes, involved in ministries and being faithful to all religious rituals doesn’t save us. Our faith in Christ saves us. All we have to do is admit that we are sinners, be willing to confess our sins before God, and be willing to repent and turn from those sins. Then, accept that Jesus Christ came to die for all of our sins, that He rose from the dead on the third day, and then accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior.
I’VE BEEN BAD, WILL GOD REALLY FORGIVE ME?
Yes! There’s no sin too big that God cannot forgive. Remember the adulterous woman; remember King David – the adulterous/murder; how about Abraham’s lying; or Peter’s denials of Jesus; and lastly Paul, the persecutor. They were all sinners that God used for His purpose. If we are honest with ourselves and with God and confess ours sin, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all bad things (1 John 1:9).
WHAT IF I GO BACK TO MY BAD WAYS ?
“We fall down and we get up. For a saint is just a sinner who falls down and got up…”
We all sin, whether it’s a tempter, materialism, envy, gossip, lust, etc… But that’s not where it ends. You have to come clean to God about your sins and He will forgive you. Surround yourself with friends who will support you and hold you accountable and cut out anyone else who is not helping you with your growth in Christ.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO SAY WHEN I PRAY?
Imagine just entering a new relationship with a girl/guy that you think highly of. What do you say to him/her? Do you wait until you see her at church on Sunday to talk to him/her?
When you’re entering in a relationship with someone you want to talk to them all the time, you give them quality time. You often can’t wait until the next time you talk. Every day you learn something new about the person that you didn’t know before and it’s just exciting.
Well, prayer is no different than communicating with a person you’re in a relationship with. All you have to do is find a special spot where no one will be all up in your business and start talking to the “lover of your soul”. It’s that easy. Here are some simple guidelines:
In Matthew 6:6-13 and Luke 11:1-4, Jesus gives us a good template for prayer. In the example of the Lord ’s Prayer, it gives us an example of what components every prayer should have. Our prayers should be done in secrecy, be simple and Thus the discipline of prayer should include the elements of secrecy, simplicity, and sincerity. The A-C-T-S of prayer is an acronym which gives us guidelines of a disciplined prayer life. They are as follows:
A – adoration: means to worship and acknowledge the majesty of God. This is where we acknowledge that God is the ruler of every facet of our lives and without him our lives would be nothing.
“Hallowed be thy name…”
C – Confession: Here we acknowledge that we are sinners and have sinned and ask for God’s forgiveness.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”
T – Thanksgiving: We give thanks to God for all that he has done and the graces and mercies He has afforded us in spite of our sins and shortcomings.
S – Supplication – This is a big word that means “request”. When we lift up our supplications to God, we’re telling him directly what we need from Him.
“…Give us this day our daily bread…”
“…lead us not into temptation…”
The ACTS are not meant to be the only way to pray but it gives us a guideline to begin our prayers. As we’re in constant communication with God, we’ll have times of prayer that only focuses on one aspect of this ACTS. For example, we may at some point during the day; say a quick prayer of thanksgiving for something that God has just done for us.
How Do I Read The Bible?
Like NIKE used to say in their commercial; JUST DO IT!!! As it relates to the reading the Bible, just OPEN IT! In order to follow Jesus you need to know what He said and did. Reading the Bible is the best way to learn about who Jesus was and still is. Further, the stories of the life of Jesus can be found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Spending time reading the Scriptures and meditating on its meaning and importance to our lives. We are nourished by the Word because it is our source of spiritual strength.
- Define Study: The word “Study” is not widely used in the Bible, we find words like:
- Meditate:
i. Dictionary: To engage in contemplation or reflection; to focus on thought, reflect on or ponder over, to plan a project
ii. Psalm 1:2 (1897): To ponder, imagine, study, talk, utter, to murmur in pleasure or anger
iii. Psalm 119:5 (7878): to ponder; converse with oneself, and hence aloud; complain, declare, pray, speak, and talk with.
- Basic Principal of Bible Study
- Ask the right questions
i. Ask different questions
ii. The more questions you ask the more you will get out of your study
- Write it down
- Application is the ultimate goal.
i. It is valueless if in the final analysis we do not change.
DO I NEED TO GO TO CHURCH, I CAN DO ALL THIS AT HOME?
Which option would you choose to watch the NBA Finals? Sitting at home watching it on TV or being in the actual stadium with a bunch of your friends cheering for the same team?
Most of us are going to choose watching the game at the stadium with a bunch of friends as the ideal way. As we continue on the journey to become like Christ, the people at church who care about you, support you, and teach you and encourage you help make that journey more enjoyable.
Hebrews 10:24-25 - 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
HOW CAN I GET MY FRIENDS IN ON CHRIST?
To your friends and most in the world, actions speak louder than words. Let them see the change in you as opposed to you talking about it like the next fad. When your friends see your change in action, they’ll be curious and ask you about it so be prepared to talk about your encounter with Jesus. Share what God has done in your life.
Once you’ve shared your experience, don’t try to force feed them Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit work in their hearts. You can’t save anyone with your words or actions. Only Jesus saves!
WHEN DOES BEING A CHRISTIAN EXPIRES?
Being a Christ follower is something you’ll take with you to your grave. It’s a journey that never ends until we reach eternity. You are not alone on this journey. It’s a four man team – you, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They’ll never leave you behind and never fail you. In addition to the Holy Trinity, you have other believers walking the same walk with you to encourage you, and help you carry part of your load.
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