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| The first thing many people ask is “What must I do to be saved?” You must
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” Acts 16:31 The next question is what must I do now that I am saved? What steps do I take? Take these ten simple first steps for new believers, and your new journey to heaven will take on new excitement and purpose. Step One: Make sure you are Saved. There is only one requirement for salvation – faith in Jesus Christ. Just believe in Him. That’s all you need to do. You are not saved by belonging to a particular church or denomination; no church saves you! You are not saved if your good works outweigh your bad works; they never will! You are saved only by faith in the Savior – Jesus Christ. But this faith must be yours alone. It must be personal. You are not saved because your parents believe. You salvation doesn’t come through someone else, not even your priest, your pastor or your rabbi. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Step Two: Tell Someone. After you have been saved, it is important to tell someone about it. No one expects you to have all the answers or all the right terminology just after you have been saved. God doesn’t expect it of you. All you need to do is to tell someone what has happened to you. Tell that person that Jesus has become real to you, that He has come into your life and has saved you. This does not make you a missionary, but it does make you a witness. Jesus wants us to be His witness Acts 1:8. Sharing your new life in Christ with others will help you in a number of ways. It will help clarify your thinking and will help to show God’s love. One caution. When you tell someone what has happened to you, do not start an argument. People do not come to Christ at the end of an argument, but they frequently come to Him at the end of a testimony. Be genuine. Be kind. Be patient. Let the love of God that brought you to Him be reflected in the way in which you tell others about Him. Step Three: Establish a Quiet Time. You need to grow in your new faith in Christ. And to do this, it is important for you to establish a quiet time. This means getting alone with God and His Word. Not only did God give His Son – the Living Word – to save you, He gave His Book – the Written Word – to guide you. What should you do now that you have set aside quiet time? 1. Start with prayer. Ask God to prepare you to meet with Him. 2. Read a specific portion of Scripture. You may want to start with John if you are new. 3. After you have read a passage, meditate on it for a while. 4. Write down questions about the passage as you read. 5. Read the passage again. The second time normally brings to light things you did not notice the fist time. 6. Pray again. Thank God for sending His Son to die for you. Thank Him for giving you His Word – the Bible. Step Four: Pray The best way to get to know a new friend is to spend time with him, to talk with him. And the best way to get to know God better it to spend time with Him, to talk to Him. That’s what prayer is – simply talking to God. When should you talk to God? There is no wrong time. You can pray whenever you want to. But having a specific time to pray is as important as having a specific time to read His Word. When you pray, you talk to God. When you read His Word. He talks to you. Step Five: Make Christian Friends Don’t totally abandon your old friends. You’ll want to witness to them about your new faith in Christ. But when you become a new creation in Christ Jesus – when old things pass away and all things become new – you may experience a sudden coolness on the part of your old friends, and many or them will likely abandon you. Make sure and choose your new friends carefully. Your new friends will establish a setting in which you will build your new life. Make sure it is a righteous setting. Choose friends who will help you through the ups and downs of your new Christian Life. Step Six: Find a Church Soon after you trust Christ as Savior, you will want to become part of a dynamic church. Not only will this help you make Christian friends, but it will help you grow by leaps and bounds in your new faith. While we are in the church, our spiritual batteries and recharged so that we can be sent into the world to let our lights shine before men. Someone will say, “I don’t go to church because there are too many hypocrites there.” If the church were perfect, you and I couldn’t get in. The church is not going to be like heaven, but then nothing on earth ever will be. Look for a church where the Bible is treated as God’s Word – His authoritative Word – where people express a loving concern for those who are still lost in their sins and where the people worship God with deep respect. Step Seven: Be Baptized Water baptism is going public for God. It is saying to the world, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.” It is necessary for obedience to your Master Jesus Christ, Matthew 28: 19-20. Step Eight: Learn to Give Learning to give is on of the first lessons God teaches new believers. There are three reasons why God places so much emphasis on our learning to give. First, learning to give is important because of a divine pattern. God wants us to be like Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Second, learning to give is important because giving is a biblical principle. Third, learning to give is important because of thankful praise. Heart and hand go together. When your heart is filled with praise to God, your hand will express that praise by giving. God loves a giver – one who has learned to give thankfully and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7). Step Nine: Memorize God’s Word Memorizing God’s Word is a privilege, not a duty. The benefit is all ours, but the pleasure is all His. Memorizing Scripture takes both time and effort, so you need a good reason to do it. Here are three good reasons. First, memorizing God’s Word honors Him. Read Psalm 119 and notice the honor the writer heaps on God and His Word. A second good reason is to keep you from sin. When you are tempted to sin, you need a premier defense. God has provided that defense in His Word. A third reason to memorize Scripture is to prepare yourself to answer those who challenge your faith in Christ. In case you haven’t noticed yet, not everyone is happy that you have become a Christian. Some of your old friends will do and say anything to get you to abandon your new faith. Your new life convicts them of the sin in their own lives. And when they come to you with silly questions, when they make fun on your faith, when they challenge your trust in the Savior, you will be glad you have memorized God’s Word. Step Ten: Find an Accountability Friend You increase your ability, stability and responsibility when you increase your sense of accountability to God. One way you can do this is to find another believer who will be your accountability friend. An accountability friend is a mature Christian who agrees to disciple you, to help you grow and mature in your new faith in Christ. It is someone who agrees to hold you accountable, someone who will help you carry through on what you determine to do. A Final Word Have you recently come to Christ as your Savior? If so, it is important for you to start your Christian life right. Now that you have new life you need to grow, for growth is as important as birth. What a tragedy it would be if a tiny baby were to remain small all of his life. But it would be equally tragic if you were born again but never grew spiritually. These ten steps for the new Christian do not constitute a magical formula. But they are derived from God’s Word and have been successfully practiced by mature Christians for generations. If you take these first steps on the road to heaven, you’ll find the journey to be a challenge and a blessing. But more than that, you first steps will not be your last. God bless you as you step out for Him. By Woodrow Kroll |
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