Steps for New Believers in Jesus Christ
CBN Staff
As you draw close to God, He will teach you His ways and give you His strength. Below we list some practical steps you can take to come closer to God and to allow Him to guide you.
1. Know that you are forgiven
Once you have given your Life to Jesus Christ, the Bible, God’s Word, says:
You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better that we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and you have done nothing on your own (Ephesians 2:8).
For those who put their faith in Jesus: He gave them the right to be the children of God… God Himself was the One who made them His children (John 1:12-13).
2. Prayer
It is important to spend time in prayer every day. Just as you can not grow without eating food each day, so your spirit must be fed in order for growth to occur in our walk with the Lord. The good news is that as children of God we have access to His presence any time we need it. You actually have the right to come before God and to share with Him your intimate thoughts, desires and fears. Prayer is simply talking to your heavenly Father.
3. Bible Reading
The Bible is the main way God has chosen to tell us about Himself. Learning what God says in the Bible is a very important part of your new life. As you read His Word, ask God to show you how various passages apply to your life.
A good place to start your study is in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. Find an easy-to-read, modern translation like the New Living Translation (The Book), the New American Standard Bible, or the New King James Version Bible.
4. Fellowship
When you gave your life to Jesus Christ, you became a vital part of God’s family, the Church. As you get involved in a local church you will receive strength and encouragement from other believers. But you will also give something vital of yourself back to others. This is one reason why being involved in a local church is so important — and why the Bible says not to neglect meeting together with other believers (Hebrews 10:25).
5. Grow in Your Relationship with Christ
Once you have accepted Christ as your savior and begin to engage in regular prayer, Bible reading and get plugged into a local Church, it is important develop a deeper, personal relationship with Christ. “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:3-8).
The Bible says that we are to “to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4: 1-3). God wants us to grow in our “knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13).
The Apostle Paul wrote this about his spiritual growth: “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” (1 Corinthians 13:11).
Memorize These Verses
• “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• “I write this to you who believe in the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).
The above article, “Steps for New Believers in Jesus Christ” was written by CBN Staff. The article was excerpted from www.cbn.com web site. October 2017.
The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.
This article may not be written by an Apostolic author, but it contains many excellent principles and concepts that can be adapted to most churches. As the old saying goes, “Eat the meat. Throw away the bones.”
