Your a child of God. Wonderful! What to do now?
If you have done the things listed in the God's Free Gift page, you are now a Christian. If you are not sure, then please review them again.
Just as a new little human life needs to grow and mature, so also we need to grow and mature in our spiritual lives, after we start our new spiritual journey. Becoming a Christian is starting the journey of spiritual life. The word spiritual means those things having to do with God, His character, and His desires. The word spiritual refers to a Christian who is living a moral life empowered and guided by the Holy Spirit that causes one to love God by pleasing Him and to love others by putting them ahead of oneself.
You should at least have an inner awareness that you have changed, a subtle but tangible presence of God within you. You shouldn't base your change on experiences, as they can be misleading. If nothing is different, you should check back to the the list and see if you really followed every step. When you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, then you are a Christian. According to the New Testament, you are also a new creation. You are beginning a whole new life!
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;" 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
"But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:20-24
If you do know you have changed, now you have to grow as a Christian. Understand that this is not about "becoming enlightened" or attaining sinless perfection. This is about being filled with the Holy Spirit and becoming continually more like Jesus. Becoming like Jesus is the goal of the Christian life. This development and growth will result in a transformation of your personality that will affect every area of your behavior.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26
You will face a constant battle in your Christian life between your old way of living and the Holy Spirit, who is at work in you to help you grow towards Christ. The Bible says,
" This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Galatians 5:16-17
The battlefield of your life, where the spiritual battle will be won or lost, is your mind! After the Apostle Paul describes his spiritual struggle in Romans 7, he goes on in chapter 8 to describe the way of spiritual victory. When you set your mind on spiritual things, the Holy Spirit uses those things to impact your value system.
" For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8
Here are some things you can put into your life which will set your mind on the things of the spirit and result in real significant spiritual growth in your life:
Attend Church Faithfully
Worshipping in church provides encouragement and support for all believers. Attend a good church where Christ is honored, the Bible is taught and everyone is welcomed. The Lord Jesus Christ deserves your faithfulness. Attend as many services as you are able. A great deal of the strength of the church is based on the faithfulness of the people. You will find it very beneficial to spend a lot of time with other Christians with whom you can build meaningful and nurturing friendships and relationships.
"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25
It is vital that you associate yourself with a Bible-believing church that can teach you to grow in Christ. Plan to attend a Bible-believing church this Sunday. There you will find friends who can help you to know more about Jesus Christ. To find a Bible believing church near you, we have found this resource helpful, http://www.wayoflife.org/directory/. Also in Canada, Canada for Christ website.
Read God's Word
To grow as a Christian you have to take in spiritual nourishment, by reading the Bible, God's Word. The best place to discover God is in the Bible. The Bible is God's Word written to man.
"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" 1 Peter 2:2
One of the best ways to set your mind on spiritual things is to memorize portions of Scripture that are especially meaningful to you. God will use these truths you have stored in your mind to challenge you and to change the way you think about life.
"This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Joshua 1:8
"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:9-11
The Bible says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
Reading the Bible and attending church services is the best method to hear God's word. As we read the Bible, we should search the Scriptures, comparing Scripture with Scripture. Also, set a goal to meditate on the Word of God. Try to read the Bible in our personal lives and with our families each day.
Pray
Prayer is simply talking to the Lord. Feel free to talk to him about anything. God hears and answers prayer. Treat it just like any other meaningful relationship. Set aside a time on a regular basis where you will sit down and spend time talking, in prayer, to God, your heavenly Father. Pray each day. Pray for sins you may have committed and then ask God to forgive you of those sins. Think of all the things in your life that you are thankful for and then thank God for them. Think of the needs that other people have and ask God to meet those needs. Think of those things that you need in your life and ask God to meet those needs. Ask your heavenly Father to respond to all the requests you have just made according to His desires and not your own, concluding your prayer in Jesus name.
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6 - 7
"And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." John 14:13-14
Give
God's work is to be supported God's way. The Bible teaches that we should pay the tithe and give our offerings. Practice tithing as a conviction. Bring the Lord's tithe with you to church each Sunday. Support the ministries of the church with offerings. By faith give to worldwide missions.
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:" Matthew 6:19 - 20
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Malachi 3:10
Witness to the Lost - Learn To Share Your Faith
Not every Christian is called to be a full time evangelist, but every Christian has a responsibility to do what he or she can to bring other people to Christ. Determine to bring others to the Savior. Work to bring other families to Christ and to the church. Set a time to go. Make a list of names and addresses of people you want to reach for Christ.
"Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." Mark 5:19
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." John 15:12
A Final Word
If you feel as though you sinned greater than God's forgiveness or that you might lose your salvation, God is all powerful. Once you make a genuine decision by faith that Jesus died and rose again for your sin and you have a repentance (change of mind) towards sin, you can not lose your salvation. You are eternally His.
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:28-29
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
Christian growth
