.....Now What?
Now that you have made this wonderful life-changing decision! You might be asking yourself, Now what? How do I begin my journey with God?
How do I keep a strong Faith? What if I mess up?
Well…here are five steps that will give you direction directly from the Bible.
Step 1: Understanding salvation.
1 John 5:13 tells us, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” God wants us to understand salvation. God wants us to have the confidence of knowing for sure that we are saved.
Here are some of the main points about Salvation.
1. We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God (Romans 3:23).
2. Because of our sin, we deserve to be punished with eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).
3. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus died in our place, taking the punishment that we deserved. His resurrection proved that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay for our sins.
4. God grants forgiveness and salvation to all those who place their faith in Jesus – trusting His death as the payment for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1).
That is the message of salvation! If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saved! All of your sins are forgiven, and God promises to never leave you or forsake you (Romans 8:38-39; Matthew 28:20). Remember, your salvation is secure in Jesus Christ (John 10:28-29). If you are trusting in Jesus alone as your Savior, you can have confidence that you will spend eternity with God in heaven!
Step 2: Finding a good church.
Now that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, we strongly encourage you to find a Bible-believing church in your area and speak to the pastor. Let him know about your new faith in Jesus Christ. And he will be able to help guide you along the way.
By finding and attending a Church and the Bible studies, Youth groups or Sunday School Classes that they provide you can learn how to apply God’s instructions to your life. Understanding the Bible is key to living a successful and powerful Christian life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
And Another very large part of your Walk, is Worship! Worship is another way to Thank God for all that he has done for us. God has saved us. God loves us. God provides for us. God guides and directs us. How could we not thank Him? God is holy, righteous, loving, merciful, and full of grace. Revelation 4:11 declares, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Step 3: Spend time alone with God everyday.
It's very important to spend time each day focusing on God. Some people call it a “quiet time.” Others call it “devotions,” because it is a time that we devote ourselves to God. Now it does not matter what you call this time or when you do it. What matters is that you are regularly spending time with God.
A.) Prayer: Prayer is simply talking to God. Talk to God about your concerns and problems. Ask God to give you wisdom and guidance. Ask God to provide for your needs. Tell God how much you love Him and how much you appreciate all He does for you. That is what prayer is all about.
B.) Reading the Bible: In addition to being taught the Bible in church, Sunday School, or in Bible studies – you need to be reading the Bible for yourself. The Bible contains everything you need to know in order to live a successful Christian life. It contains God’s guidance for how to make wise decisions, how to know God’s will, how to minister to others, and how to grow spiritually. The Bible is God’s Word to us. The Bible is essentially God’s instruction manual for how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him and satisfying to us.
Step 4:Have friends that are able to help you spiritually.
1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” The Bible is full of warnings about the influence “bad” people can have on us. Spending time with those who engage in sinful activities will cause us to be tempted by those activities. The character of those we are around will “rub off” on us. That is why it is so important to surround ourselves with other people who love the Lord and are committed to Him.
Try to have friends, from your church, that are going to help you and encourage you. (Hebrews 3:13; 10:24). Ask your friends to keep you accountable in regard to your quiet time, your activities, and your walk with God. Ask if you can do the same for them. This does not mean you have to give up all your friends who do not know the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Continue to be their friend and love them. Simply let them know that Jesus has changed your life and you cannot do all the same things you used to do.
Then ask God to give you opportunities to share Jesus with these friends that don't know who he is.
Step 5: Become Baptized.
The word “baptize” means to immerse in water. Baptism is the Biblical way of publicly proclaiming your new faith in Christ and your commitment to follow Him. Or don‘t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Romans 6:3-4).
Baptism is important but it is not what saves you. Baptism does not wash away your sins. Baptism is simply a step of obedience, a public announcement of your faith in Christ alone for salvation. And if you are ready to take this step of being baptized, you should speak with a pastor.