"Jesus said unto him, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life;
no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6 NKJV)

Introduction

If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, repented of your sins, and truly believe in your heart that God has raise Christ from the dead, the Bible promises that you are saved. If you have recently accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord, rejoice! Your name is written in the BOOK OF LIFE!

This section is here for those of you who have recently become Christians, however I believe even experienced Christians will find value in this article. The gospel of Christ is abundant and is being preached all over the world today. Unfortunately however, many have turned away from the faith decision they once made. Many lack the spiritual root to endure the tribulations and trials that come after a decision to follow Jesus. Lack of knowledge about God’s Word has also led many to abandon their faith in Christ.

Today I want to supply you with some basic, but extremely crucial instructions and information on how to live out the life you have committed to by accepting Jesus as the only doorway into eternal life. It is very important that a proper foundation is laid for your new life as a Christian. Jesus said “The thief (Satan) does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10) Satan hated you before you were a Christian. If you had problems before you were a Christian, think how much more Satan wants to de-rail your faith now.

If your foundation is laid correctly, if you are rooted and grounded in the Word of God, you will not only stand firm in the faith, you will become a well equipped, well trained warrior fighting for the Kingdom of God. Demons will tremble in your presence because of Christ who dwells in you. Yes, Christ dwells in you now, but like one must learn to use a sword, a new Christian must learn to wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Imagine a little child trying to pick up a heavy steel sword and go off to battle. The enemy would laugh at the sight of him; though he may have a sword, he doesn't have the strength or skill to defend himself against his enemy. Likewise a new Christian is a babe in Christ. You may have some knowledge of the Word however the enemy will have his way with you if you are not trained properly.

Imagine now a knight in glistening plated armor, a strong, elite, well equipped, battle hardened soldier ready to trample down his enemies. His foes flee at the very sight of him. So shall demons tremble at the sight of a spirit led believer who is trained up in the full knowledge of God; with power and might shall that person wield the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, and from them demons shall flee.  Satan is well aware that it is easier to interfere with the life of a new convert to Christianity than it is to interfere with the life of a faithful long time believer. Whatever he can do to make you doubt or waver in any way, he will try to do it.

Every imaginable sinful temptation, he'll suggest it. His schemes may be subtle, they may be obvious, but be assured he will try to draw you away from walking out the new life Christ has called you to live. If you lay the foundation for your new life in Christ correctly by allowing God to work with you and in you, Satan does not stand a chance whatsoever!

Step 1: Growing in the knowledge of God | Back to the top

To grow in the knowledge of God you must be fed. If you do not eat food your body will deteriorate, if starved the body will die. In the same manner if your spirit is not fed it will weaken, if starved it is just as if it were dead. As a new Christian your first priority is to be fed; spiritual food. You cannot have a relationship with someone that you don’t know. If you don’t know God, you cannot have a relationship with Him. We get to know God firstly through His Word, the Bible, as He reveals Himself to us. It is the Word of God that supplies us with our spiritual food to endure.

Like you eat regularly, you must read regularly. The more you want to grow, the more you must read. In addition, just as more active people require greater amounts of food for energy, so will more spiritually developed Christians require more time spent in God’s Word to sufficiently feed their spirits; an adult will not survive on a child’s portion of food. A grave mistake that many "adult" Christians make is to stop reading their Bible regularly because they think they know it well enough.  It doesn't matter if you've read the same scripture one-hundred times; God just might show you something you've never seen before on the hundred and first. The great secrets of the Kingdom are not found on the surface, they must be labored after.

You must get a Bible and begin to read regularly if you are going to survive the attacks of the enemy and become rooted in God's Word.

Step 2: Find a Spirit led, Bible based church | Back to the top

I cannot emphasize enough how important a Spirit led, Bible based church is. Be aware that there are many false teachers and doctrines that exist today. That’s why step number one includes reading the Bible. This is the only way you can know whether the doctrine they teach is true. If you do not know what the Bible says for yourself, then how do you know if what the church teaches is correct?

There are many different Christian denominations, too many to go into detail about in this article. As for us at Believe Today Ministries, we are a non-denominational ministry. Both non-denominational churches and denominational churches can be good, but again, you must watch their doctrine. Any church that you attend must preach the good news of Jesus Christ. The following must be the basic fundamental beliefs of your church:

1.) God is in one God, who exists in the three persons of the Godhead: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. He is eternal. God created the heavens and the earth. He created man in his image and all living creatures for his glory and divine purpose.

2.) Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, was crucified, buried, resurrected (in body not just as a spirit), and was the bodily manifestation of God. After His death on the cross and resurrection Jesus ascended to the right hand of His Father and is the mediator between God and man on behalf of those who trust in Him. Jesus Christ is the only doorway to heaven; there is not any other name by which man can be saved.

3.) The Bible in its entirety is the inspired Word of God and the infallible rule of faith and conduct.  It's doctrines are Holy, its histories true and its decisions undeniable.

4.) Jesus Christ will return to call His Church, born-again believers, unto Himself. Your church must believe in the resurrection of the dead, the eternal happiness of the saved (literal heaven), and the eternal punishment of the lost (literal hell).

Understand that groups like Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons are not Christians. They teach false doctrines and have deceived many, many people. In many cases Satan does not attempt to change the truth completely; he distorts the truth ever so slightly. The Jesus that these two groups (and many others like them) serve is not the Jesus Christ of the Bible.

Church is crucial for many reasons. Church is a place where brothers and sisters in Christ can come together and worship God with one heart and spirit. In church you have support from others physically, emotionally, prayerfully and spiritually. Church has many programs and functions to help you learn and grow. There, you can ask all the unanswered questions you may have about the Bible or just life in general.

Don’t have the attitude “I don’t need to go to church to serve God.” God ordained and established the church, and He called us to meet together. By denying the church you are not disobeying man, but God. Yes, pastors and leaders make mistakes. Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ will make mistakes. At some point or another someone will probably offend you, or something will happen that you don’t like, however do not let that keep you from attending. I have known many people who have walked away from the church because of insults and offences. I encourage you to see past the offences that may occur. Realize that Satan is trying to destroy the church. Especially in this day and age, there is great turmoil in many churches. The love of many churches and believers has grown cold.

Satan fights day and night to destroy the church because there is corporate anointing, power, and authority in the joining together of believers. Jesus Himself said: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20 NKJV)

Satan does not want you there for a reason, and if he can’t convince you not to go, he will try to persuade you to leave once your there. Finally, before you decide upon a home church, pray, seek God’s guidance and ask Him to lead you. God won’t lead you astray. In all things seek His guidance and you won’t go wrong.

Step 3: The key to victory - Prayer | Back to the top

”Fret not about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6 NKJV) Prayer is simply communicating with God. As a believer you must learn to trust God and draw on His power. When we did not know God we acted on our own, drawing on our own strength to try to accomplish our desires. It is no longer about our desires however; it is about God’s perfect will. We must seek God will in our lives and rely on His power and grace to accomplish His will.

God’s grace is sufficient. If God calls you to do something, He will not abandon you, and He will not leave you without the tools to complete that which He has called you to do. We need to pray for our own protection and the protection of loved ones. We need to pray for our pastors and church leaders. We need to pray for our nation and government. We need to pray for the lost.

There is a right way to pray and a wrong way to pray however. Jesus is the mediator between us and God the Father. We pray to God the Father through the name of Jesus. “…Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16: 23, 24 NKJV)

God doesn't want vain repetitious prayers; He wants prayers that are from the heart. Pray using scripture; all scripture was given by the inspiration of God. God’s Word will not return to Him void. It will accomplish what He sent it to do; His Word is trustworthy and assured.

Click here for more on prayer, faith and our covenant with God.

Step 4: Live the Christian life! | Back to the top

It is one thing to believe in Jesus Christ, it is another to follow His commands and live out the Christian life. No, we are not saved by the works that we do on this earth, we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ. What we do with our lives after coming to the knowledge and acceptance of God however is fruit, or evidence of our Salvation. If we are truly changed (a change which begins on the inside first) our lives will reveal the change in us.

A change in masters means a change in lifestyles or service. We are first transformed spiritually, our old spirit man passes away, and we are given a new spirit, one with the life of Christ in it. We become joint heirs with Christ, and are now called the children of God. We have been crucified with Christ (as our old self dies) and have been raised to newness of life! As Christians, we must be careful with our words and actions. Others around you may hear your words, but it is your actions that they will know you by. Your actions are a living testimony to others; it shows them that change has (or hasn't) taken place inside you.

Continue to grow in the ways of righteousness, and continually peruse a deeper more intimate relationship with God. With all that you do seek to please Him. Do not despise faith tests and do not let yourself become discouraged when trials come you way; they will not last forever, and you will come out of them stronger then you were before. Know that God has a plan and purpose for your life greater than you may realize at this moment. Bringing you into relationship with Himself is the just beginning. He may want you to share your new found faith with others. He may call you to do something you would have never imagined yourself doing. Whatever God calls you do to however, He will supply you with the grace to do the job.

Trust in the Lord, be encouraged and allow God to guide your footsteps. This should be an exciting time for you. Be on fire for God and never let that flame extinguish. Flee from sin, for sin will separate you from God. Fight the good fight of faith and never, ever, for any reason, turn away from the truth that has now been revealed to you.

I pray, as always in the name of Jesus, that you should become rooted and grounded in the Word of God, and that you will grow and not be hindered from reaching full and complete spiritual maturity. May you not only be a convert to Christianity, but a disciple.  May you be blessed and by the grace of God lead the lost souls of this world to the only Lord and only Savior; our mighty King, Jesus Christ.

Amen

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