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Putting
God First Now That I'm Saved
Immediately
after his salvation, the Apostle Paul, a brand new Christian, said,
"...Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6). That
question is the one I know that you are asking yourself. Every new
believer wants to know what he can do for the Lord and what the
Lord expects from him. The Bible is very clear about the next steps
that you should take as a Christian. Let me share them with you.
I know you will want to follow God's Word and God's will for your
life.
Identify with Christ
Through Baptism
"Go
ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" Matthew
28:19
The first thing
God wants you to do is to personally identify with Him through baptism.
This is the very first step of obedience. Baptism pictures the death,
burial, and resurrection of Christ. As we go down under the water,
it pictures the death of our old life and as we come up out of the
water, it speaks of our new life in Christ. Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so
we also should walk in newness of life."
Be sure to make
plans for the pastor to baptize you as soon as possible. You will
be rejoicing and so will all the other believers who have already
followed the Lord in this basic step.
Be Committed to Faithful
Church Attendance
"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
10:25
You cannot grow
properly as a new Christian without the local church. If you are
to make progress spiritually, the church is where you will receive
instruction and help for your new life. You will learn Bible principles
and scriptural insights that are invaluable to you as you walk with
God.
Make up your
mind to be faithful to every Bible class and worship service. God
will bless you as you "...desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby..." (I Peter 2:2). The pastors and
teachers will help you to understand how you can glorify God with
your life.
The local church
is where you will receive fellowship with other believers. In Acts
2:41-42, God says, "Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about
three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."
The church will provide a place for you to build new friendships
with Christians. It will give you an opportunity to pray and praise
the Lord with others who have the same burden to serve God that
you have.
In short, there
is no replacement for your local church. Give God first place by
becoming a faithful member and finding a place where you can serve
the Lord and others in His church.
Worship the Lord Through
Prayer and Bible Study
"...the
judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to
be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter
also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant
warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward." Psalm
19:9b, 10, 11
Personal worship
of God is a habit that you need to develop early in your Christian
life. You can begin to worship the Lord personally by setting aside
time every day to be alone with Him and allowing His Word to speak
to your heart. Begin by reading at least one chapter per day in
the New testament. The Gospel of John is a good book to start with.
Read slowly or out loud to yourself. Allow God's word to sink into
your heart and ask Him to help you understand what it means. If
a verse speaks to your heart, write it down on a 3X5 card and carry
it with you until you have it memorized. There is "great reward"
in knowing and keeping God's Word.
After you have
read the Word, take time to pray. Spend a few minutes praising God
for all your blessings. Tell Him you love Him and want to serve
Him with your life today. Then pray for your family, your church,
your friends, and yourself. You will have many needs to bring before
God.
Start a prayer
list and begin to pray systematically for God to answer your prayers.
Answers to prayer and your study of His Word are closely related.
God made this clear in John 15:7 when He said, "If ye abide
in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you."
Share Your Faith
"For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first,
and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16
One of the most
exciting and fulfilling things you can do is share your new found
faith with others. What a joy it is to be saved from sin and greater
still is the joy that comes from seeing friends and family trust
Christ as Savior as a result of your witness.
Begin now to
tell others what Christ has done in your life. What He has done
for you can also be accomplished in the lives of others. God loves
everyone and wants them to know Him as Savior. John 3:16 says, "For
god so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." What a wonderful promise. Share it with someone soon.
Did
You Get Saved Today?
Please Tell Us About It!
Don't
keep your decision to yourself! After thinking about the impact
Jesus Christ has had on your life, and reading about your need for
Him, please tell us what you've decided to believe about Jesus Christ:
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