I AM GAVE MY LIFE TO CHRIST! WHAT NEXT?
When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, all does not end with the short prayer of salvation. We begin to work out our salvation with fear and
trembling. It is important to emphasize here that we do not work FOR salvation, but do need to work it OUT. The Holy Spirit enables us to do this, with our cooperation. Certain things are required to work out your salvation. They enable you to maintain your relationship with the Lord and allow Him to be the Pillar of your life. What are they?
Forgive yourself - You are now a new creature in Christ. Believe that God loves you; He has shown this by giving up His only son to die in lieu of
punishment for your sins, as a sacrifice for all you have done wrong. "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things passed away; behold, new things have come," (2 Corinthians 5:17).
'Old things' here are the sinful passions and desires that we had. Our enslavement to them is broken when we are born again. Once we are born again, we are no longer our own; the Holy Spirit dwells within us.
Commit to a Lifestyle of Total Repentance - Repentance is the decision to turn away from sin, live right, and fully obey God. Once you are determined
to do this, all things start falling into place. If you still have a hard time with this concept, trust Jesus Christ as Lord over your life, and leave the
rest to the Holy Spirit. Commitment is what the Lord is looking for (the Holy Spirit will help you run the Christian race with zeal if you are determined to
live in obedience).
Get a Bible and Spend Time with God - Spend time with God each day. Initially, it does not have to be for a long period of time. As you grow spiritually, you will find that the time you spend with Him becomes longer. Develop the daily habit of praying (declaring God's Word), talking to Him and reading His Word. Ask Him to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible. If you don’t have a bible read or get a translation you understand, here are links to online bibles. You can make use of them in the meantime:
Find a Bible-Believing Church - It is imperative that you are fed with spiritual food (Word and doctrine), so you can grow in the Lord. Find a local church where you can worship God and grow spiritually.
Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus: - Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you, because you become who hang around.
Get baptized in accordance with the New Testament: Get baptized by immersion in water, as commanded by Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In a nutshell, it signifies the death and burial of our sinful nature and our resurrection as a forgiven Christian
through faith in Jesus Christ (Colossians. 2:12-13).
Water Baptism is a public testimony which should be preceded by repentance. When being baptized, we stand before witnesses confessing our identification with the Lord. It also means we are placing our selfishness, pride, past and all of our possessions before the Lord, and giving the control of our lives over to Him. Your Pastor or church can touch more on this.
Work for the Lord - Be a Witness; tell someone else about your new faith in Christ and what god has done for you. For God says "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. (Revelation 12:11)
Take our Victorious Living Class: if you live anywhere near the Deptford, NJ area you are more then welcome to take our Free "Victorious Living Class" which shows you how new and old believers how to live victoriously in their walk in Christ. Click here to sign up for the next available class.
Read your Bible every day; Pray at all times (morning, afternoon, night; always); Praise and Worship God daily, Live Holy! Live Holy! Live Holy! Amen.
It is important that you read your bible at least once a day, to be grounded in the teachings of Christ and to develop an intimate relationship with him which
caused you to want to serve him and be obedient to him. Reading your Bible also helps you live a victorious life as a Christian. In it also, you will find the promises of God to you, and so much more which you need to declare in your prayer time. The Bible helps you stand firm when the devil tries to whisper his lies to you and lure you into sin, and a life of misery that you have just escaped. You will also find out that the Bible is a powerful weapon that every victorious believer holds on to, which is why it is called 'the Sword of the Spirit' (Ephesians 6:17).
Here is a suggested order of reading for a new believer who needs to start to read and understand the Bible. There are 66 Books in the Holy Bible to be covered, but this plan will get you started:
· The Gospel of John
· The Gospel of Matthew
· The Gospel of Mark
· I John
· II John
· III John
· Genesis
· Ephesians
· Galatians
· The Gospel of Luke
· I Corinthians
· II Corinthians
· Romans
· Proverbs
· Psalms
An important point about studying the Bible is not to be in a hurry. It is God the Father who reveals spiritual knowledge through the Holy Spirit.
Meditate on what you have read, and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you knowledge and understanding. Biblical Knowledge is not gained by memorization
or academic knowledge. Remember, when you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to dwell within you. Ask Him to give you knowledge and understanding; He will grant your request.