Accepting Christ as your savior and living for him is the single most important decision you will ever make. It's a decision with an eternal impact and is not to be taken lightly. If you have never heard of Jesus or don't know what he did for you, then start by reading some of the basics in the following article:
The Importance of Seeking Jesus: Who is He and Why Should You Care?
How Do You Accept Christ as Your Savior?
Whether you are accepting Christ for the first time or re-dedicating your life to Him, doing so is as simple as what is stated in Romans 10:9, which says, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
So, pray, with all sincerity, something like this, “Jesus, I believe that you died for my sins and that you were raised from the dead. I acknowledge that I am a sinner, and I ask that you forgive me for my sins. I want to have a relationship with you and live my life for you.”
If you took this step today, share it with someone.
We would love to hear from you too!
Your Next Steps in Your New Walk with Christ
If you meant that prayer with all your heart, then you are now saved and reconciled to Christ and his Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, but your journey must not end here. God has a purpose for your life. Our spiritual enemy, the devil, (Satan) who tempted Adam and Eve to sin in the Garden of Eden likes to prey on our weaknesses and try to discourage us from walking with Christ, because he hates God, and he hates mankind.
The Holy Spirit will empower you to know right from wrong, and he will encourage you to make the right choice – to not sin. Whether you are a new believer in Christ or have believed for many years, it is imperative that you take the necessary steps to grow in your relationship with him. By developing your relationship with him, he will lead you into the abundant and fulfilling life spoken of in the Bible and equip you to fulfill your God-given purpose.
Now that you have taken this step, the devil and his demons will try to come against you to discourage you and plant seeds of doubt in your mind. The enemy’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10), but as a child of God, you have the authority to put the enemy back in his place and must choose not to listen to his lies. You must fortify yourself by renewing your mind, nourishing your spirit, and drawing closer to God.
The following are important steps to take to ensure that you grow in your walk with the Lord:
1.) Repent of your sins.
Repentance is a very important part of living your life for Christ. It means that you resolve in your heart and mind to stop sinning. When you accept Christ as your Savior, it can’t be just empty words. Actions must follow. Your heart posture must be developed in cooperation with his Holy Spirit to yield to his will in your life. This is a process known as sanctification. When you truly accept Christ, you become “born again.” You’re a new creation with a pure spirit who can then have a close fellowship with God!
As mentioned before, the Holy Spirit will help guide you to not sin, but you do still have to make that choice, because you still have free will. The Holy Spirit will also convict you if you do sin. The only perfect person who has ever lived, is Jesus Christ. That is why we needed his blood sacrifice to pay our sin debt so that we could be free from the law of sin and death and reconciled to Him. But it’s also very important that you not grieve his Holy Spirit by ignoring the warnings he places in your heart.
When you sin, ask God’s forgiveness and repent. If you struggle in a certain area with sin, confess it to the Lord and ask for His help. You should also seek help and accountability through a trusted brother or sister in Christ, a pastor, or a Christian counselor.
When a person willingly continues in sin after having received Christ, they begin to lose their sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s warnings. They also risk demonic oppression, losing their faith, and even public rejection of their faith altogether, and that is a very dangerous place to be.
For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
– Hebrews 10:26-31
2.) Read and study the Bible regularly
The Bible includes the history of creation and God’s chosen people, the birth and sacrifice of Jesus, and the things to come. It is God’s love letter to the world, written by mankind as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Almost everything God does, he does through a person. By reading it, you will be lead on a journey of understanding who God is, who you are, and how much he loves you.
If you are new to reading the Bible, we recommend that you begin in the New Testament in the book of John. Try to read a little each day, even if only for a few minutes. Start first by praying and asking God to give you understanding of what you are about to read. There are a lot of online Bible reading plans, and devotionals you can follow to help guide you.
Every time you re-read the Bible or a passage, you will learn something new. This is one of the reasons it’s often referred to as “the Living Word.” There are many translations of Bibles to choose from. Our personal preference is the English Standard Version (ESV) because it’s written in easy-to-read modern English and is a trustworthy word-for-word style of translation.
It’s also a good idea to get a study Bible. My personal favorite is the Fire Bible. Study Bibles are great because they provide more in-depth information such as the customs of the culture at the time, which will give you a greater understanding and context to what’s being said. They also feature topical articles, cross-references, and expert commentary.
When you spend time reading the Bible, you will become more familiar with the nature of God and how he wants us to live our lives. Getting his Word in your heart will help you resist the temptations that the enemy brings your way.
To learn more about the Bible visit:
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/what-is-bible/
3.) Pray Daily
We cannot stress this enough. Prayer is not just a list of requests, though you will often have requests such as praying for lost loved ones, healing, etc. It’s far more than that. Prayer is a two-way communication with God. It’s an exchange.
Talk to him like you would a friend, and then stop and listen for him to speak to your heart. You may find it helpful to keep a journal handy to write down things he reveals to you. Daily prayer is important to building your relationship with Christ and will help build up your inner spirit to live according to God’s Word (as directed in the Bible).
4.) Get plugged in to a body of believers who can disciple you
The Bible tells us that “iron sharpens iron,” (Proverbs 27:17) a reference to the importance of fellowship with like-minded believers. Fellowship with other believers is extremely important! It allows us to disciple each other, encourage each other, and lift each other up in prayer.
Find a Bible-believing church that has a discipleship program or life groups/home groups, which are a wonderful way to get to know each other better and encourage each other. Attend regularly, get to know people, and get involved. Believers are not meant to be isolated. We need each other so that we can help strengthen each other. It’s also important to have accountability and to be discipled by mature Christians as you learn to walk in this new life you’ve been given.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
– Hebrews 10:24-25
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
– 1 John 1:5-7
5.) Find ways to serve others
While Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, he humbled Himself on earth to serve others, and we should do the same. By serving, we grow in compassion for other people. By serving, we allow ourselves to become more like Christ.
Even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.
– Mark 10:45
Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.
– 1 Corinthians 10:24
6.) Tell others about Jesus by sharing your testimony
In addition to living our lives by his standard and conducting ourselves accordingly, one of the greatest ways we can bring others to Christ is by sharing what he has done in our own lives. Christ commissioned us to tell others about him. It wasn’t presented as an option. It was a command, and if we love and respect what he has done for us, we must be obedient in sharing the good news with others.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
– Matthew 28:19
In closing, let us pray…
Heavenly Father, I thank you for bringing me, your precious _____ (son/daughter) to this post today. Lord, I ask that you remove any blinders from my eyes and lead me into the knowledge of the truth. Reveal to me your great love for me.
Put a yearning in my heart to truly know you. Help me to grow in faith and knowledge of you and in my identity in you. Put a hunger in my heart to talk to you each day and to read your Word (the Bible) so that I may better know you.
Father, lead me to a church where I can fellowship with other believers who will help me in my spiritual walk, and protect me from the schemes of the enemy. Lead me in your way and help me to know the purpose you have for me.
In Jesus name I pray, amen
