Jesus, I'm Ready! Now What?

Now that you have experienced a spiritual birth, you need to grow into a mature follower of Jesus.

As a Christian we should be sure of our Salvation. God wants us to know for sure that we have eternal life. Eternal life is not based on our feelings, but on the facts found in the Word of God. For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). The Bible teaches that God is faithful (reliable, steadfast, trustworthy, and stable). You can believe the promises because you know the Promisor, God, your loving Father, is absolutely faithful. Nothing will change His mind about your salvation. Nothing will separate you from His love. Your relationship to God through Jesus is secure. "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things to present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8: 38,39).

As a Christian we should declare publicly our faith in Jesus. Matthew 10:32-33 reads, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Most churches provide opportunities, at the conclusion of the worship services, for people to make public their commitments to Jesus. If you have not declared publicly your faith, you should do so at the next public worship service you attend. Upon making this commitment, you should be baptized.

Baptism is not a requirement for salvation however it is an act of obedience that declares one's faith. Jesus set the example by being baptized.

As a Christian we should share Jesus with others. People love to share good news. We announce marriages and births. When something good happens, we rush to tell someone. The more exciting the news, the harder it is to be silent. A Christian has the most exciting news- the life-changing news of eternal life. It is natural for a Christian to want to share this good news. Think for a moment about the various people God used to bring you to the place where you were willing to receive Jesus. There are two things you should use when sharing Jesus. One, your personal testimony. Your personal testimony is your own account of your life before receiving Jesus, how you received Jesus and How Jesus makes your life more meaningful. Two, Scripture is the second part of sharing Jesus with others. It gives foundation to all that you share with others.

As a Christian we should study the Bible. Hebrews 4: 12 says that God's Word is quick and powerful. This means the Bible is more than a book, more than words on a page. It is more than words spoken in ancient times. The Bible is relevant; it addresses the needs of today. 2 Timothy 2: 15 reads, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. "Study to show thyself approved unto God" is a command. As you study the Bible, you will discover that is does not just contain the Word of God- it IS the Word of God. Bible study is your spiritual food. Just as your physical body benefits from nutrients in the food you eat, your spiritual life benefits from consistent Bible study. Jeremiah 15: 16 says, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them." If you hear, read, study, memorized, and meditate on God's Word, your grasp of its truth will become a firm part of your life.

As a Christian we should learn to pray. The best way to get to know someone is to talk with that person often. God longs for you to know Him. The Bible is full of invitations to enter into a deep, personal relationship with God the Father. Why should we pray? Because Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray." Prayer is imperative and we are commanded to pray. There is joy in prayer. Prayer will deliver you out of all your troubles and can unlock the treasure chest of God's wisdom. Prayer is a channel of power. Jesus, while here in the flesh, prayed often to the Father. Now if Jesus, the Son of God needed to pray, then we should "pray without ceasing".

As a Christian we should be faithful to a church. Jesus personally established the church while He was on earth to unite Christians as a spiritual family. The word "church" means "called out ones." The church is made up of people who have been called out to follow Jesus. The term church is used to refer to all believers but is more often used to denote a local group of believers. Through your local church you received instruction. Through your local church you have the privilege of fellowship. You need the church for all the reasons you need a family and many more. Hebrews 10: 24-25 reads, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 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. This is what the Word of God records in the gospel of Luke 4: 16: "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read."

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