The term "Christian" is an old one, coined by enemies of the early followers of Jesus as a way to mock them. It means "Little Christ." But the early Christians embraced the term because they wanted to be like Jesus! Over the centuries, "Christian" has become confused with politics, good works, and many other things, but when we use it here, we mean "to be like Jesus." You may also call yourself a "Believer" or a "follower of Jesus!"
You're a Christian! You're in God's family now, no matter what happens to you on earth. But you might wonder if God will still want you if you sin--if you hold hate in your heart, say evil words, cheat someone, or lie. You might wonder if God would keep you in His family. Jesus said this about people who trust Him for salvation:
John 10:28-29: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
God will never let you go; He is holding you in His hand! But Christians WILL still sin--and even worse, we'll WANT to sin sometimes. Followers of Jesus will even sin against each other. We won't be fully perfect until we all get to Heaven. But God made you with a plan in mind: to bring you to Himself and to help you become more and more beautiful as you become like Jesus. The more you read God's word and pray for His guidance, the more you will become the person He made you to be. The more we know about His word, the more we can respond in joy and peace when suffering comes because we know the TRUTH: God is our Father and will one day take us home with Him. You were made FOR God, and when you are growing with Him, your story will only become more beautiful with each passing day.
Did you know that God tells us how to pray to Him?
Early followers of Christ were told that God wanted them to quietly and privately spend time alone with Him.
Matthew 6:6: But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
It's important to set aside a little time where you're not doing anything else but talking to God and reading your Bible. Make sure you're in a quiet spot where you can focus. This time will give you strength, help you to give your burdens of the day to God, and focus your mind on Him.
Just as God tells us to pray alone, He also tells us to pray with other Christians!
James 5:16: Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
This prayer time with fellow Christians is a time to share burdens, talk to God together about them, and share how God has met your needs.
Some religions say that you must pray five times a day, or three times a day. But God tells us exactly how often to pray!
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
This doesn't mean that you should always be chanting something or wearing a prayer necklace, but it DOES mean that God wants us to talk to Him--about everything!
Philippians 4:6-7: Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Make a list of people and things you are praying for and come back to it every day during your special time with God.
A - Admit that I can do nothing without God. Start your prayer telling God that you know He is the God of the Heavens and that it is impossible for us to do even good things without Him. Rejoice in the fact that He is in control of the world!
P- Pray for help. Ask God to help you understand your Bible, to help you with something hard in your life, to help you be wise--anything! As your good and perfect Father in Heaven, He tells you to ASK!
Psalm 50:15: Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me.
T - Trust a specific promise. God has made promises for his family---that's you!---all over the Bible. Quote the promise from the Bible that you are trusting as you pray; tell God that you believe His words and ask Him to fulfill His promise.
A - Act. Act like a follower of Jesus! People who say they are Christians but don't obey the Bible and don't act like Jesus are just pretending.
James 1:22: But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
T - Thank God for His provision and goodness.
Psalm 106:1: Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever.
Everything we have is from God--we can never run out of things to thank Him for!
Tell God all of your worries, and thank Him for good things! If your family needs money, ask God. If someone is sick, ask God. If the sunrise was especially beautiful, thank Him! If you're afraid, ask for courage and wisdom. As you learn to pray, you can pray other pieces of Scripture back to God. His words are beautiful and true.
Did you know that God tells us how to read the Bible?
The Bible is God talking to you. To read it is to listen to God's words, and there isn't ANYTHING in this world that the Bible doesn't have an answer for, but to be ready, you need to read it. God says that in a dark world full of confusion:
Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
But God also calls the Bible a weapon to fight against evil, against your own sin, and to give you the wisdom to recognize sin in other places:
Ephesians 6:16-17: In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit---which is the word of God.
It's so important to read the Bible for yourself, either quietly or out loud. It's important, too, to find more experienced Believers who can help you understand parts of the Bible that are more difficult. If you can join a group Bible study or get some good books, these are wonderful ways to study the Bible! There are also sources online if you have access to the Internet. The songwriter tells us more:
Psalm 119:9-11: How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping your word. I have sought you with all my heart; don't let me wander from your commands. I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
Here are two sections to start your Bible reading. You can start here, then continue reading a little more each day as you make progress! When you finish the Book of Mark or Proverbs, move on to other books of the Bible like Romans and Psalms!
Pray, asking God the Spirit to give you wisdom and understanding of His Word.
Read Mark 1:1-10
Read Proverbs 1:1-10
Spend a few minutes committing at least 1 verse to memory--maybe one that particularly stood out to you.
Spend time in prayer for the day, thanking God for His word, for promises in the passages you just read, and for further wisdom to grow. Then, pray through APTAT.
A church isn't the building---it's God's people. When God's people regularly gather together to worship, hear the teaching of God's Word from experienced and well-reputed pastors and teachers, learn about Him, support each other with scripture and prayer, and practice the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, the church is meeting. It doesn't matter where they are!
A good church will make sure it has leaders who teach what God says! If the pastor--or the man who is leading and teaching the church--never opens the Bible to teach or doesn't tell you where in the Bible he got his knowledge about God, then that isn't a place where you can learn about God. The Bible has some specific qualifications for someone who wants to be a pastor. You can read these for yourself in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
When you sit under the teaching of God's word, follow along in your Bible. Then study on your own what you learned at church to see if the Bible really says it!
Acts 17:11: The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
These people were under the teaching of one of the best teachers in the Bible besides Jesus, and he was thrilled that they were studying what he had taught them. You should, too! If you aren't sure something is right, ask questions!
Did you know that God tells us how to tell others about our faith in Him?
Here is how God expects Christians to behave towards Christians:
John 13:34-35: I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
This love will sometimes look like gently pointing out sin in a brother or sister, and sometimes rejoicing together as you sing to God. But the love that Christians have from God should be evident to the world!
Here's how God expects Christians to behave toward non-Christians:
Colossians 4:5-6: Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
1 Peter 3:15: ...but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
Explain how you came to trust in Christ, why you love and trust Him, and why you have hope! But **HOW** you do that will be just as important as the words you say. Always treat others with love and respect. Pray for the confidence to share boldly and sweetly!
Who is the first person you can share your faith with? Maybe it's a good friend or family member. Perhaps you could read portions of your Bible out loud. Do you have children? They can grow up hearing you pray aloud, reading the Bible to them, and praying with them and for them. You have the chance to fill their lives with Christ from an early age! But start with those around you--those who will know first-hand if you have truly changed or not. Pray often for the words to share your faith with them!
After Jesus rose from the dead, he met with all of His disciples and told them that He would be returning to Heaven but would send a Helper.
John 14:16-17: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn't see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.
Who is the Helper? He is the third member of the Trinity! God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Spirit are God three-in-one. The Spirit (Holy Spirit) is our comfort as we wait for Jesus to return.
You are never alone as a Christian--God the Spirit is always with you. That's why you can pray at any time--because He is always there to hear! Whenever God the Father looks at you, He sees the Holy Spirit and knows you are His child.
You won't see or feel Him working, but the Holy Spirit is the one who will help you understand your Bible and who will encourage you to do good or when you sin and feel guilty. That's the Spirit of God reminding you that you are made **NEW** and sin has no place in your life now. He was the One who brought your heart to salvation!
Be careful---some people mistake their own feelings for the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit will **NEVER** contradict the Bible--because He is God, and the Bible is God's Word! Remember that our hearts are still sinful and will still deceive us. Know your Bible!
As you start your new walk with Christ, be encouraged that GOD started this work in you, and He will complete it!
Just for Starters: Seven Foundational Bible Studies. 3rd ed., Kingsford, Matthiasmedia, 1996.
Garner, David. "The Holy Spirit: Agent of Salvation." TGC, www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-holy-spirit-agent-of-salvation/.
Patton, C. Michael. Now That I'm a Christian: What it Means to Follow Jesus. Wheaton, Crossway, 2015.
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
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