If you have just now believed in Jesus Christ and His work for you in your place, you are now reunited with God, and a child of God. His love for you is beyond measure. I'd like to give you some suggestions about what has just now happened in you, and how to be what you now are, a Christian, a disciple of Christ, a child of God:
1. Search for a biblically sound Church to join and be active in the life of that body of Christians.
2. How do you know if a Church is biblically sound? The next encouragement is the answer to the question - spend time with Jesus - read your Bible and begin to develop consistent prayer times. Start with the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and/or John. Prayer will serve as a reminder of your daily dependency upon God for all things. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray - this is a model prayer, not a word for word command - it is topically, how you should pray. But talk with God, expressing thanks to Him, conversing with Him about the desires and struggles of your new life in Christ. And have confidence, because Jesus intercedes for you before the Father. He takes your words, refines them through Himself, and He presents them to the Father according to God's will. Spending time with Jesus now is experiencing heaven in part on earth.
3. Begin reading good secondary resources about God, Scripture, truth, the Gospel, Christ-centeredness, etc. The following list are some good starter books:
The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur; The Sufficiency of Christ by John MacArthur; Desiring God by John Piper; Counted Righteous in Christ by John Piper; Humility by C.J. Mahaney; Knowing God by J.I. Packer; The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan; etc.
You can find these titles and more at the following links:
4. When you join a biblical Church, seek to be baptized by the immersion of water - "get dunked". There is no salvation in the external obedience of baptism. The importance of baptism is what it symbolizes and what you are publicly professing and the accountability of the Church that is recommends in nurturing your growth in Jesus Christ. The symbolism is of an identification with Jesus Christ. As Jesus died in your place and rose from the dead victorious in new life, so when you go under the water you are reckoning your old self dead in the "waters of wrath" (remember the flood?) and raised to walk in the newness of life with Christ. It symbolizes what has happened in you by faith in Jesus. It is a public profession of your identification with Jesus Christ in His death (you were on the cross with Him) and in His life (led by Christ to the glory of God), that you have received the truth about Christ and what He has done for you in your place. The Church will serve as a family of accountability for you, encouraging and teaching you in the faith of Jesus Christ.5. Find an accountability partner - someone who will be serious about your growth in Christ.
6. Jesus is now your Treasure and boast before both God and men. A good way to remind yourself of what Jesus has done for you is to begin sharing with others what Jesus has done for you. This is called sharing the Gospel or witnessing. Don't be afraid or anxious because you feel like you may not know enough right now to tell others about Jesus. Share your personal testimony from your heart - drench it with prayer and faith. This will draw you closer to the heart of God for you and for the world.
I want to leave you with some subtle reminders:
1. Be watchful over things you may see or hear from other so-called "churches" or "Christian speakers". Remember, profession of Christ does not always equal practice of Christ, and the proof is in the practice. Remain steadfast in the Bible, God's Word, and you will know the truth from error.
2. Expect temptation. Now that you are a believer in Christ, Satan will come with great temptation. Because he has lost the battle for your soul, he will attempt to hinder you from growing in Jesus Christ. He will try to blockade your effectiveness as a vessel of God's mercy. The Bible encourages you at this point, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you," James 4:6-8.
3. Be careful about returning to a good works based approval system with God. You will experience a daily battle starting the very second you believed in Christ. You will find yourself still being drawn to those old habits and sins that you once did without conviction - but now you have conviction. This is the battle between your "old self" and the "new self" created in Jesus Christ. We spoke at length about God's Law - it brings the awareness of your sin, it reveals to you your need for salvation, but the Law of God cannot save you; it's greatest purpose is to drive you or tutor you to Jesus Christ. The Law is not dead to you now, however. It is still active and it will show you daily that you still fail much of the time to keep God's perfect moral standard. Just remember the Gospel - the Gospel does not tell you that you have to keep the moral law of God in order to be right with God - that is the Law; the Gospel is the good news that God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin in order that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in you when you believe in Him - Jesus did for you what you could never do for yourself. Jesus is our righteousness - this is the greatest solution in the universe. Christians need to cling to the Gospel of Jesus Christ daily!
4. Reject, quickly, the notion that because you have been forgiven of your personal rebellion and sin against God, that you can now live in that sin freely. By no means! If you have died to sin, how can you still live in it? (Romans 6:2) Remember, practice proves profession. An apple tree produces apples. A rotten tree produces rotten fruit. The root of faith in Jesus produces the fruit of faith.
5. Love God, love your family, love the Church, love the world. Loving God and loving others and finding joy in the joy of others - supremely, by sharing Jesus with them - is as close to the heart of God as you can get in this life.
6. God is the "triumphant joy" said Augustine. This is essential to remember. When the joy of old pleasures creeps up, turn yourself to Christ - God is your "triumphant joy".
Allow me to welcome you to the family of God through your faith in Jesus Christ! My hope and prayer for you is that you will continually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that God would be pleased to mightily use you for His glory. If you have any questions, feel free to comment to this blog. Again, praise God for His gracious Gift to you of His Son, Jesus Christ, and eternal life in Him. Jesus is your righteousness! Rejoice and be glad! God be glorified in Jesus' name. Amen.
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