When a person becomes a Christian, several things happen. First and most importantly you are "born again". Born into the "Body of Christ." You are a new being in the eyes of God. The old self is gone and the new person that you are, has received the gift of eternal life. Jesus was sacreficed as an atonement for OUR sins. Meaning everyones sins past, present, and future, not just ours, here, today. God would not forgive us for our sins if it wasn't for Jesus. We have victory in Jesus!
Baptism!
One of the first acts you must do is to get Baptised. So what if you don't like water! It is not a choice! When you became a Christian you accepted Christ as Lord.
The bible says in Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptised, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."
You have already repented and accepted him, Now you must follow through to the next step which is baptism. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. Christ died for you on the cross; he changed you by taking your sins upon himself and washed you clean; now profess it by being baptised. Baptism sybolizes his death, burial and resurection. You are to die to your sins; bury them with Jesus by being washed clean in his blood; and rise again to a new life in Christ.
New Desires!
Using the NIV Bible in Psalms 37:4 it is stated "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
Many people think that if they become "saved" that God will give them the material things that they had been desiring for so many years. If that seems to be what you were thinking then, sorry, because that is not the way it is.
When we have a true conversion to christianity the old desires change too. Jesus puts in our hearts a desire to know more about him which is more like a yearning or a fire that seamingly can't be quenched except through reading in his Word (the Bible) and through worship, praise, prayer, and fellowship with other christians. He "gives you the desires of your heart" which means he places in your heart a new desire (or desires) which will cause you to focus upon what His will is for your life. This is concidered to be one of His many blessings that He bestowes upon us. It suddenly becomes more important to know more about the God, who Loves you, than trying to wheel a deal on a new boat which is too much for you in the first place.
Spiritual Gifts!
Something else that God blesses us with is one or more "spiritual gifts".
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 says; "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifistation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
Special gifts are given to us to minister to the Body (of Christ) and for reaching the lost (the non-believers) and bringing them unto the knowledge of the gospel. You may not understand what your special gift is but here is a simple way to find out. Ask yourself...
1) What are you good at? 2) What do others confirm that you are good at? 3) Where is the need? 4) How can I fill the need?
We all have some sort of talent or gift which God will use to benefit those within the Body, if we allow him to. Our problem starts when we refuse, neglect, or just don't listen to God's calling. When God speaks, most of the time He is very subtle and if we are not relying on the Holy Spirit to be our guide, we may miss altogether what he is really trying to say to us. If we selfishly neglect to go to church some Sunday morning just because there is a good football game on the tube; or the fish are biting; then we are really cheating ourselves or those who we call our brothers and sisters, because God probably had something for us to do or say that day at church and you just allowed the devil to have his own way with you by keeping you and away from God's word.
Holy Spirit as Councelor!
In the book of John, Christ has promised the Holy Spirit which is our councelor and our guide in all things.
14:16,17 "And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Councelor to be with you forever - the Sirit of truth. The world cannot accept him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
The Holy Spirit speaks to us and through us. He is present in our lives from the moment we have accepted Jesus as our Lord. We need the "filling" of the Holy Spirit each and every day just to get through even smallest of trials that
face us. For example, it may be the trial of someone whom we feel uncomfortable talking to is put in our path and we are forced to talk with them (sounds simple anyway). We must ask the Lord to get us through the uncomfortable situation without sinning in the process (like maybe saying to the person that they are a jerk). This analogy is not the best but you might be able to see what I am getting at.
We all have a calling to ministry. For some it might be teaching Sunday school, or leading a small group of believers in a Bible study. It might even be that we are called to being a janitor and clean the church once a week. It might even be several things at once. What ever our gift is, or our calling, we are to use it to minister to the Body of Christ and to spread the Gospel to the lost.
Church Attendance!
In the book of Hebrews verses 10:23-25"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deed. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
We are called to belong to the local or small "c" church. That is where we worship together, praise God
together, pray together, and fellowship together. It is not an option to stay away from the Body of Christ. The body needs us as much as we need the body.
It is our responsibility to be present, to learn, to share, to love and encourage, and to be loved and encouraged. Go to a Bible believing church and get involved with the fellowship of believers. Find out what your gifts are and use them to bring Glory to God.
Your attendance is not the only important thing you shoud do. As I had already mentioned, your spiritual gifts will help you get involved with the ministry of the church. You must take part in the daily, weekly, and/or monthly functions of the church by being involved in you ministry.
With out scaring you away, God has called you to support His church with a tenth of what he has provided to you. His blessings are not baised on how much you give, but because of the matter of the heart and your obedience to him.
Set up a personal time of prayer and Bible study. It is when we are alone with God that we are best able to hear his voice. We are to get prepared for the time will come when He will use use for his purpose. We belong to Him to do his bidding according to his perfect will.
Share Christ with Others!
Jesus gave us a great commission in Matthew 28:19-20Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
We are to share the Gospel, "the Good News" of Jesus Christ with the world. None of use are excused from that calling. The way we live, the way we talk, the way we work, the words that we use every day should reflect the Jesus that is in us; and by whom we are saved through his loving Grace even though we did not deserve it.
In 1 Peter 3:15 it says; But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give and answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,..."
I welcome you, fellow Christian, into the Body of Believers in the faith that is in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
14:26 "But the Councelor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
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