"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
- Romans 8:28
If you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, acknowledging Him as your Lord and Savior, you have been "called
according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) What is God's purpose for
you? Simply put, to live in fellowship and obedience to God.
The Bible says, "... but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18). Here are some steps to help
you do that.
First, read the Bible daily. God's purpose for the Bible was not only to declare His love for us and
the Good News of salvation available through His Son, but also "that
the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
(2 Timothy 3:17, NKJV). Don't worry about parts of Scripture you may not
understand. Accept God's Word by faith. He will grant you understanding
as you are able. Try reading first the Gospel of John, then the Gospels
of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Next, read the book of Acts, then the remaining
books of the New Testament in order. To help you grow in your worship of
God, read the Psalms. For wisdom, read Proverbs. Evangelist Billy Graham
recommends reading five Psalms and one chapter of Proverbs every day. This
way, you can read the entire Psalms and Proverbs in one month. Remember,
too, that each new reading of a passage of Scripture will bring new and
fresh insight to God. The Bible is not simply a book we read once, then
put up on a shelf. The Bible is God's source book for answers to our problems,
how we should live, God's will for our life, and so much more! Make the
Bible your daily companion from now on.
Second, pray every day. Prayer is simply talking to God. You don't have to pray a certain way
or give eloquent speeches to God. Jesus said, "your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:8) When we pray, we are bringing before God the things that
He already knows are on our heart. It has been said that prayer is the
act of submitting our will to God's will. We also have a helper when we
pray. The Bible says, "the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we
do not know how to pray as we should, but "the Spirit Himself intercedes
for us with groanings too deep for words ..." (Romans 8:26) Someone
has said that the Holy Spirit tells God what we really intend to say! So,
just relax and tell God what is on your heart. You will hear other Christians
refer to "quiet time". We recommend you take 15-20 minutes every
day to be quiet before God. Use this time alone with God to pray, read
the Bible, and seek God's direction. You will find that beginning each
day with quiet time will help energize you to walk for God throughout the
day. You can pray anywhere, anytime - at school, at work, in the car. Whenever
you need to talk to God, or hear God calling you, take a moment to pause
an pray. And, remember, sometimes God answers, "Yes." Sometimes
God answers, "No." Sometimes the answer is "wait."
But, God always answers.
Third, join a church that preaches and honors Jesus Christ. Fellowship with other believers is essential to our growth in the body
of Christ. The Bible teaches us to share each others burdens and joys.
The first church, our example, "were continually devoting themselves
to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
to prayer." (Acts 2:42) The Bible says, "so we, who are many,
are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."
(Romans 12:5). The Bible also teaches us to use the gifts and skills God
has given us individually for the benefit of the Church. (see 1 Corinthians
12:1-31). Jesus said, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there
in their midst." (Matthew 18:20)
Fourth, tell others about Jesus. If you are a new Christian, you may be unfamiliar with terms like "witnessing"
and "evangelism." That's OK. Witnessing is simply telling others
what Jesus has done for you. Evangelism is another term for witnessing.
Witnessing is perhaps the most misunderstood and most ignored command of
Jesus. Telling others, particularly strangers, can be scary. Some who take
witnessing to extremes or who use unbiblical methods can give all Christians
a bad reputation. You may be afraid of being labeled a "Jesus Freak"
by friends and family. Besides, aren't there special people God expects
to witness for Jesus, like pastors and evangelists?
Jesus' last command to the disciples before he ascended into heaven was
to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ..." (Matthew 28:19) This is not merely the responsibility of preachers and
evangelists, but of everyone who claims Christ as Lord and Savior. Think
of it this way: if you saw someone who was drowning, but they didn't know
it, would you hesitate to warn them? Or call for help? Would you be afraid
of offending them? Would you simply not care? Of course not! It has been
rightly said that, knowing what is at stake, if you are not concerned about
the salvation of others, then you should be concerned about your own. Salvation
is not a "get out of hell free" card. In the same way that conviction
of sin and the realization of eternal hell made you eager to accept God's
forgiveness found only in Jesus, the knowledge of the fate that awaits
others should compel you to share your faith. When Andrew met Jesus, the
first thing he did was go and tell his brother, Peter. (John 1:41)
You can begin by telling others how you have surrendered your life to Jesus
Christ. As you grow in Christ, the Spirit will open doors of opportunity
to share the Good News of Jesus with others. The Bible commands us, "sanctify
Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to
everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you."
(1 Peter 3:15) That is why daily Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship
with other Christians is so important. These things help prepare us for
sharing Jesus.
We also share our faith by our personal conduct, how we face the trials
of life, how we treat others, even the entertainment we partake in. We
are living examples of the transforming power of Jesus Christ in our lives.
The greatest joy you can have as a Christian is leading another to a saving
knowledge of Jesus. As you grow in Christ, ask God to show you where and
how He wants you to witness to others about Jesus. For starters, check
out the Make A Difference projects section to read about simple, hands-on projects that help you
to share Jesus with others.
Finally, remember that our troubles and trials will not go away simply by accepting
Jesus. Many today preach a "prosperity gospel" that is not found
in Scripture. In fact, Christians often experience trials more so than
before because the world system is against God. Don't let this discourage
you. Jesus said, "In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome
the world." (John 16:33)
Temptations may also seem more in number and harder to resist than before.
The Bible says, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common
to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond
what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape
also, so that you will be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He quoted Scripture. The devil cannot
stand against the Word of God. Memorize Scripture so that not only can
you have confidence in witnessing for Jesus, but also in gaining victory
over temptation.
Some trials and tribulations may serve to test our faith. (James 1:2-4)
Remember that this life is only temporary, and you and I are only visitors.
God's joy and peace are eternal. We now have an eternal home awaiting us
in heaven. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world
gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be
fearful." (John 14:27)
If God had willed it, each of us might have entered heaven at the moment
of conversion. It was not absolutely necessary for our preparation for
immortality that we should tarry here. It is possible for a man to be taken
to heaven, and to be found meet to be a partaker of the inheritance of
the saints in light, though he has but just believed in Jesus. It is true
that our sanctification is a long and continued process, and we shall not
be perfected till we lay aside our bodies and enter within the veil; but
nevertheless, had the Lord so willed it, he might have changed us from
imperfection to perfection, and have taken us to heaven at once. Why then
are we here? Would God keep his children out of paradise a single moment
longer than was necessary? Why is the army of the living God still on the
battle-field when one charge might give them the victory? Why are his children
still wandering hither and thither through a maze, when a solitary word
from his lips would bring them into the centre of their hopes in heaven?
The answer is—they are here that they may "live unto the Lord,"
and may bring others to know his love. We remain on earth as sowers to
scatter good seed; as ploughmen to break up the fallow ground; as heralds
publishing salvation. We are here as the "salt of the earth,"
to be a blessing to the world. We are here to glorify Christ in our daily
life. We are here as workers for him, and as "workers together with
him." Let us see that our life answereth its end. Let us live earnest,
useful, holy lives, to "the praise of the glory of his grace."
Meanwhile we long to be with him, and daily sing—
"My heart is with him on his throne,
And ill can brook delay;
Each moment listening for the voice,
'Rise up, and come away.'"
