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What
does
it mean to be "Born Again?"
What is the
Christian Life?
How do I
Start?
- God's
Word: The very first thing to do is get
hold of a good Bible. The "which Bible" page will give you a little
help in making a selection. Then set your self
up with a reading plan of a chapter or two a day, preferably from the
New Testament, starting with one of the gospels. Don't try to read too
much at a time, savor what you read. (Many
people who have been Christians for decades have never read
the Bible from cover to cover.)
- Devotional
Time: Set
aside at least fifteen minutes a day for a devotional
time. This should be a set time, like first thing in the morning,
or just after dinner and so forth. Make five minutes of this
time devoted to prayer, not just talking to God, but listening
also.
- Prayer:
We are told to
"Pray continually." (1 Thess 5.16) Make it a habit to pray in
your heart to God throughout the day. This can be as simple
as a "Thank You Lord." for the beauty of the day, or for the
peace that is in your heart. (Don't get discouraged if while
praying, your mind wanders. God created you, he understands the
workings of your mind better than you do.)
- Baptism: You do not need
to be baptized in order secure your salvation. However, baptism
is the first act of obedience in a Christians life. It testifies
publicly that you have turned from your sin and are submitting
to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life. Most, if not
all, evangelical churches require baptism as a condition of membership.
Baptism is not required to be saved, the story of the thief who
was on the cross next to Jesus bears this out. (Luke 23:39-43) Avoid
any church that makes it a requirement of salvation.
- Join
a Church: Let us
not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another. (Heb. 10.25) The church provides
many benefits for the believer. Here you will find people who
are your brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no substitute
for the joy of joining with other believers in worshipping our
Lord. In a church you will also find encouragement and help with
various aspects of the Christian life. You will also find a place
to serve the Lord through various ministries that the church may offer.
I would suggest that you find a church that is fairly small or a large
one that has smaller group studies. I have listed four
church denominations that are solid Bible based churches on the
FAQ page, that should be a good place to start.
(1)
For
Further Thought
Many
people believe that to be a Christian that one must live their life by
a list of do's and don'ts. Nobody has ever been able to show me that
list in the Bible. Although there are items that are specifically named
as sin, there is no one comprehensive list located in one place.
Instead, we as Christians are given a certain amount of latitude. The
Holy Spirit may tell one person that the use
of tobacco is off limits to them, but to another he will allow it. As a
case in point, Charles Spurgeon was one of the greatest preachers and
theologians of the nineteenth century, yet he was a cigar smoker. He
may tell another that the use of alcohol is off limits, but the apostle
Paul told Timothy to use a little wine (1 Tim. 5:23) for medicinal
purposes and that pastors and deacons were
to be "not indulging in much wine." (1 Tim 3:8)
Of course
there is a list in the Old Testament that most people are familiar
with, called the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are also
referred to as the Sinai Covenant (Ex. 34:28, Deut. 4:13). This
covenant included the Ten Commandments and the books of the Law
that were given at Sinai and just before the Israelites entered
into Caanan. View the commandments as ten points of an outline,
with the sub points scattered throughout the books of the Law. As
a Christian, you are not under the old covenant. With the resurrection
of Jesus we were given a new covenant and a new law, a covenant
of grace and a law of liberty. All of the moral aspects of the Ten
Commandments are carried over into the new covenant, but in an expanded
manner. The commandments said not to commit adultery. Jesus said that
if we look at somebody lustfully, we have committed adultery. (Matt.
5:27,28)
Does this
mean that as a Christian we can do anything because we are not under
the Law? If all we have to do is ask forgiveness, can we continue in
our old sinful lifestyle because we are under grace? If one really
wants to continue in their sin, I would question the sincerity of their
Christianity. Most of the time we know what is sin. As a Christian, it
should be our desire to rid our lives of these
sins through the power of the Holy Spirit. As one grows in grace
and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will become aware
of things in our lives that need correcting. The Holy Spirit never
makes us aware of a problem, unless he gives us the ability, through
the Spirit, to overcome the problem.
The new
law is made up of two points instead of ten. Jesus told us these
commandments in Matt 22:37-40. Jesus replied: ”‘Love the Lord your
God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And
the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law
and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. When one sits
down and contemplates this, one realizes that
sin is not so much a physical act as it is a heart attitude. By
application, anything that is not done out of love for God, or
love for another, may, quite possibly, be sin.
I would
suggest for any new Christian to read carefully and prayerfully the
letters written by the apostles. These letters to the early churches
contain the instruction needed for living the Christian life. As one
reads these books prayerfully looking for instruction, the Holy
Spirit will guide you. With His guidance you will end up with
your personal list of do's and don'ts that are specific to you.
Certainly there are general rules that apply to everybody. For
instance, sexual immorality, drunkenness, and deceitfulness are
mentioned as sin and apply to all. Paul admonishes us in Romans 14:23
to be sure of what we approve, because if we have any doubts then we
are no longer acting in faith.
I won't
give you a list of things that you should or should not do other than
the one at the top of this page, and you should not let another do this
for you either. Instead, let the Holy Spirit through the word of God
tell you how to live.
If you
have any questions or comments,  .
(1) There
are churches that I would not recommend for
specific reasons.
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