|
1) Salvation
For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
a) your sins are forgiven (Colossians 1:14)
b) you are a child of God (John 1:12)
c) you posses eternal life (John 3:16)
2) Victory Over Temptation
Satan doesn’t want you to be in a relationship with God, satan will concentrate on an area of spiritual weakness in your life and try to pull you down. You must learn to take your eyes off your own weakness and totally put your trust in Jesus Christ. Temptation is not a sin, giving into the temptation is! God promises you will not be tempted more than you can bare (1 Corinthians 10:13)
3) Forgiveness
Being saved, you are born again. It’s like as a child just learning to walk, you will often fall down. But you didn’t stay down long, you reached out to the waiting hand of your mother or father, who put you back on your feet. The same is true of your heavenly Father. When you fall in your spiritual walk, reach out to your heavenly Father through prayer, and accept His merciful helping hand. (1 John 1:9)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
4) God’s Presence
We are human, at times you will doubt, become frustrated, and feel weak and all alone. But you are never alone, Jesus Christ is in you and He wants to help you become the kind of person He created you to be. (Philippians 1:6)
God’s presence is in you, He filled you with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is your comforter (John 14:16), your teacher (John 16:13), will lead you (Romans 8:14), will enrich your spiritual life (John 6:63, Romans 8:11), will empower you for Christian living (Galatians 5), and will help to be dynamic witnesses to others (Acts 1:8)
Growing in Your Relationship With Christ:
1) Listen to God; Read His Word
Reading your Bible daily is very important. Through the Bible God reveals His character and His will. He teaches us what is true and helps us to realize the things that need changing in our lives. Through His word God shows us how to make those changes and learn to live righteously. God reveals through His word how wonderful He is, what wonderful things He has done for us, what He is going to do for us, and what He wants us to do for Him. (Psalm 119: 9,11)
A good Bible for new Christians is the NIV, it’s a more modern version. A pastor or someone in a local Christian bookstore can also be of help to recommend one. If you are just getting acquainted with the Bible, a good place to start would be the gospel of John.
As you read don’t go too fast, begin with a chapter a day. As you read take time to meditate on what it says, to see all that God has for you in today’s passage.
2) Talking to God: Praying
Prayer is how we talk to God, our heavenly Father wants the best for us, and wants to help in every way possible. Prayer is sharing your thoughts, your needs, your desire to do His will. It is a time to praise God, thank Him, admit to Him things you’ve done or said or thought for which you are sorry. It’s a time to pray for your family, friends, neighbors, anyone that has needs both physical and spiritual. It’s also a time to pray for yourself, for His guidance, strength, comfort, peace, joy, to ask Him to help us in any problem we have, and ask Him to give us opportunities to serve Him.
A suggestion is to keep a prayer journal, to record your prayer requests, and to keep up with those you are praying for. Remember you can pray anytime, anywhere, about anything. Your loving heavenly Father is always there to listen. (1 John 5:14-15)
|