New Believer's Bible Sample - Flipbook - Page 32
FIRST STEPS
page A34
spiritually, and mentor them. Sort of like the directions for washing your hair:
“Wash, rinse, repeat.” In our case, lead people to Christ, disciple them, do it
again. Anything short of discipleship is settling for less than what God desires.
Here are four notes that explain what it means to truly be a disciple of Jesus.
• Disciples take up a cross and follow Christ see Luke 9:23-25, page 970
• Disciples count the cost see Luke 14:26-33, page 980
• Disciples abide in Christ see John 15:1-17, page 1017
• Disciples walk as Jesus walked see 1 John 2:3-6, page 1210
Live in God’s Power
Some people look at the Christian life and say, “I couldn’t begin to live that
way and hold to those standards. It is too hard!” This is true. It is not hard to
be a Christian—it is impossible, without the help of the Holy Spirit. You see,
God has given you power to live the Christian life. The moment you asked Jesus
Christ into your heart, the Holy Spirit began to live inside you (see “Who Is the
Holy Spirit?” page 0000).
The Holy Spirit not only takes up residence in your heart, but also he
empowers you to live a holy life and to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit’s power is much like an investment. You need to draw upon
his power daily to live out your faith. To find out more about how the Holy
Spirit can empower and strengthen your Christian walk, look up the following notes.
• God’s Spirit will help you to obey him see Ezekiel 36:26-27, page 786
• God’s Spirit will guide you see John 16:13-15, page 1020
• God’s Spirit will empower your witness see Acts 1:8, page 1028
• God’s Spirit will help you overcome sin see Romans 8:9-14, page 1076
Obey God
The real evidence of a true Christian is a changed life. The great British preacher
Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, “Of what value is the grace I profess
to receive if it does not dramatically change the way that I live? If it doesn’t
change the way that I live, it will never change my eternal destiny.”
A changed life begins with obedience to God. This means that you will have
to stop doing certain things and start doing other things. While God begins
to change your heart and desires once you have surrendered your life to him,
he still gives you the freedom to decide just how much of your life you will
let him control. But know this: Whatever you give up to follow Jesus Christ
will pale in comparison to what he will give you in return. For example, when
you give up sinful behaviors for God, he will replace your sin with forgiveness
