New Believer's Bible Sample - Flipbook - Page 29
First Steps:
What to Do after You Have Accepted Christ
Attend Church
One of the essential building blocks of spiritual growth is fellowship with other
believers by becoming an active part of a local church. The church (meaning the entire body of Christians) is not really an organization so much as an
organism. It thrives by keeping its members spiritually active and well fed. The
church provides you with spiritual instruction from God’s Word, allows you to
worship God with other believers, enables you to use your God-given gifts and
abilities as God intended, and makes you accountable to spiritual leadership.
Some people think they can get enough spiritual input from Christian television, radio programs, and books. While those things do have value, nothing
can replace the need to become an active participant in a local church. Think
about it—if joining in fellowship with other believers were not important, why
did Jesus establish the church (see Matthew 16:18)? The Bible has plenty to
say about the characteristics of a healthy, vibrant church and the necessity of
Christian fellowship. Here are a few helpful insights from God’s Word on looking for and attending the right church.
• What to look for in a church see Acts 2:42-47, page 1030
• You have a place in the church see 1 Corinthians 12:12-31, page 1104
• Why we need fellowship with other believers see Hebrews 10:25, page 1186
Experience New Life in Christ
I love the way everything looks after it rains. The streets are clean, the birds
start singing again, and dirty cars have been washed. You may even see a rainbow! This is a picture of what happens when people come to faith in Christ.
They “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts
26:18). You literally become a new person on the inside, as Scripture reminds
us: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is
gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
But what does this mean for day-to-day living? It means you have begun a
lifelong adventure with Jesus Christ. The Bible has a lot to say about what it
means to be a new person in Christ. Here are some key passages and notes to
help you learn more.
• God counts us as righteous because of our faith see Genesis 15:6, page 17
• All believers are called to be priests see Exodus 19:6, page 74
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