OK, I'M SAVED! NOW WHAT?
So you got saved? Well, good for you! Let me be the first one to congratulate you on your decision to follow Christ. What a wonderful journey you're about to begin. It is the right decision. You will never regret it. In all my years and in all the countries where I've served, I've never heard anyone ever say, "I regret my decision to follow Christ." No one says that! On the contrary, they always say, "I wish I'd have gotten saved sooner."
Now what? You invited Jesus into your heart to be your Savior, and He came. Something pretty awesome happened. You were brought out of darkness and into the light. God forgave your sins, and you're now a born again Christian. Welcome to the family of God. Below are five suggestions on beginning your new life.
1. As a new Christian, tell someone you invited Christ into your heart. Share your experience with them. Telling other people about Jesus can feel scary at first. But take that first step. Sharing your new faith in Christ with someone is a powerful way to begin your new life! Tell your family you just got saved and tell your friends too. Don't be afraid to confess Christ as your Savior. Now that you're saved, Satan will try to come against you. Don't worry though, he has no power over you. He'll try to tell you nothing happened and that you didn't really get saved. Don't you listen to him. He's a liar. In fact, Jesus called him the Father of lies. He never tells the truth. When Satan comes against you, and he will, begin to praise God. Satan will flee. Satan can't stay in the presence of praise.
2. As a new Christian, begin to pray, and pray about everything. Prayer is simply talking to God. You now have a living, walking, talking relationship with God. It's not a religion, it's a relationship. So talk to God! Day and night talk to Him. Tell him your problems. Ask Him questions. He cares for you. He'll answer. Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes the answer is wait. The Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That's nonstop 24-7 prayer. If we desire to know God more intimately, we must communicate with Him regularly. Give thanks to God for everything. Pray for others and pray on their behalf. This is called intercession. Ask God questions. Ask Him how to read the Bible.
3. As a new Christian, begin to read and study your Bible everyday. There are many excellent translations and numerous places to start. I like the New King James Version (NKJV) and also the New International Version (NIV). These are modern translations and are easy to read and understand. I would also recommend starting in the Gospel of John. It is the fourth book of the New Testament and was authored by the apostle John. John was one of the 12 original followers of Jesus and was considered to be part of Jesus' inner circle. The Gospels include Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Gospels are a wonderful way of getting to know Christ. Read John first. Then read Matthew Mark and Luke. The Gospels will help you to understand who Jesus is, what Jesus taught, what He wants you to know and what He did during His time on earth. After reading the Gospels move forward from there, by reading Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians and so on. The rest of the New Testament will provide both early church history and teachings of the church. Read your Bible everyday. Meditate on what you have read, memorize it, and saturate your life with it.
4. As a new Christian, go to church. Find a good Bible teaching church. If you're not sure where to attend, try finding a church in the Assemblies of God Church Directory. → Go to every service. Begin building friendships with other Christians. Find a small group within the church where you can belong and find a purpose. It's so wonderful to fellowship with like-minded believers. Talk to your pastor or another church leader. Tell him you just got saved. Ask if they have a new convert class. This is a class for new Christians like you. It will help you get off to a good start.
5. As a new Christian, you need to be baptized. Baptism symbolizes your new life in Christ, and proclaims that you are now committed to Jesus. Even Jesus was baptized, and He calls us to be baptized too. Baptism doesn't save you. It's an act of obedience. Baptism is symbolic of Christ's burial and resurrection. Our immersion into the water identifies us with Christ's death on the cross, His burial in the tomb, and His resurrection from the dead. It symbolizes your new life as a Christian. We bury the "old life" and we rise to walk in a "new life". I believe in full immersion baptism. In the New Testament, believers were always fully submerged in water, never sprinkled.
Finally, I used to teach a class in Central America called Your New Life. Your New Life and other evangelism, discipleship, and training resources are available in multiple languages at no cost to you. These are very helpful educational Bible courses you can study for free. Go too GlobalReach.org →
You may also enjoy the video below from GotQuestions.org
"I have just put my faith in Jesus...NOW WHAT?"
Do you know how to become a Christian? Do you know how to go to heaven?
Let's get this matter settled once and for all! Visit my page HOW TO KNOW GOD →