Now that I’m a Christian: Six Steps to Joy for New Believers

Congratulations on receiving Jesus Christ as your Savior!

If you’re wondering “NOW WHAT?” as a new believer…please keep reading!

{This post is a follow-up to “You Must Be Born Again: Why we desperately need Jesus Christ” in which the need for salvation through Jesus Christ is explained.}

(For help on how to look up a Bible verse, click here.)

When you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, you inherited eternal life (John 3:3). You were re-created into a brand new person on the inside – you were given a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17).

You may hear people say that now you are “saved.”  That’s because now that you are born again, you are saved from the wrath of God (John 3:36).  Essentially, this term is a distinction between our past condition (unsaved from God’s wrath) and our present condition (saved from God’s wrath) before God.

Accepting Christ, however, is only the beginning. There are several steps that will help you to grow in Him.  The degree to which you grow in Christ hinges completely upon your dependence on Him (John 15:5).  That’s because you cannot experience the “abundant life” Christ spoke of if your energy and passion is given to following your own self-directed choices and desires (John 10:10).

The following steps are guaranteed by the Bible to produce joy and abundant life in your Christian walk. 

Step 1 – Baptism

After salvation, God gives us the wonderful command to follow Christ in Baptism (Matthew 28:18-20). Baptism is the first step of obedience for the new believer in Christ. It is a picture of our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:3-5). Baptism is the immersion of the body under water. The word baptism literally means “to dip, to plunge, to submerge, or to immerse.” Baptism produces joy: read the story of the Ethiopian Eunuch’s salvation and baptism in Acts 8:28-40. If you love the Lord, you will want to do what He commands. (John 14:15)

Step 2 – Church Attendance

Church is an amazing place! At church, you will receive instruction and encouragement on how to live a joy-filled Christian life. As you attend regularly, you will get to know other Christians, as well as learn essential Biblical truths through the preaching and teaching (Acts 2:41-47). God commands us not to forsake assembling ourselves together (Hebrews 10:24-25). Your local church may offer Sunday school classes or small groups to help you grow in Christ. Church is not a perfect place; if it were, it would cease being perfect the minute you or I walk in! Just remember that according to Jesus some people are sheep – genuine – and some people are goats – not genuine. (Matthew 25:31-46). So keep your focus on Jesus and be faithful to attend every week.

“I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD”(Psalm 122:1).

Step 3 – Prayer

Prayer fellowship with the God the Father is a crucial part of the believer’s life. Prayer is simply talking to God and asking Him for things we need. God is never busy and is always available to us! When you pray, ask God boldly (Hebrews 4:16) for the things you need in Jesus’ name (John 14:14), believe that He will answer your prayer (if it’s according to His will – 1 John 5:14) and thank Him for the answer before it even comes (Mark 11:24).  Pray for yourself and others continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6) in private (Matthew 6:6) because your spiritual life depends on it (Ephesians 6:11-18). Pray every day alone with God, but pray with other Christians at church, too. The Father loves hearing from you!

Step 4 – Bible Study

Spiritual growth can only come if you read and study the Bible, so make it a habit to read God’s word every day. It’s one of the single most important things you can do a Christian. The Bible says that newborn Christians should desire the “milk” of God’s word (1 Peter 2:2) because all Scripture is inspired by God (God breathed) and is good for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness; as such, it equips us for every good work in Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We study to show ourselves approved unto God so that we are not ashamed and can accurately handle God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15). You could start by reading the Gospel of John; then you could start reading at the beginning of the New Testament and read all the way through to the end. If you read four chapters of the Bible a day, you would finish the Bible in one year!    

Step 5 – Giving

God has designed a wonderful plan to finance the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is God’s will that all people should hear the truth of the gospel. In order for that to happen, churches must be built, missionaries must be sent to other countries, and many other ministries must be financed to get the gospel to a lost and dying world. The way these needs are met is by God’s people giving generously. Jesus made it clear that we are obligated to be generous to those in need (Matthew 25:31-46). Giving is to be done cheerfully, rather than as an obligation (2 Corinthians 9:6-7), and not for the purpose of public recognition (Matthew 6:1-4). God wants to bless us greatly; He does this according to our generosity and His good pleasure (Luke 6:38, 2 Corinthians 9:6).

Step 6 – Discipleship Making

Sharing Christ with others produces joy in the believer’s life. The very last command Christ gave his disciples before He ascended to heaven was to share His message with others (Matthew 28:19-20). In every single Gospel account – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – we are told that we have a responsibility to bring others to Christ. In Acts 1:8 Christ promised that we would have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us to perform this important task.  If you like, use the outline from this post to explain God’s salvation plan. By sharing the Gospel, not only are you helping others enter heaven, you’re helping them to escape the fires of hell. Won’t you share Christ’s love with your unsaved friends and loved ones today?

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Life in Christ is amazing! But please keep in mind that your new life in Christ is a lifelong process of change. Yes, you were given a new nature – you are an entirely new spiritual being in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), with a new standing before God and freedom from the tyranny of sin, but you will still battle the old nature that you inherited from Adam (Galatians 5:17-25).

The Apostle Paul challenges us to be renewed day by day (Romans 12:2).  This implies a daily, conscious effort to strengthen your walk with God.  So start making these six steps a priority today. Abundant life is waiting for you!

{The material in this post is in part excerpted from Seven Steps to Joy and The Discipleship Challenge by Partners in Ministry. I have used them personally and I HIGHLY recommend both of these resources for Christian discipleship.}

Here’s to abundant life in Christ!