©2000 by Rick Jones. Reproduced by permission Section 8

If you just made Jesus Christ your Savior, you are now a baby Christian. And like a newborn physical baby, you need to begin growing. Here are a few basic steps to help you get started in your new Christian life.

God's Word gives us this command:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Ask God to lead you to the church He wants you to attend. Through a local church you will meet and fellowship with other believers. Plus, hearing God's Word preached and taught will help you grow. The church will also provide a place where you can serve God, which will further aid your spiritual growth.

As a new Christian, you should follow Christ's example and be baptized. Biblical baptism is the immersion of a new believer under water. Throughout the New Testament, right after trusting in Christ, new believers were baptized:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized… Acts 2:41

In Acts 8:36-37, the Ethiopian eunuch said:

See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.

Because you must believe in Christ before being baptized, infant baptisms don't count. Since infants cannot believe in Christ, they cannot be scripturally baptized. So if you were baptized as an infant and just now got saved, you need to be baptized again.

The Bible is God's love letter to you. Each time you read it, you will grow spiritually (1 Peter 2:2) and get to know God a little better. Reading God's Word will solidify your beliefs, and equip you to defend them:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Among other things, reading the Bible will cleanse your life (Psalm 119:9), keep you from sin (Psalm 119:11), increase your faith (Romans 10:17), and be your guide:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Now that you are a Christian, you can talk directly to God through prayer. God gives us this instruction:

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Biblical prayer is not reciting cold, stiff, pre-written words:

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Matthew 6:7

True prayer is sharing your heart with God:

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him… Psalm 62:8

God's Word tells us to pray about everything, including our needs (Matthew 6:11) and desires (Philippians 4:6). We should pray for each other (James 5:16), for our enemies (Luke 6:28), for the sick (James 5:14-16), and for wisdom (James 1:5).

We should also regularly thank God for his goodness (Psalm 100:4). Best of all, we can pray anytime:

The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Psalm 145:18

As a Christian, you will want to share with others what Jesus has done for you. Nothing is more important or rewarding than telling people about Christ:

Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. James 5:20

There is no better way for you to invest your time:

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. Proverbs 11:30

The purpose of this book was to show you from the one and only authoritative source what awaits you after death, and to help you settle your eternal destiny. I pray that after reading this book, you have trusted Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior.

If you have, I would love to hear about it. You can e-mail me at:
rjones@chick.
Or write me at:
Rick Jones
c/o Chick Publications
PO Box 3500
Ontario, CA 91761

God bless you.