Taking your next steps

The moment you received Christ, as an act of faith and free will, many things happened, including:

Christ came into your life (Colossians 1:27).

Your sins were forgiven (Colossians 1:14).

You became a child of God (John 1:12).

You received eternal life (John 5:24).

You began the great adventure for which God created you (John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and 1 Thessalonians 5:18).

God did all of these. Can you think of anything more wonderful that could happen to you than entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? We encourage you to thank God for what he has done for you. By thanking God, you demonstrate your faith.

To enjoy your new relationship with God:

Go to God in prayer daily (Philippians 4:6, Colossians 4:2).

Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11). We suggest you begin with the gospel of John.

Obey God moment by moment (John 14:21).

Witness for Christ by your life and words (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8).

Trust God for every detail of your life (1 Peter 5:7).

Hand over control to the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to empower your daily life and witness (Galatians 5:16-17, Acts 1:8).

And finally, find a good church and get involved there. God's Word admonishes us, "Do not stop going to church..." (Hebrews 10:25). Consider the example of a fireplace. Several logs burn brightly together, but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians. If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honoured and his Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.

An important reminder

Do not depend on feelings. The promise of God's Word, the Bible, is our authority. Christians live by faith in the trustworthiness of God and his Word. There are differences between fact, faith, and feeling:

Fact: God and his Word

Faith: Our trust in God and his Word

Feeling: The result of our faith and obedience

We as Christians do not depend on feelings or emotions, but place our faith (trust) in God and the promises of his Word. New feelings will be one of the results of God's presence in our lives, and our faith and obedience. But we will also continue to experience old feelings. And the mixture of new and old feelings will vary from day to day and season to season.