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Introduction
God has drawn you to His free gift and you have accepted Jesus
as your Savior and King. So the next question is what now? All
new and seasoned Christians need to spend time in prayer and
reading God’s word. You may also find that many articles,
commentaries, and other study materials can help you learn and
grow. However, you must be careful to always backup these other
materials against the Bible as it is the ultimate study guide
and you are responsible for following God’s word, not the words
of others’ interpretation or perception of its meanings.
We have created this article in an effort to help assist new
Christians. It is by no means to be used to replace the Bible
and is by no means an authority over the Bible. Since you will
have to give account of your life to God, you will need to, read
the Bible, pray for knowledge, wisdom and understanding, and ask
God to send you the Holy Spirit in order to reveal to you the
meaning of God’s word and His direction for your life. Don’t let
this overwhelm you because every disciple of Christ was a lay
person. They were fishermen, tax collectors, and members of the
general population. God wants to be understood and if you seek
Him with all your heart and soul He promises He will be found.
Don’t let terminology, Greek and Hebrew interpretations, or
general theology overwhelm your walk with God. God wants all of
us to know Him. Often times we make it too difficult when it is
really simple. We can get to know God through His word.
A New Life in Jesus Christ
According to Ephesians 2:1-3 before we accept Jesus as our
Savior and King we were dead in our transgressions and sins, we
gratified our sinful nature following its desires, we followed
ways of this world, in fact we were born into this sinful
nature. For this sinful nature we were condemned to death.
Ephesians 2:1-3
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts
of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
According to Romans 8:7-8 when we are controlled by the sinful
nature we cannot please God.
Romans 8:7-8
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not
subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
And other scriptures teach us that there is nothing we can do to
attain salvation because Christ has already paid it all.
Salvation is by grace and grace alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not
of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Repentance
We have come to realize that we are sinners. However, true
acceptance of Jesus requires repentance. Repentance is basically
turning from sin and turning to God.
John the Baptist preached repentance as written in:
Luke 3:2-3
2 while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests, the word of God
came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.
3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
In Luke 15:7 Jesus began his preaching with “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is near." In Luke 24 we
find that after Jesus had risen, He appeared to the disciples
and "46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ
will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and
repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name
to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." So, as it is
written in scripture we must repent and ask for forgiveness of
our sins. We must turn from sin and come to Christ.
Some want to accept Christ but Satan comes and takes the word
from their heart, or they accept the word with gladness but have
no roots so when difficulty arises they stumble, or others may
hold onto their fleshly wants. Jesus gives us a parable
concerning these issues. He also talks about other problems we
may encounter when the seed which is the word of God is planted.
He talks about a sower who spread seeds on different types of
ground.
Mark 3:3-8
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the
wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.
5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth;
and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no
root it withered away.
7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and
choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that
sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty,
and some a hundred.”
Mark 3:13-20
13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How
then will you understand all the parables?
14 The sower sows the word.
15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.
When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word
that was sown in their hearts.
16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when
they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a
time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the
word’s sake, immediately they stumble.
18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones
who hear the word,
19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and
the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it
becomes unfruitful.
20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear
the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some
sixty, and some a hundred.”
We must repent so God can forgive our sins. However this parable
also reminders us that we need to be good soil, we need to hear,
accept and bear fruit in order to grow in our relationship with
God. Repentance is the first step but we must diligently seek to
be the good soil Jesus spoke about. This is the reason we wrote
this paper because all too often we are not rooted and grounded
in the word of God. We need to turn from the world and follow
Christ. We must not just be hearers but also doers of the word
of God so we can produce fruit. So when we turn from sin
(repent) our direction should be seeking the will of God at all
times.
James 1:21-25
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of
wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which
is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets
what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and
continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the
work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Faith
Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior and King requires faith.
Our faith in Jesus is a living, verbal, and acting faith.
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “Now faith is the substance of
things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”
We have to believe that Jesus lived, died, was buried, and rose
from the dead as found in
I Corinthians 15:1-8.
1Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I
preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye
stand;
2By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I
preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures;
4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day
according to the scriptures:
5And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once;
of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are
fallen asleep.
7After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of
due time.
Putting Faith in Jesus is putting faith into a Living Being; not
an inanimate object or a dead leader (Jesus’ tomb is empty).
Faith in Jesus is verbal. According to Romans 10:9 that if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe
in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. Also in Romans 10:13 we find that “For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Our faith in Jesus calls for action. We need to act on the truth
of God’s word. According to James 2 faith and actions
work together and persons faith is made complete by what he
does. He gives examples in verses 20-26
20But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is
dead?
21Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had
offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was
faith made perfect?
23And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed
God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was
called the Friend of God.
24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by
faith only.
25Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works,
when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out
another way?
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without
works is dead also.
Throughout the Bible you will find examples of many people of
the faith who acted upon God’s truths; Hebrews 11 names several
whom acted upon faith, such as; Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac,
Joseph, Moses etc . . . As followers of Christ, we are also
commanded to act upon God’s truth. In Matthew we find that
Christians are commissioned to go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything that
Jesus has commanded.
Matthew 28:19-20
19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end
of the world. Amen.
In Romans 12 we find that followers of Jesus are instructed to
love all humans including our enemies, not just believers
(20-21). We are to overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:20-21
20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give
him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his
head.
21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
We are also to act by offering our bodies as living sacrifices.
We are to be a living example to others by not conforming to the
patterns of this world, but we are to be transformed by the
renewing of our minds in the truths of God.
Romans 12:1-2
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that
ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service.
2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In summary, Hebrews 11:1“Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Our faith in
Jesus is a living, verbal, and acting faith. Jesus Christ died
and rose again which makes it a living faith. Our faith is
verbal because we are instructed to tell others about our
salvation. Also, faith requires action because faith must be
accompanied with works or it is useless.
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus Christ (John 15:26), guides
us in all truth to the glory of Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14),
gives us spiritual discernment (I Corinthians 2:10-14), and
teaches us (John 14:26).
John 15:26
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He
will testify of Me.
John 16:13-14
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will
guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own
authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell
you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and
declare it to you.
I Corinthians 2:10-14
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the
Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of
the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God
except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have
been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom
teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit
of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
John 14:26
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in
My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your
remembrance all things that I said to you.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
In Mark 1:7-8 John the Baptist preached, saying,
“There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal
strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized
you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Baptism in water symbolizes the burial of your old sinful life.
The filling by the Holy Spirit was given to us by Jesus Christ.
The outpouring and filling of the Holy Spirit fulfills the
prophesy found in the Old Testament book of Joel 2:28-29 "And
afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons
and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men
and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
In Acts we find that on the day of Pentecost, Peter speaks to
the crowd and reminding them that God had said 'In the last
days, He will pour out His Spirit on all people.
Acts 2:14-18:
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and
addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in
Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what
I say.
15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the
morning!
16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17" 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on
all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young
men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
The best way we can describe the role of the Holy Spirit is the
way in which God puts His laws in our heart. The Holy Spirit is
the one who assists in this transformation. In Hebrews 8 that
with the new covenant God makes with the house of Israel and
with the house of Judah that He will put His laws in the minds
and hearts of His people.
Hebrews 8:10
This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after
that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they
will be my people.
How will or how does God write His laws in the minds and the
hearts of His people through the Holy Spirit. I think Charles H.
Spurgeon explains this very well in his sermon “God’s Law in
Man’s Heart” Sermon No. 2506 (Spurgeon, 1897):
But, although we can read that law in the Scriptures, and see it
wrought out in the life of Christ, yet it is needful that the
Spirit of God should come and enlighten us with regard to it, if
we are really to know what it is. Otherwise, a man may hear the
Ten Commandments read every Sabbath day, and go on breaking them
without ever knowing that he is breaking them; he may be keeping
the letter of the commandments, and yet all the while be
violating their spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes to us, he
shows us what the law really is. Take, for instance, the
command, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." "Well!" says one, "I
have not broken that commandment." "Stay," says the Spirit of
God, "till you know the spiritual meaning of that command, for
whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart." There is, also, the
command, "Thou shalt not kill." "Oh!" says the man, "I never
killed anybody, I have not committed murder." "But," says the
Spirit of God, "whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer."
When the Lord thus writes his law upon our heart, he makes us to
know the far-reaching power and scope of the commandment. He
causes us to understand that it touches not only actions and
words, but thoughts, ay, and the most transient imaginations,
the things that are scarcely born within us, the sights that
pass in a moment across the mind, like a stray passenger who
passes in front of the camera when a photographer is taking a
view. The Spirit of God teaches us that even these momentary
impressions are sinful, and that the very thought of foolishness
is sin.
Later in that same sermon, Spurgeon goes on to say:
But, brethren, the law is not fully written in the heart till a
man, approving the law and appropriating it to himself, feels he
delights to obey it. "There," says he, "O my God, my highest
happiness lies in doing as thou wouldst have me to do. I do not
want any excuse or indulgence for sin, I want, above everything
else, to be holy. It shall be my greatest pleasure to be pure,
it shall be my perfect bliss to be perfectly holy. Thou hast so
written thy law in my heart that, every time my heart beats, it
seems to beat for holiness. of my new-born nature are towards
right, towards truth towards goodness, towards God." This, dear
friends, is to have the law of the Lord written in your heart so
as to delight in it after the inward man, and to delight to
practice it with the outward man, daily striving to make the
entire life to be in accordance with the dictates of God's will.
O brothers, is it not a wonderful thing that God shall ever make
it as natural for us to be holy as once it
was natural for us to be unholy, and that then we shall find it
as much a joy to serve him as once we thought it a pleasure not
to serve him, when, indeed, to deny ourselves shall cease to be
self-denial? It shall enjoyment to us to be nothing it shall be
delight to renounce everything of self and to cling close to
God, and to walk in his ways. Then will be fulfilled in our
experience the promise of our text, I will put my laws into
their mind, and write them in their hearts."
Please, take the time to read Spurgeon’s whole sermon on this
subject; it is very good and I think you will find it very
informative.
Did you know that as Christian’s you are temples of God because
the Holy Spirit dwells in you? God’s Spirit lives in a believer
that makes them a temple of God. Be very careful not to defile
God’s temple.
1 Corinthians 3: 16-17 Do you not know that you are the
temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If
anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the
temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
As you can see, the Holy Spirit was not only written of in the
New Testament but also in the Old Testament. We learn from
scripture that God gives Christians the Holy Spirit as a
testament to Jesus Christ, a guide in all truth to the glory of
Jesus Christ, our spiritual discerner, teacher as to the heart
of the law of God and He dwells within us.
Prayer
Webster defines pray as “to address God or a god with adoration,
confession, supplication, or thanksgiving (2008, Webster.com)”.
Prayer is used by Christians to communicate with God. Prayer is
a vital part of a Christian walk with God. As in any
relationship, it grows when you spend time with one another.
However on the other hand, a relationship will suffer if time is
not spent with each other. Please set time apart throughout your
day to speak with God (pray). God desires a relationship with
His people.
We break prayer into four types; adoration, confession,
thanksgiving, and supplication. Let’s define them in the order
they are listed:
1. Adoration is praising God for who He is, such as loving,
merciful, good, gracious, etc. . . . Your list will grow through
your walk with God as He reveals Himself to you each and
everyday.
2. Confession is to admit your guilt. Confess your sins and
sinfulness. When you don’t confess your sins you become distant
from God. We are told in 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness”.
In the book of Psalms we find that when the Psalmist kept silent
he felt distant and drained but then he confessed his sin
Psalm 32:3-5
3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning
all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was
sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my
iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD
"— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Psalm 51 is a great prayer of confession.
Psalms 51:1-17
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my
transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my
sin.
3 for I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always
before me.
4 against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in
Your sight — That You may be found just when You speak, And
blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother
conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the
hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken
may rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast
spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your
Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by
Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall
be converted to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my
salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness
15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your
praise.
16 for You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You
do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a
contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
3. Thanksgiving is just that; giving thanks to God for all He
has done. In the book of Psalms, David continually mentions his
thanksgiving to God for all that He has done. God created the
universe, sent His son as a sacrifice for our sins, and loves us
even before we loved him. These are just a few things that we
can be thankful for but when you read the Bible you will be
reminded of many more.
4. Supplication is when we pray both for ourselves and for
others. Many Christians and organization like keeping a prayer
list. You should pray specifically, expectantly, faithfully and
according to God’s will.
I John 5:14-15
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we
ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know
that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
How to get started
A great way to start is by having set times that you pray. By
having regular prayer times set in your daily routine you will
establish good prayer habits. Eventually as your relationship
with God grows, you will find that you are praying all
throughout the day well beyond those set times. And 1
Thessalonians 5:17 tells us “Pray without ceasing”.
Also, give God time when your brain is still fresh such as first
thing in the morning. Yes it is good to pray before going to
bed, but many times we are exhausted at this point and God
deserves more than your leftovers. Leaving your main prayer time
till bedtime is not a good idea, as you’re likely to fall asleep
instead.
We are instructed in scripture to be devoted to prayer, faithful
in prayer and have patience, and to pray on all occasions. This
means we should be praying during our good times and our bad
times. We need to be thankful to God in all times.
Romans 12:12
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing
steadfastly in prayer;
Colossians 4:2
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with
thanksgiving;
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being watchful to this end with all perseverance and
supplication for all the saints—
Psalm 50:15
Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you
shall glorify Me.”
The book of Luke informs us to be persistent in pray through the
“Parable of the Persistent Widow”. Jesus told his disciples a
parable to show them that they should always pray and not give
up.
Luke 18:1
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray
and not lose heart,
2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear
God nor regard man.
3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him,
saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’
4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within
himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by
her continual coming she weary me.’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and
night to Him, though He bears long with them?
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless,
when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the
earth?”
In all aspects of our Christian walk, including prayer, we
always want to keep to God’s will. It is easy to become selfish
and think that we know the best solution, but we should not let
our fleshly desires cloud our thoughts. We need to understand
that God’s will is not always what we feel is the best option.
In the book of Matthew we find that prior to Jesus’ capture he
had prayed to His Father. Although He requested that the cup be
taken from Him, He also said, only if it’s His Father’s will.
Matthew 26:39
He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed,
saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from
Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Are there sample or model prayers for me to learn from? Yes, God
has given us samples in His word. There are numerous samples in
the book of Psalms. Also, Jesus gave us a model prayer which can
be found in both Matthew 6 and in Luke 11. The following is from
Matthew.
Matthew 6: 9-13
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in
heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the
evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen.
One of the best ways to start praying is to visualize in you
mind that you are approaching the throne of God. In Psalms 100:4
it says “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with
praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”
You are entering the throne of God. First, you need to enter the
gate. You have arrived and are thanking God for all his many
blessings. You now can tell God how wonderful, awesome,
faithful, powerful, majestic, merciful, patient, loving, kind,
forgiving, and gracious He is. You are before the throne of God.
Talk to him. Tell Him your desires and wishes. Since you are
just beginning your journey and do not have an extensive history
with God. You may feel unsure as to what you should say. The
book of Psalms is great place to go to learn how to pray. Take a
few minutes each day to read a Psalm or two.
Bible
The Bible is a collection of 66 canonical religious writings.
These 66 books are split into two major sections. The Old
Testament has 39 books and the New Testaments has 27 books. The
Old Testament is a historical record starting at creation and
covers the period of time preceding the birth of Jesus. In it
you will find scripture recordings of the old covenant, God’s
moral law, Jewish laws and traditions. Reading the Old Testament
will not only help you better understand the New Testament; it
will also help you to get to know and better understand God. The
New Testament focuses on the new covenant and the teachings of
Jesus Christ. It starts at the birth of Jesus and continues
through His life and also contains historical recordings of His
disciples and continuing Jesus’ teachings after His death.
There are different types and translations of the Bible. Some of
the types consist of but not limited to; ordinary, application,
commentary, study, and topical. Some of the translations consist
of but not limited to; King James, Revised Standard, New
International, New American Standard, and the Living Bible. The
American Bible Society provides some guidance on “How to Choose
a Bible Translation” and on “How to pick a bible for your
purpose”. Please visit their website for further incite on this
subject.
The Bible is full of historical situations that can be applied
to your life. In your readings and studies of the Bible you will
learn from historical events that happened to those in the past
from both those that believed and from those that didn’t
believe.
Some people think that because they have already heard the
gospel and believe in Jesus Christ that they don’t need to read
the Bible. Let me use John 8:31-32(KJV) to clear this up: 31Then
said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue
in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
It is important to develop a regular schedule for reading the
Bible. You should strive to set aside time for Bible reading
each day. Regular reading of the Bible helps in building your
knowledge and trust in God and will strengthen you as a
Christian. It is food for your spirit and helps in preparing
you. In conjunction with pray, Bible reading is your main diet
for spiritual growth.
Along with reading your Bible, you may find it helpful to use
other Biblical readings designed to help you explore scripture
and its application. RBC Ministries produces a great booklet
called "Our Daily Bread" and is a great addition to your daily
Bible readings. There are numerous internet sites that can also
be used to help you study the Bible. However, as with all
Internet searches, you must be careful that the information is
obtained from trusted sources. The following list contains
websites that I have found to be good sources for research.
1. http://www.biblegateway.com
2. http://www.NTgateway.com
3. http://www.otgateway.com
Gifts
Through His grace, God has given each of us different gifts. As
written in Romans 12, we are to use our gifts and to let others
use their gifts, forming one body in Christ.
Romans 12:3-8
3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not
think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think
of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure
of faith God has given you.
4Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these
members do not all have the same function,
5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member
belongs to all the others.
6We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a
man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his
faith.
7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him
teach;
8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing
to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is
leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy,
let him do it cheerfully.
Pray for God’s guidance in finding the right church for you.
When you become a part of this church remember to use your gifts
and talents to the glory of God.
Obedience
Obedience is the foundation in our relationship with God. The
way in which we demonstrate our love for God is through
obedience. Jesus obeyed God and told us to do the same. Jesus
demonstrated the truest sign of His love for God by dying on the
cross for our sins.
Prior to His death, Jesus prayed to God three times and asked
that this cup pass from Him nevertheless not His will but God’s
will. So in complete obedience Jesus died on the cross for us
(Matthew 26: 36-44).
Matthew 26:36-44
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and
said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over
there.”
37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and
He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.
38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even
to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed,
saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from
Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and
said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit
indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My
Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it,
Your will be done.”
43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were
heavy.
44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time,
saying the same words.
Then in John 3: 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life. We realize why Jesus died
because God so loved the world (us) that he sacrificed his son
for our sins so we could have everlasting life.
Obedience is a sign of true love. Jesus states it best in John
14:15-31.
John 14:15-31
15"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Counselor to be with you forever—
17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it
neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives
with you and will be in you.
18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will
see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you
are in me, and I am in you.
21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who
loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too
will love him and show myself to him."
22Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you
intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.
My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our
home with him.
24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words
you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25"All this I have spoken while still with you.
26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you.
27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to
you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and
do not be afraid.
28"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to
you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the
Father, for the Father is greater than I.
29I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does
happen you will believe.
30I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this
world is coming. He has no hold on me,
31but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do
exactly what my Father has commanded me. "Come now; let us
leave.
In the Old Testament there are three types of laws, God’s moral
law (Ten Commandments), civil law and ceremonial law. God set
forth His moral law known as the Ten Commandments. These
commandments can be found in Exodus 20:1-17
Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments)
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of
the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of
anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the
waters below.
5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the
LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the
sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me,
6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love
me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the
LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it
you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or
daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals,
nor the alien within your gates.
11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the
sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day.
Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long
in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not
covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant,
his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."
Some think that the sacrificial death of Jesus fulfilled
Christian obligation to obey God’s moral law (Ten Commandments)
and that we no longer need to obey these laws. I believe we can
find the answer in Matthew and in Romans.
Matthew 5:17-20
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the
Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not
the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any
means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and
teaches others to do the same will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these
commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that
of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly
not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 3:27-31
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle?
On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith.
28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from
observing the law.
29Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles
too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised
by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
31Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all!
Rather, we uphold the law.
God spoke these Ten Commandments verbally (Exodus 20) and wrote
them with His own finger twice (Exodus 31:18“When the Lord
finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two
tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the
finger of God.” Exodus 34:1. 1The LORD said to Moses, "Chisel out
two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them
the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke.)
God put extreme emphasis on their importance. There is nothing
else in the Bible written by God. The remainder of the Bible was
given by God through others.
Moral laws represent God’s moral character and God does not
change. Will let Malachi clear this up for us: "I the LORD do
not change . . . (Malachi 3:6)” That’s right, God wants us to
obey His moral laws “The Ten Commandments”.
The civil laws were the governing laws that God gave Moses for
governing Israel. As you read the Bible you will recognize the
civil laws as they always mention the physical punishment for
breaking them.
Ceremonial laws are found in the Old Testament and consisted of
the different types of offerings; such as burnt offerings, sin
offerings and trespass offerings etc. ; these were part of the
Jewish religious system. The Jews were required to follow these
because of the covenant God made with them, however, under the
New Covenant established by Jesus’ death and resurrection
(Matthew 26:28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which
is shed for many for the remission of sins) these ceremonial
regulations were symbolic and great examples of the sacrifice to
come.
As we find for example, most of the ceremonial regulations
required the blood of male animals without defect to be
acceptable to the Lord. We find that in the New Testament, Jesus
is without defect and His bloodshed is the perfect sacrifice.
Final Thought
We need to be good soil. We need to make sure that the word of
God is not taken from us by Satan. We must make sure that we
have depth to the word of God sown in our hearts. Also we must
make sure that the cares of this world does not overcome us. So
we must be firmly planted in the word of God. We can do this
through the Holy Spirit in faith, prayer, Bible reading, and
obedience.
So, let me leave you with instruction from the book of Romans.
Romans 12: 9-13
9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another
above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your
spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
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