After all these years of doing Christian guilds and being a moderator/ambassador in other Christian forums on the web, I have come to realize that I have not put up a post about those who have recently said, "I want to follow Jesus!" sweatdrop

You've made a choice to follow Jesus, congrats! I do personally believe that this is the best decision you'll ever make!

You realize that in this world, it's tough, and that we are not perfect. We slip up and sin and we try to do what's best in our lives, but we do fail, and that's okay. That shows us that we truly do need a Savior like Jesus Christ. A Savior that can forgive us of our sins. A Savior that will be there for us to pick us up when we fall down. A Savior that can give us grace, mercy, and peace.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins many years ago as we can read in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in The Holy Bible.

The Bible verse John 3:16-21 NIV sums it up perfectly for us:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

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God loved us enough to send his only son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus Christ came to earth as a man to endure the pain of the sin of the world upon the cross. He died for you, for me, and for everyone here on this planet that has passed away, is living, and the generations still to come. Jesus Christ gives us the option of this gift of Salvation so that we may one day join God in Heaven when we pass away from this earth.


Your next steps:


1. Pray for forgiveness from God.
Some people are nervous to do so, but God is always listening and he hears our prayers. You don't have to say any specific copy/paste prayer, just say it from your heart that you are asking for forgiveness and would like to dedicate your life to following God and Jesus.


2. Repent of your sins
The sins that are against God's laws are ones you should leave behind and turn away from. The best well-known example of this is the 10 Commandments, which can be found in Exodus 20. While this isn't all the commands we have been given, it's a wonderful baseline to start. We should be wanting to turn away from sin and pursue what is right.


3. Read Your Bible Daily

Definitely read The Holy Bible. If you have a copy, truly treasure it and take an opportunity to read it. It doesn't matter where you start or where you finish, God's word is important and we can learn something new each time and grow from it.

Our physical bodies crave food and water to survive. In a similar way, our souls also require spiritual food/drink that can be obtained by reading God's word and seeking Him in prayer.

Truthfully, I have forgotten to read my Bible more days of my life than I can even count. It's true, life gets busy - perhaps illness settles in or something of the sort. We should strive for every day if at all possible. Even if it's a 5 minute read of one simple verse, definitely go for it! I will say, though, if you have a habit/routine of reading your Bible daily then the easier it will be to remember!

4. Obey God's Word

Not only reading The Holy Bible, but obeying it, too, is important. To read it and then go do the opposite of what it says is not productive to our walk as Christians.

5. Seek Out Fellowship

I get it, getting to church once a week isn't possible for everyone. Especially in the day and age that we live in. Whether it's the pandemic, illness, not able to find a church to join, etc. etc. there are many reasons.

Although, when you are able to find like-minded Christian fellowship, it is so nice to be able to talk to one another, pray for one another, help support one another, etc.

While I can say that there are probably many lonely Christians out there, fellowship is a treasure and that when we do have that we should definitely get involved.


6. (This may be controversial - read note below) Be Baptized

I'm going to go ahead and add this one. Even among Christians, being baptized is highly debatable for many understandable reasons. Sometimes even the method (full immersion underwater, sprinkling of water, etc.) is even controversial. Which ever way you choose to believe on this topic, definitely research it for yourself so that you may make the right decision based on this topic.

What I can definitely say on baptism is that I personally feel it's an important experience for a new believer that is fully ready to follow Jesus. I remember being baptized and it was a wonderful feeling and it's hard to describe in words, but it truly is a wonderful thing whether it's being baptized or supporting others for their decision.



Here are some other useful links:

1. Are You A Good Person?
https://www.livingwaters.com/are-you-a-good-person/

2. Save Yourself Some Pain by Ray Comfort:
https://www.livingwaters.com/save-yourself-some-pain/