Congratulations! You have made the most important decision in your life. You have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. But, you ask, what do I do now?

This is a very important question. God has forgiven you of your sins and has saved you from an eternal Hell. He has saved you because He loves you, and He has a plan for your life. Now that you have been saved, you must take the next step. You must begin to grow and mature as a Christian. You may be a young person or an elderly person, but spiritually you are a baby. You must feed a natural baby so that he can gain strength and grow. You must also feed a spiritual baby for the same reason. You must become rooted and established in Jesus. Paul said in Colossians 2:6-7, "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving." Above all else, Jesus should be first in your life. Your desire to please Him and be like Him should govern every aspect of your life and every decision you make. To help you do this, there are five things that you should do to help you become established in the Lord as you walk with Him.

1. Study your Bible.

It is very important that you study the Word of God. Through His Word, you will learn about God's plan for mankind. You'll find out how God feels about sin, and how to have victory over it in your life. You will find out just how much God loves you. His Word will pierce your heart and convict you. It will strengthen and sustain you, and stir you into action. Through the Bible, God will speak to you and give you direction. God's Word is a lamp for your feet and a light for your path. In Ephesians 6:10-18, we are instructed to put on the armor of God. The armor is defensive, but we are given one offensive weapon to fight with and that is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Paul said in his second letter to Timothy, "From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (Read these scriptures: 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 2:15 and 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12, John 1:1-14; 5:39; Psalm 119:11,105).

James said in chapter one of his book, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." James compares a person who hears the Word of God, but doesn't do it, to a man who looks in a mirror. He looks at himself, and then goes his own way and forgets what kind of man he is. When I look in the mirror. I see things about myself I would like to change. I wear glasses. I have a scar on my right cheek. My hair (at this moment) needs to be cut. I have some stubborn love handles that won't go away. But, when I am away from the mirror, I forget about these things, and my desire to change, as I go through the day. When I read God's Word, the "perfect law of liberty," I see things about the spiritual man I need to change; a bad habit, lack of Bible study or prayer time, worrying too much, pride, etc. When I am away from God's Word, I forget about these things and lose my desire to change. James said, "Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein....." The key is continuing. By reading the Bible and meditating on God's Word throughout the day, I am constantly reminded of my faults and I am strengthened and empowered to change. David said, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." (Psalm 119:11).

2. Pray and fast.

Prayer is an important part of the Christian life, for you are actually talking to God. Prayer can change things, and people, and you. Because of prayer, you will win victories, see souls saved, and you will become stronger and closer to Jesus. Jesus gave some simple guidelines on how to pray (Read Matthew 6:5-18). In the Lord's prayer, starting with verse 9, we see these basic steps: (1) offer to God reverence and worship, (2) pray for His kingdom to come soon, (3) pray for His will, (4) ask for daily strength and guidance, (5) ask for forgiveness of sins and grace to forgive others, (6) ask for strength to resist temptation, and finally, (7) offer to Him praise and thanksgiving. Picture some of the great and influential people in the Bible in prayer and you will understand what kind of weapon it is. Abraham interceding for Sodom and Gomorrah, Jacob wrestling with God, Hannah in speechless travail and sorrow, David broken in spirit and heart over his sin, Jesus drenched in sweat and blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples tarrying before God in the upper room, the apostle John as Jesus unfolds the events of the endtimes to him. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation," Jesus pleaded (Matthew 26:31).

Paul, in his letters to the churches, admonished them to pray, "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer..... Pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit..... In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God..... Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving..... Pray without ceasing..... I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." Peter in his first epistle exhorted us, "The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." (1 Peter 4:7). Finally, James encouraged us to pray, especially those who are sick or who need forgiveness. "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:13-16).

Fasting is abstaining from food and sometimes drink. There are no guidelines for the length of time you are to fast. Just listen to the Holy Spirit's guidance, whether it be one meal, one day, one week, or even one month. Why should you fast? Through the act of fasting, one becomes humble before God. David wrote in Psalm 35, "I humbled my soul with fasting." God spoke through the prophet Joel, "Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments" (Joel 2:12-13). Through fasting we show we can, with God's help, conquer the desires of the flesh, which strengthens us for times of future testing and trial. Paul fasted often and kept his body under subjection. Our body is not our own, but God's. We should never let it rule us or control our actions. Fasting, in conjunction with prayer, shows singleness of mind in touching God for a particular need. Remaining in an attitude of prayer, while restraining from eating, shows God your seriousness about the need, your desire for Him to answer, and willingness to sacrifice in order for the need to be met. Fasting will lead to a deeper level of spiritual growth and inward revival and renewal which can spread to others around you. It will cause a humble, meek repentant heart and spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

3. Witness to others

In studying your Bible, God talks to you. In prayer, you talk to God. In witnessing, you talk to others about God. In a trial, a witness is someone who can attest to a fact, or can give evidence to prove something. Now that you are saved, you can be a witness for Jesus because you have experienced His love, grace and power in your life. Witnessing is an important part of a Christian's life. Jesus said that a man will not light a candle and then put it under a basket, but will lift it up so that the light can be seen by all. Christians shine as lights in the world (Philippians 2:13-15), and we should make ourselves seen, not boastfully or arrogantly, but humbly and lovingly. If we hide what Christ has done for us, then it is hid from those who need it the most, the lost (2 Corinthians 4:3). You were saved, probably because someone witnessed to you, either through conversation, a sermon, or a book or tract. Next to your salvation, the greatest feeling you will have will be leading someone else to the Lord. Even if you never lead someone to Jesus, you may plant a seed in their life, which someone else will water, and someone else may fertilize. But we will all rejoice at the harvest!

4. Assemble yourselves together.

Paul wrote to the Hebrews, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; 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 10:24-25). Whether it be a church service, prayer meeting, or Bible study, Christians should assemble themselves together. By gathering together, we can strengthen and encourage each other. We can pray for each other and help those who are in need. We are the body of Christ. Our physical body, though made up of many parts, is one body. The body of Christ, though made up of many members, many races, many occupations, is all one body. When you have a headache, you feel bad all over. In the body of Christ, when one member hurts, we all should share the pain and grief. When one person rejoices, we all should rejoice with him (Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31).

After finding a church home, be baptized in water . This symbolically represents your salvation experience, the death of the old man and resurrection of the new man. (Romans 6:4; Acts 8:26-39). Participate in communion , after examining your heart, to remember the Lord's sacrifice and suffering for our sins (1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

5. Be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost that fell on the day of Pentecost and transformed the early Church is for you today (Read Acts 2:1-4; 8:14-17). He will convict you of sin in your life (John 16:8; See article on "The Baptism with the Holy Ghost" ). He can help you to know how to pray (Romans 8:26-27; Jude 1:20; Ephesians 6:18). He can give you boldness to be an effective witness (Acts 1:8; 4:31; Luke 12:12; Mark 13:11). He will help you to understand God's Word (John 14:26; 16:13). In Acts 19, Paul came across a group of disciples in Ephesus and asked them, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" (see also John 7:37-39). Now that you believe, you need the Holy Ghost as well to strengthen you to live the Christian life. All you have to do is ask. "How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11:13). See also the gifts of the Spirit (Galatians 5:21-25) and the fruits of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).

What if I sin again?

As a Christian, you need strength to live an overcoming life and to serve the Lord. There are times when you may feel inadequate or like a failure. This can be good, for you must first recognize your need before the Lord can help you. If you fall, you can expect Satan to tell you, "You are no good! You can't be a Christian! You might as well give up!" You may even feel defeated because you were tempted. But, being tempted is not sin. Even Jesus endured temptation. If you slip and commit a sin, it doesn't mean that you are no longer saved, and it doesn't mean that you have backslid. You may even no longer "feel" saved. But, God knows your heart, and He sees your desire to rid all sin out of your life. So, if you sin, go immediately to God in prayer and ask Him to forgive you. God is not an overbearing taskmaster waiting for us to fall so that He can pop us with His whip. No, He is our Father, and He desires that we come to Him when we fall so that He can pick us up again. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 1:9; 2:1). Know your weaknesses, and don't put yourself in situations where you may be tempted.

Don't give up! "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6).

Questions?

I realize that you may have many more questions than what I am able to answer in this forum. Please contact me with your questions or concerns, and with the Lord's help, I will try to help you.