You are born again and your new life in Christ has just begun! Know in your heart of hearts that you are forgiven, you are free of all your sin, and you are now a child of God. If you were to die this moment, you would spend eternity in heaven. Provided you live your life from now onwards according to God’s word in the Bible, you will have joy, peace, God’s protection and blessings in this life, as well as an eternal life. You have been saved from a life without God’s presence and ultimately from God’s eternal condemnation and punishment (in hell) that will befall those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Having accepted Christ into your life, the Holy Spirit now lives in you and is with you [John 14:16-17]. You may not experience anything extraordinary (no “goose bumps”), but in your heart you will feel an inner peace that will let you know the presence of God in your life.
ADVICE TO CONSIDER AFTER SALVATION
If you have just been born again, this is only the beginning of your walk with Christ. Just as a baby first crawls before it walks, know that you too have to learn how to live a Christian life. Christianity is not about living under “religious law”. Rather, it is first about learning how much God loves you and building a relationship with God. God is love [1 John 4:16]. When you understand God’s love, obeying Him will be out of your love for Him, not because He has made “laws” to be obeyed! Remember that no one is a perfect Christian – although we are born again, our Christian walk is about increasing our closeness to God by increasingly acting in accordance with God’s word and to conform to the exemplary life that Jesus lived on earth. That means you increasingly, depending on God’s grace, actively avoid committing sin but if you do sin, you ask for God’s forgiveness through Christ, recognize your failure, deal with it and carry on with your walk.
There is only one way for you to know God’s love for you – God’s word. Buy yourself a version of the Bible that you find easy to read (there are various translations that vary in the complexity of the language used). Ask for help in choosing a translation version appropriate for you. There are also many electronic Bible resources that you can you can access for free on the internet or purchase. Read the Bible everyday so that you get grounded in God’s word (try to get a daily study guide to help you, either on the internet or from your local church or bookshop). However, you will not have enough wisdom to teach yourself the fullness of His word. Pray to God to lead you to a Bible based church in your vicinity where He wants to place you (the Holy Spirit will give you a sense of knowing in your heart where you belong) and join it – for three basic reasons: the church is the body of Christ [Colossians 1:13] and as a Christian you should be part of it and attend regularly to assemble with others in worshipping God [Hebrews 10:25]; you’ll be taught God’s word by people who have studied the word and who have experienced it in their lives; and you’ll meet other people who are also on the Christian walk (some of them at the same stage as you are). Don’t try to do this walk alone. There is wisdom in fellowship. Through fellowship, others will relate to you their experiences of their walk with Christ – share yours too – we all need encouragement and lessons from others, and unity in serving and worshipping God. Remember, you probably turned to God because you heard others speak of the wonders of life in Him!
You may also find that your social circle changes as you will now no longer feel comfortable with your normal social circles who are probably not born again. This may not be comfortable but it is a necessary part of your growth. You may be ridiculed and even ostracized by your friends and family. Be strong! If you allow them to influence you, you will inevitably go back to your old ways. That is why it is important to attend church and start meeting other people who are on the same spiritual journey as you.
Pray everyday to build your relationship with God. When you pray, speak what is in your heart to God. [Read and print the article on Prayer to help you.] Without regular prayer and reading the Bible, you will not grow spiritually and you will soon become discouraged and begin doubting your salvation.
Above all remember this – God’s Kingdom requires love and faith. Love God above all and love your fellow man as you love yourself. Have faith in God (trust and believe in Him wholeheartedly). As you read the Bible and begin to understand His word better, you will realise that His promises are true and you can put your whole life in His hands.
With the knowledge of God’s love for you and His grace towards you and your fellow man, through Jesus Christ, it is impossible for your attitude towards God and your fellow man not to change. You become a new person when you accept Christ [2 Corinthians 5:17]. In time, as you live in accordance with God’s word, the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Who resides in you because of your acceptance of Christ into your life) will manifest in your life – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control [Galatians 5:22]. Do all you need to do to keep your newly found faith.
Print this page and keep it nearby as you may not remember all the information in it in the next few days as you begin your life as a born again Christian. Well done! May God bless you in all your ways.