Connections

The first things we do once we place our faith in Jesus help set the tone for our entire Christian experience. While trusting Jesus is a deeply personal experience, what God wants us to do next involves other people.

 

Step #1: Tell others what you’ve done.

“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”  (Romans 10:10)

 

Becoming a Christian is a very personal thing.  But living the Christian life is a very public thing.  Jesus wants you to let other people know that you have placed your faith in Him and that you desire to follow Him.  Let friends, family members or other Christians know that you’ve decided to follow Jesus.

 

Step #2: Get baptized

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  (Matthew 28:19)

 

Baptism is Jesus way of having you go public with your faith.  The baptism Jesus taught has four characteristics.

1. It is done after the decision to follow Jesus.

2. It is done by being immersed in water (the word “baptize” means “to plunge, dip, or immerse”.)

3. It is done to symbolize a dying to an old way of life and starting a new way of living.

4. It is done in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

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Step #3: Join a local church.

Jesus wants every one of His followers to be a functioning part of a local Christian church.  Here are two big reasons why.

 

• We need church leaders to help develop our faith.

“Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  (Ephesians 4:11-14)

 

Being equipped to live for Jesus, serve Jesus and grow to be more like Jesus requires that we be under the teaching and leadership of people who are gifted by Jesus to help us develop into spiritual maturity.

 

• We need church members to help support our faith.

 “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.  He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians4:15-16)

 

To be faithful in following Jesus we need other Christians to speak into our lives and support us.  What's more, they need us to speak into their lives and support them as well!

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