BECOMING A CHRISTIAN 5: GROWING IN GRACE & KNOWLEDGE
(Message by Tanny Keng)
1. Becoming a Christian
a) What steps are involved in becoming a Christian? Are there particular steps involved in being born again? What comes first and what follows? This question has come up more than you might think.
2. Growing in Grace and Knowledge
a) When a person is called by God, they see their sin and the need of a Savior, and their need to repent; they will desire the Word of God and to want and desire to learn more about God. If a person has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, they are a new creature in Christ and they will hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will want to know more about God and to read their Bible, they will want to pray for God’s will to be done in their life, and they should want to share this good news with others.
b) Paul chastised the church at Corinth because they were not growing. He said, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready” (1 Corinthians 3:2). The writer of Hebrews was also saying the same thing, writing “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12)!
c) Some of the best places for a new Christian to start reading the Bible is the Book of Genesis because it starts with the fall of mankind and thus, shows the need for a Savior. It reveals God’s redemptive plan through the seed of Abraham which lineage eventually leads to Jesus Christ. We believe that Genesis and Exodus, perhaps the Book of Joshua, followed by the Gospel of John or Mark, and then 1, 2, and 3 John.
d) The point is, start reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit will guide you and teach you all things (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit will point to Jesus Christ. If you get into the Word of God, the Word of God will get into you. Instead of reading the Bible, the Bible will start reading you! It will change you. There is power in the Word of God and the Word of God has effectual change. That is, it affects us. If the Bible does not change us, then we do not understand it properly. God has promised that “my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
e) If you have made it this far, now it the time to find and connect with the Body of Christ, the church. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against it and you can grow and serve better with other believers instead of sitting at home alone. Find a Bible believing church, make sure it is Christ-centered, that it glorifies Jesus Christ, and that it upholds the inerrancy of the Word of God – the Bible.
f) Charles Swindoll once said that a mist in the pulpit puts a fog in the pew. He is right. Don’t settle for anything less that a church that clings to the Word of God and that this church teaches that the Bible is without error. Humans are not perfect, but the Word of God is. These are just a few of the steps on what it takes to become a Christian. Your journey might be slightly different. Either way, we pray that you become a believer in Jesus Christ. If you do, we will see you someday and meet you in person in the Kingdom of Heaven.
The End ...
1. Becoming a Christiana) What steps are involved in becoming a Christian? Are there particular steps involved in being born again? What comes first and what follows? This question has come up more than you might think.
2. Growing in Grace and Knowledge
a) When a person is called by God, they see their sin and the need of a Savior, and their need to repent; they will desire the Word of God and to want and desire to learn more about God. If a person has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit, they are a new creature in Christ and they will hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will want to know more about God and to read their Bible, they will want to pray for God’s will to be done in their life, and they should want to share this good news with others.
b) Paul chastised the church at Corinth because they were not growing. He said, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready” (1 Corinthians 3:2). The writer of Hebrews was also saying the same thing, writing “In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12)!
c) Some of the best places for a new Christian to start reading the Bible is the Book of Genesis because it starts with the fall of mankind and thus, shows the need for a Savior. It reveals God’s redemptive plan through the seed of Abraham which lineage eventually leads to Jesus Christ. We believe that Genesis and Exodus, perhaps the Book of Joshua, followed by the Gospel of John or Mark, and then 1, 2, and 3 John.
d) The point is, start reading the Bible and the Holy Spirit will guide you and teach you all things (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit will point to Jesus Christ. If you get into the Word of God, the Word of God will get into you. Instead of reading the Bible, the Bible will start reading you! It will change you. There is power in the Word of God and the Word of God has effectual change. That is, it affects us. If the Bible does not change us, then we do not understand it properly. God has promised that “my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
e) If you have made it this far, now it the time to find and connect with the Body of Christ, the church. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not prevail against it and you can grow and serve better with other believers instead of sitting at home alone. Find a Bible believing church, make sure it is Christ-centered, that it glorifies Jesus Christ, and that it upholds the inerrancy of the Word of God – the Bible.
f) Charles Swindoll once said that a mist in the pulpit puts a fog in the pew. He is right. Don’t settle for anything less that a church that clings to the Word of God and that this church teaches that the Bible is without error. Humans are not perfect, but the Word of God is. These are just a few of the steps on what it takes to become a Christian. Your journey might be slightly different. Either way, we pray that you become a believer in Jesus Christ. If you do, we will see you someday and meet you in person in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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