following jesus

I’m a Christian—Now What?

Basics of Faith and Christian Living• Salvation, Sin, and Forgiveness

• Prayer, Bible Study, and Church

• Fears, Doubts, and Trust

• Spiritual Gifts, Giving, and Sharing

• Reliability of the Christian Faith

www.rose-publishing.com © 2008 Rose Publishing, Inc. Bible Reference Made Easy Permission granted to the original purchaser to print out. It is illegal to sell, email, replicate, duplicate, or post any part of this on the Internet. More than 70 Bible reference charts and PowerPoints® available. Download catalog and sign up for Rose Bible e-Charts at www. rose-publishing.comTitle: Following Jesus Product Code: 492X ISBN-13: 9781596360358

Salvation, Sin & Forgiveness

Welcome to God’s Family!Now that you believe in Jesus Christ, youare a “child of God” and you belong to anew family. The goal of this family is toserve God and to love people. Somepeople think that Christianity is a set ofrules. It is really a relationship between aloving God and his beloved children (Romans 5:6-11).

Here are some of the most commonquestions that Christians have . . .

How Can I Be Sure thatI’m Saved?

The Bible tells us to:A Admit we have sinned

(Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 John 1:10)

B Believe in Jesus (John 1:12)

C Confess that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9; Ephesians 2:8, 9)

Sometimes you may feel close to God,other times you may feel distant from him.Some people feel great joy and freedomfrom their problems when they firstbelieve in Jesus. After a while, this joymay fade. This is normal.

Don’t depend on your feelings.The Bible says, “…if you confess withyour mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believein your heart that God raised him fromthe dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Look for evidence of change. God nowcalls you his child, and has sent his Spiritto work inside you (John 1:12; 14:25, 26). Asa follower of Jesus, you should see

progress—not perfection—in your desireto obey and please Him (Ecclesiastes 7:20;

Romans 7:14-25). For example, before youbecame a Christian you lost your temperor lied or hated people and it did notbother you. Now you have a deep desire tochange and you regret your failures.

Hang in there! When you’re discouragedby doubts and failures, remember thatgrowth is a process. God has plans foryou, and won’t give up on you—ask forGod’s help. God promises to help youimprove (Philippians 1:6).

Can God Forgive Me?Yes! God can forgive any sin, no matterhow terrible—cheating, murder, lying,infidelity, gossip, theft, selfishness. Allpeople fail and disobey God. No onemeasures up. In fact the Bible says that noone can please God by good deeds. Gooddeeds aren’t good enough.


God promises that he will forgive you.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and justand will forgive us our sins and purify usfrom all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Jesus once told a story to his disciples,warning them that “good people” who thinkthey are good enough for God are in morespiritual danger than humble people whorecognize that they are unworthy and askfor forgiveness (Luke 18:9-14).

Confess your sins and forgive others.Though God has forgiven you, you’ll stillhave struggles. Some consequences andscars from your past may remain. Ifyou’ve wronged others, ask for theirforgiveness and try to make amends (withcounsel from mature believers). Whenothers wrong you, God asks that youforgive them—not because they deserve it,but out of gratitude for the great gift youreceived from God (Colossians 3:13).

What If I Sin?

Don’t be surprised by your struggles.Everyone has them. The Bible says… for all have sinned and fall short of theglory of God, and are justified freely byhis grace through the redemption thatcame by Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23, 24).

Every follower of Jesus has certainvulnerabilities, whether it is losing yourtemper, materialism, envy, gossip, orpornography. People may persuade you todisobey God, or you may find yourself intempting situations. The Bible says thatbefore you accept Jesus, it is very difficult

for you to resist temptation (Colossians 1:13).Even after deciding to follow Jesus,people still struggle with temptation andsometimes give into temptation. The goodnews is, once you’ve decided to followJesus, you will possess the desire to pleaseGod daily, and God will continue to helpyou resist temptation (Romans 7:21-25).

All people sin. When you do sin, it’s notthe end of your relationship with God. Confess your wrongs to God, and he willforgive you. Find Christian friends andsupport one another.

No matter what happens, God promisesyou a way to escape any spiritualdanger.No temptation has seized you except whatis common to man. And God is faithful; hewill not let you be tempted beyond whatyou can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that youcan stand up under it (1 Corinthians 10:13).


Prayer, Bible Study & Church

How Do I Pray?God wants to have a relationship with you!Prayer is simply “staying connected” withyour heavenly Father by talking to him. Itdoesn’t matter whether you’re happy,puzzled, hurt, or in trouble; you can talkabout anything with God. Trust that Godwants the best for you. When you ask forthings, God may say “yes,” “no,” or “notyet” (Romans 8:26-28).

God cares about you and will listen toyou when you talk to him. Do not beanxious about anything, but in everything,by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,present your requests to God and the peaceof God that passes all understanding willguard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus(Philippians 4:6, 7).

Where to pray. Jesus said you should find asecluded quiet place, and pray to God(Matthew 6:6). You can pray in your bedroom,car, or on a walk...anywhere. Try to setaside a special time each day to talk to God.Many people find that early morning is thebest time to pray because there are fewerdistractions. Start by praying for five to tenminutes and then increase the time youspend with God as your prayer life becomesmore disciplined. The Lord’s Prayer. Jesus taught hisdisciples how to pray using the Lord’sPrayer: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be yourname, your kingdom come, your will bedone on earth as it is in heaven. Give ustoday our daily bread. Forgive us our debts,as we also have forgiven our debtors. And

lead us not into temptation, but deliver usfrom the evil one.

The Lord’s Prayer has four parts to helpus remember:

• PRAISE Recognize that God is great and in charge. Remember, God loves you and knows what’s best for you.

• PROVIDE Ask God to provide for you, your family, and friends. Ask for healing, courage, and wisdom for the problems you might have.

• PARDON Confess your sins and ask others for forgiveness. Remember to forgive people who have wronged you. Let God know that you are sorry for disobeying him and wronging other people. Ask for forgiveness; God promises to forgive you.

• PROTECTION We are constantly faced with temptation. Ask for God’s protection and the strength to do what is right (Matthew 6:9-13).

How Do I Read the Bible?Open It! In order to follow Jesus you needto know what he said and did.

Begin by reading the Gospels (stories ofthe life of Jesus):

• Matthew • Luke • Mark • John

Apply It!

As you read, look for—• An example to admire or avoid • A command to obey • A sin to confess• A promise to embrace

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