After Accepting Jesus

You have the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit.

Once you give your life to Jesus, you are a born again Christian. Born again believers are filled and marked with God's Holy Spirit forever. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." Ephesians 1:13 "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." John 14:16-17. What a promise! But it doesn't stop there...

Here are more of God's promises to Christians:
Assurance of Salvation. "... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life... 1 John 5:11-12

Assurance of Answered Prayer. "...Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete... John 16:24 Assurance of Victory, over Temptation. "...No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it... 1 Corinthians 10:13 Assurance of Forgiveness. "...If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness..." 1 John 1:9 God will never leave you. "... Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you..." Hebrews 13:5

God created you and has great plans for you. "...For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future..." Jeremiah 29:11

Be aware that the Christian life is not a bed of roses.

Christians have an enemy, and it's Satan. He is known by many names in the Bible: father of lies, the enemy, the deceiver, the tempter just to name a few. Satan uses many tactics to attack a Christian especially if they are new believers. He can attack by bringing on discouragement, temptation or persecution. Do not be discouraged when things go crazy and some people even get upset with you because you've become a Christian. The Bible says "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Matthew 5:11 When you first give your life to Christ, Satan will try to distract you and move you away from God when trials come your way. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13

Begin reading and studying the Bible.

As Christians we have a defense against the enemy--it's God's Word! "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" Ephesians 6:17. The Bible is divided into two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament. It consists of 66 books written by 42 authors over the span of about 1600 years. Yet it is a book that is cohesive in its message from beginning to end: God loves you and wants you to have a relationship with Him. Consider it God's love letter to His followers. Don't be discouraged if you think that reading the Bible is difficult or that you won't understand it, because God's Word is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit: "All scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2Timothy 3:16. God's Holy Spirit will guide you into understanding Scripture. A good book to begin with is the Gospel of John in the New Testament. Although there are four books that are written about the gospel (good news of Jesus Christ), the book of John is highly recommended for new believers for its emphasis on Jesus as both God and man.

Join a weekly Bible Study.

Reading the Bible on your own and/or learning about God once a week at church is great but will not be enough to grow in your Christian faith. Check to see if your church has a weekly Bible study and sign up. If they don't, consider joining an excellent weekly non- denominational Bible study called "Bible Study Fellowship International" www.bsfinternational.org

A weekly Bible study is essential to your growth as a new Christian. At BSF International they will also be able to direct you to a good Bible teaching church if you don't already attend one. Learning God's Word and purpose for your life will be extremely beneficial and will help you bear fruit for God.