6 Next Steps For A New Christian

Are you a new Christian? Have you just accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior? Congratulations, you just made the most important and best decision of your life.

But being saved is only the starting point, not the finish line.

Accepting Chris is tantamount to embarking on a journey, or beginning race, and you just made the first (and biggest) step! If you are wondering where to go from here, this post is for you!

Here is a list of six actions you should do or begin doing as a new Christian based on the activities of the early church in the book of Acts.

1. As a new Christian, read the Bible

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible is the cradle wherein Christ is laid

Martin Luther

The first thing you need to do as a new Christian is to get a Bible and read it! The Bible is the word of God and a revelation of Himself. It essential to read the Bible to learn who God is, what He has done, what He is doing, what He will be doing, and how you fit into His plans.

There are many ways to get started with the Bible; a popular recommendation is to start with the gospel of John so you can learn more about Jesus. Afterward, I recommend reading the Bible in chronological or traditional order (Genesis to revelation) and read one book at a time.

As for translations, you don’t have to go with the King James Version (KJV). Use any translation you can easily understand; I recommend word-for-word translations like the New King James Version (NKJV), the English Standard Version (ESV), or the New American Standard Bible (NASB). But do not use paraphrase translations like the Message version, these are more of a commentary than scripture.

Check out “Four Resources That Helped Me Start My Faith journey” for additional tips on starting with the Bible

2. Pray regularly

pray without ceasing,

1 Thessalonians 5:17

To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.

Martin Luther

Christianity, at its core, is a relationship between a creator and His creatures. Our creator is a relational God, and He invites us to talk to Him through prayer. Charles Spurgeon said, “True prayer is neither a mere mental exercise nor a vocal performance. It is a spiritual transaction with the Creator of Heaven and Earth.”

You can pray anywhere, anytime, because God is everywhere, all the time. You don’t have to say prayers with complicated formulas, repetition, or churchy words. Just talk to God as you would a friend. Bring to Him your requests, your fears, your gratitude, your struggles with sin, etc.

Furthermore, you can pray how you want; out loud or in your mind; kneeling, sitting or standing; eyes open or eyes closed, etc. What matters is that you approach God with reverence and a sincere desire to connect with Him.

God draws near to those who draw near to Him (James 4:8), and He promises we will find Him when we seek Him (Luke 11:9).

3. Attend church

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.

D.L. Moody

Going to church is essential for a believer. You should attend church to receive instruction and teachings to grow spiritually and to fellowship with other believers through communion (breaking bread and sharing wine in remembrance of Jesus’s broken body and spilled blood for our sins), worship, and prayer (Acts 2:42).

If you don’t have a home church yet, ask Christians you know for some recommendations. If you don’t know any Christian, look up churches near your house on the internet. But before you select one, look over their mission statement, and their beliefs. And most importantly, ask God to guide you to a Bible-teaching church.

Do not choose a church only because it’s popular, or the senior pastor is a celebrity. These criteria do not guarantee it’s a good church, and some of these trendy churches do not teach sound doctrine.

4. Get involved in a small group with other Christians

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Acts 2:46

The small group program is not an appendage; it is not a program we tacked onto an existing structure. The small group is part of our lifestyle.

Andy Stanley

God never meant for us to do life alone. Instead, we are to enjoy life with other Christians. In a community of believers, you have people that can point out sin in your life; encouragement when you go through trials (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10); support, healing, and prayers (James 5:16); and spiritual growth (Proverbs 27:17).

To get involved in a small group, start with your church. Most churches have small groups that meet regularly; if your church doesn’t have one, you can join one from another church, or even start one!

5. Get Baptized

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:41

Baptism is the initial step of a faithful heart.

Max Lucado

A baptism is an essential event in the life of a Christian. It is an outward symbol of the new life you have received by grace through Christ. It is also a public declaration of your faith in Christ, and it’s a step you cannot miss.

Jesus got baptized, and as His followers, we should do the same. If someone baptized you when you were a baby or child, it doesn’t count because you weren’t a Christian then. I encourage you to get baptized again and for real this time.

6. Share your new Christian faith

for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 4:20

You have never truly found Jesus if you do not tell others about Him

Charles H. Spurgeon

Lastly, share your faith with others. Accepting Christ is a reason for celebration, and you should tell it to any who can hear. You may not be ready to make disciples yet, but you can still lead people to Christ by the words of your testimony.

Take the Samaritan woman for example. She told people of her encounter with Jesus and what He had said and done. As a result, “and many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified ‘He told me all that I ever did’” – John 4:39.

If you are not sure how to share your testimony, you can learn how to do it following a biblical example in my post “How to Share Your Testimony.” Once you have written your testimony, the opportunity for you to share it are endless, and I would be honored if you would consider sharing it on my site as well.

The items on this list are not mandatory, and won’t cost you your salvation. However, they are essential to spiritually grow and mature in your faith. You don’t want to be a baby Christian forever.

Over the next few months, I will publish posts that will dig deeper into some of the steps mentioned above, starting with an introduction to the Bible and how to study it.

Therefore, make sure to subscribe for notifications when new posts are up! And when you subscribe , you will also get access to free resources in my library.

 Grace and peace!