“Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be firm, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58 New American Standard Bible).
As a new Christian, you may be thinking, “How can I stay faithful?” While faithfulness is important for every Christian regardless of how long he or she has been following Jesus, it is very important for new Christians because they are in the process of making big changes in their lives.
Here’s the encouraging news. Because of His deep love for us, Jesus asked the Father to send the Holy Spirit to us (John 14:15-31). When you were baptized, the Holy Spirit came to live in you (Acts 2:38), so you do not have to rely on your own power but on God’s strength (Colossians 1:11).
What are some practices from the Scriptures that help all believers, including new Christians, to grow in faith so that our hearts and lives reflect our Savior Jesus?
Below are 10 truths that help us build on the foundation of faith. Click on the Scriptures and read what the Bible says about each one. Keep in mind that growth as a Christian is life-long pursuit; however, these principles are very important and will help you remain faithful. Take one step at a time . . . but keep taking those steps!
1. Meet with the church.
Hebrews 10:19-25 teaches and encourages us in many ways, including the importance of gathering together and encouraging one another. While Christians may get together for many reasons – to teach and learn, fellowship, or enjoy a meal, the most important reason is to worship God. By doing so, we are encouraging one another as well!
2. Pray constantly.
One of the shortest verses in the Bible simply says, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NASB). We are to have an open line of communication with God, which helps us to remember that Jesus could come back at any time. Certainly there are times when we pray longer prayers (Luke 6:12 tells us that Jesus prayed all night), but this teaching tells us that we can say a short prayer of praise, of thanks, for someone, or to ask for something we need. We are always to pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13), which refers to praying by His authority, according to His will, based on who He is and not on who we are. Jesus teaches us to believe we have received when we pray and to forgive others so God will forgive us (Mark 11:24-26) assuming that what we ask for is according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).
3. Read the Bible.
It is nearly impossible to emphasize enough the importance of reading the Bible, for God inspired its writing (2 Timothy 3:16). While learning God’s Word is important, He also tells us to put it into practice (James 1:22-25). In John 8:31, Jesus tells us to continue in His word. We are taught to desire the word of God so we may grow (1 Peter 2:2). Consistently engaging with and contemplating Scripture enables God’s truth to influence our thoughts, values and choices as His word reveals the nature of Jesus and instructs us how to live in a manner that honors Him.
4. Deal with sin God’s way.
When you sin, confess it to God. 1 John 1:8-10 says all of us sin, but that does not mean we are to disregard it. Bring it before God. Jesus taught us to ask God to forgive our sins AND He adds that we can ask this if we have forgiven others of their sins against us (Matthew 6:9-15).
5. Rely on God’s strength.
Ephesians 6:10-18 is extremely important as we learn not to rely on our own strength and how to fight the battles from our enemy Satan and his army. He tells us we are to “put on the full armor of God” (v. 11 NASB).
- Rely on the truth of God as your foundation.
- Be righteous.
- Be prepared.
- Use faith as a shield.
- Remember that we are saved so there is no need to doubt or fear.
- Use the Word of God (Bible).
- Pray, including for all Christians.
- Be alert.
- Persevere.
6. Think about what He tells us to think about.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8 NASB). Our thinking habits need to change!
7. Increase in these qualities.
2 Peter 1:1-11 (NASB) outlines several characteristics that Christians need to grow in – “moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love.” The Scripture wraps up this thought with two extremely important points. “. . . as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (v. 10b-11 NASB).
8. Put the Word of God into practice in your life.
In John 14:15, Jesus tells us that keeping His commandments demonstrates our love for Him. If we only hear the word of God and do not obey it, James 1:22 tells us we are just deceiving ourselves. Implementing Jesus’ teaching in our daily lives cultivates a character that resembles Christ and helps us align our lives with God’s intentions.
9. Persevere through trials with hope (not wishful thinking, but confident expectation).
Trust God and seek Him all the time, including during difficult times, including suffering. How else could we face trials with joy as James 1:2-4 teaches?! Romans 5:3-5 teaches us that these difficulties lead to perseverance, which ultimately leads to hope.
10. Serve others in love.
Jesus came to serve (Mark 10:45) and we are to serve others in love (Galatians 5:13). Diligently caring for others through acts of kindness, generosity and humility helps to cultivate a heart like Christ and mirrors Jesus to the world.
Final word of encouragement
When Jesus gave the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20, He told his disciples to make followers, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything He taught. This article does not include all that Jesus taught, but it is a start to help you grow in your faith in God.
If you have questions, please send them to NLBIministry@gmail.com.
Special thanks goes to NLBI Trainer Sarah Amani for contributing to this article.
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If you want to learn more about who Jesus and how to follow Him, here’s a short article to help you get started — https://woww.newlifebehavior.org/what-it-means-to-follow-jesus-how-to-become-a-christian/.
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