I AM A NEW CONVERT OF JESUS. WHAT NEXT?
The Conversion Experience
Let's discuss the reason why you are following Jesus. Below are three of the most common reasons why people decide to engage in a call for salvation to accept Christ:
1. To escape eternal judgment
2. A change in lifestyle
3. To deceive others (family or friends) who desire to see them follow Jesus
A convert (noun) is one who converts (verb) from one belief to another. The verb form of convert means to change or exchange, switch or transfer, and win over or convince someone of something.
The conversion experience begins with an understanding that you need a deliverer and redeemer from sin, and Jesus is the only one who can help you. You decided to allow Him to become your Saviour from sin and the wrath of God. You repeated the Romans 10:9,10 confession:
Romans 10:9,10 (ESV)
"...because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes and is justified, and with the mouth, one confesses and is saved."
To believe in Jesus means to entrust your life to Him and exchange your life for His. When you receive Him, you also accept the presence of the Heavenly Father. The Father's life in Jesus was designed to manifest a new life of righteousness in you, thus replacing your old sinful life.
You cannot live a godly lifestyle unless you accept and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord. You cannot receive and confess Jesus as your Lord unless you decide, with all your heart, to live the life preordained for you by our Heavenly Father.
If your conversion experience was not for the right reason, decide today to change your life. Talk to Jesus now, repent of your past sins, and receive a new life in the Father’s kingdom. You must have the new-birth experience, being born again, to know Jesus up close and personal. As a reminder, you have another life in eternity that is waiting for you in heaven or hell.
It is exciting to know that you can live righteously. It is fascinating to know, without any doubt, that you can be right with God and man daily. You are the righteousness of God, but only in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV (emphasis added)
"For He (the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus)."
From Convert to Disciple
Your conversion experience must lead to a lifetime of discipleship that reaps the benefits of the Father's kingdom. You must become stable as a disciple of Jesus to remain in your newly found faith. The conversion experience catapults you into the journey of discipleship. Jesus said:
To believe in Jesus means to entrust your life to Him and exchange your life for His. When you receive Him, you also accept the presence of the Heavenly Father. The Father's life in Jesus was designed to manifest a new life of righteousness in you, thus replacing your old sinful life.
You cannot live a godly lifestyle unless you accept and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord. You cannot receive and confess Jesus as your Lord unless you decide, with all your heart, to live the life preordained for you by our Heavenly Father.
If your conversion experience was not for the right reason, decide today to change your life. Talk to Jesus now, repent of your past sins, and receive a new life in the Father’s kingdom. You must have the new-birth experience, being born again, to know Jesus up close and personal. As a reminder, you have another life in eternity that is waiting for you in heaven or hell.
It is exciting to know that you can live righteously. It is fascinating to know, without any doubt, that you can be right with God and man daily. You are the righteousness of God, but only in Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV (emphasis added)
"For He (the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus)."
From Convert to Disciple
Your conversion experience must lead to a lifetime of discipleship that reaps the benefits of the Father's kingdom. You must become stable as a disciple of Jesus to remain in your newly found faith. The conversion experience catapults you into the journey of discipleship. Jesus said:
Matthew 18:3 (NKJV)
“Assuredly, I say to you that unless you are converted and come as a little child you will not enter into God's Kingdom.
He is saying that unless you change, alter, or adopt another course for your life, with humility, you will not enter the Father's heavenly kingdom. As a reminder, if the Father wanted you in His Kingdom the way you were, Jesus would not have died to deliver you from your worldly ways. That is why John 3:16 is powerful.
"For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him would not perish but have everlasting life."
HOW CAN I STAY ON THE DISCIPLESHIP JOURNEY?
Three basic principles must be practiced immediately to stay on the disciple journey:
- Church Attendance and Fellowship
- Bible Reading and Bible Studying
- Worship, Praise, and Prayer
Church Attendance and Fellowship
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)
Bible Studying and Reading
The Bible begins with Hebrew writings called the Old Testament and ends with a collection of letters written in Greek called the New Testament. The word “testament” means covenant. A covenant is an agreement, contract, promise, or pledge between two or more individuals.
Your fellowship with other believers is your encouragement, comfort, consolation, and wisdom.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NKJV)
"And let you consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
The above scripture tells us not to stop our fellowship with other believers. In an assembly of believers, you will find spiritual coaching to help change your lifestyle. Their experiences will encourage you to stay on the discipleship journey in spite of the obstacles. Also, when you tell others about Jesus, you become bold. A bold spirit is required for you to stand against the ways of this ungodly world and stay on the journey.
As a new believer, regular church attendance motivates you to serve God. In this type of fellowship, you receive preaching and teaching and participate in corporate praise and worship. You will not hear inspirational messages if you stay home. Listening to live-streaming sermons on the internet cannot replace the live experience of a worship service. Participating in any type of fellowship teaches you how to express your love to the Lord and how to receive His love for you. For most of us, it was fellowship (one‑on‑one contact with a believer or in a church) that motivated us to put our trust in Jesus and continue to discipleship journey.
Fellowship is an outlet to deal with the thoughts of your past sinful life. To neglect fellowship is to ignore what the Father has done for you through your Savior. Temptations to disobey the Lord and sin will come from the tempter, satan. You must use the outlets designed by the Lord to stay on this journey (Hebrews 2:1-3 NKJV).
NOTE: When you fellowship with other believers, you should not expect perfect people who live exemplary lives. We are all on this journey together, with all of our imperfections. It is a lifelong journey.
NOTE: When you fellowship with other believers, you should not expect perfect people who live exemplary lives. We are all on this journey together, with all of our imperfections. It is a lifelong journey.
Bible Studying and Reading
The Bible is a book about the redemption of mankind. It does not explain every trivia question about natural and spiritual things. It tells you why redemption was necessary and the process the Lord created to change your life.
When you read and study the Bible, it begins the process of renewing your mind to the ways of the Lord and His kingdom, which leads to a transformed life. It gives you a glimpse of the Father's character and revelation of His relationship with Jesus. When you understand their relationship and how it relates to you, the Bible can be used to stand against the adversities you encounter on your journey.
When you read and study the Bible, it begins the process of renewing your mind to the ways of the Lord and His kingdom, which leads to a transformed life. It gives you a glimpse of the Father's character and revelation of His relationship with Jesus. When you understand their relationship and how it relates to you, the Bible can be used to stand against the adversities you encounter on your journey.
The Bible begins with Hebrew writings called the Old Testament and ends with a collection of letters written in Greek called the New Testament. The word “testament” means covenant. A covenant is an agreement, contract, promise, or pledge between two or more individuals.
The Bible is the Word of God speaking to you and giving you spiritual nourishment when you seek it. It addresses the issues of life throughout your lifetime, as it has for centuries before and after you. That is why it is the "Living Word" of God.
The Bible contains the history of the Heavenly Father’s constant attempt to communicate His original purpose and plan for mankind. It includes both good people and bad people and how the Lord dealt with them. The titles, chapters, and verses were added later for clarity and to describe the writings or letters for future readers.
Old Testament
New Testament
The New Testament begins with books called the Gospels (Good News) about Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) and how He came to earth to redeem mankind from sin. The books describe Jesus' birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection. They also include how the Heavenly Father gives Holy Spirit, His gift to mankind, to help them live a righteous lifestyle. It is impossible to live holy by only practicing religious laws and rituals. We must have a new heart and renewed mind to live right.
Worship, Praise, and Prayer
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
“And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
Old Testament
The Old Testament begins with creation, followed by the table of the first nations, how God selected the nation of Israel to represent Him on the earth, and His historical relationship with that nation.
When Adam and Eve accepted the enemy's deception by an act of disobedience, it caused a spiritual disease called sin. The sin disease caused the first man and woman and their descendants to live in a perpetual state of deception, disobedience, and rebellion against the Lord, their Creator. Therefore, He put into action His plan to deal with man’s struggle to please Him. It tells of His desire for a relationship with mankind through using the descendants of Abraham, His friend.
The Old Testament contains 39 books of history, prophesy, poetry, and wisdom. It covers the period from creation through the latter part of the ancient Persian Empire.
New Testament
The New Testament begins with books called the Gospels (Good News) about Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) and how He came to earth to redeem mankind from sin. The books describe Jesus' birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection. They also include how the Heavenly Father gives Holy Spirit, His gift to mankind, to help them live a righteous lifestyle. It is impossible to live holy by only practicing religious laws and rituals. We must have a new heart and renewed mind to live right.
The New Testament is also the history of how the knowledge of Jesus began to spread throughout the world. These letters, written by the apostles and others, were the early churches' Holy Scriptures for a new way of living and believing in Jehovah God through the Messiah, Jesus.
The New Testament contains 25 books:
The New Testament contains 25 books:
- The Gospels
- Acts of the apostles (messengers) and disciples (followers) after Jesus returned to heaven
- Epistles (letters) written to the Gentile churches (most by Paul)
Worship, Praise, and Prayer
Your time alone with the Lord must be to minister to Him and give Him glory and reverence. When you come before the Father, you must worship Him in faith, praise Him for honoring your faith, and pray in faith for your needs and the needs of others.
Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
“And without faith, it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
You should not be afraid or think it is strange to communicate with the Lord. You are His child. It would be odd if a woman gave birth to a child and never spoke to him or her. In our world, it would be considered criminal. Your Heavenly Father created the family on earth and in heaven to communicate with each other.
You must take the time to be with the Lord as a part of your daily routine. It should be more important than the time you set aside to take care of your personal needs.
Can the Lord count on you to be consistent in setting aside time to talk to Him and be with Him?
CONCLUSION
Accepting salvation for the sin disease in the name of Jesus is the most crucial decision in your life. You cannot become a member of the Father's eternal kingdom without the conversion experience. Without salvation, you are destined to stay a member of satan's kingdom, which will be destroyed by God's final judgment.