Growing In Christ When You Are A New Christian

JoChris

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Another issue I had to deal with and like other Christians always will have to do while on Earth. When you become a new Christian you realise how differently the world sees things to God's way. You will feel torn both ways.

Some Christians may have it relatively easy if they are born into Christian families and mix mostly with other Christians. They will still have to face temptations from seeing what the world offers. e.g. may still want money, status and success that is not guaranteed for Christians, no matter how hard televangeli$ts try to convince you otherwise.

Others like myself may have close family members and friends that have no interest in God. Other new Christians may have it even harder and be close with people who mock all Christians. It is so tempting to go with the flow, turn a blind eye to what we now KNOW is wrong, to keep being with the wrong people telling ourselves "if I seem loving and accepting they'll get faith from me by osmosis".



It looks ridiculous when you see the above, but Christians sometimes do that, thinking setting a good example to non-believers is somehow equivalent to preaching the Gospel and their close ones will become Christians if they see how Christian they are now.

However Good apples don't make rotten apples un-rotten. If you have done your best to witness to loved ones/ friends by word and example you may have to take the narrow road and separate from them. Hopefully you can remain on courteous terms, but sometimes cutting ties completely will be necessary. e.g. ex-drug-users no longer being with drug-pushers at all.
 

Karlysymon

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Iam sure we have all heard this but its a great reminder that should be on every signpost littered on this heaven-ward journey:

"It is easier to die (matyred) for God than to live for Him!"

@Lady
Thank you. And isn't that why it should be reserved for people old enough (12yrs+) as its biblically taught?
Infant baptism: are they aware of/interested in what they are 'signing up' for?
 
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Camidria

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I agree with you on that @Karlysymon because as we all know baptism is the laying down of your life and saying that you are dying in yourself and what you want to do out of your freshly desires and dedicating your life to what God wills for your life. Laying off the old and putting on the new, and making a choice that Jesus will guide you, an infant cannot make that radical choice!
 

Lady

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Iam sure we have all heard this but its a great reminder that should be on every signpost littered on this heaven-ward journey:

"It is easier to die (matyred) for God than to live for Him!"

@Lady
Thank you. And isn't that why it should be reserved for people old enough (12yrs+) as its biblically taught?
Infant baptism: are they aware of/interested in what they are 'signing up' for?

There is an age where an individual is mature enough to understand the basic concepts of willful sin and its consequences and then of course, God's answer to that sin problem-Jesus Christ's sacrificial work.
These truths cannot be comprehended by babies, nor even many small children yet.
 

Todd

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It looks ridiculous when you see the above, but Christians sometimes do that, thinking setting a good example to non-believers is somehow equivalent to preaching the Gospel and their close ones will become Christians if they see how Christian they are now.
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Maybe we just have an unbalanced idea of what being Christian is? Jesus said the world would recognize us by our love, not by our holiness. Yes, holiness is important for our relationship with God. However, true unconditional love is how the world will recognize we are different. Of course if we are still walking in our flesh rather than the spirit we are not capable of unconditional love. By yielding to the spirit of God and surrendering our own desires, needs, hurts and pain to him, we allow the Spirit to transform us and we increase in our ability to love unconditionallly.

The biggest obstacle to yielding to God is our inability to trust him. This world has conditioned all of us to fear the vulnerability of complete trust. If we are honest with ourselves, none of us completely trust anyone and it effects are ability to trust God completely. Who of anyone of us here can say our natural instinct is to love and pray for those who " hate you, despitefully use you, and persecute you"? (Matthew 5:44) It takes complete trust in God that he will protect, vindicate and redeem you to do that.
 

JoChris

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Maybe we just have an unbalanced idea of what being Christian is? Jesus said the world would recognize us by our love, not by our holiness. Yes, holiness is important for our relationship with God. However, true unconditional love is how the world will recognize we are different. Of course if we are still walking in our flesh rather than the spirit we are not capable of unconditional love. By yielding to the spirit of God and surrendering our own desires, needs, hurts and pain to him, we allow the Spirit to transform us and we increase in our ability to love unconditionallly.

The biggest obstacle to yielding to God is our inability to trust him. This world has conditioned all of us to fear the vulnerability of complete trust. If we are honest with ourselves, none of us completely trust anyone and it effects are ability to trust God completely. Who of anyone of us here can say our natural instinct is to love and pray for those who " hate you, despitefully use you, and persecute you"? (Matthew 5:44) It takes complete trust in God that he will protect, vindicate and redeem you to do that.
I said in above entry to "witness by word and example..."
The best example is by showing love unconditionally to other people, just like Jesus did by dying on the cross for our sins. That love is often very different from the world's love. You are right - Christians should be examples of Christ's love. :)
 

JoChris

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Next thing:
To become a strong Christian who has strong faith foundations you MUST read your bible. You cannot grow in knowledge about Jesus Christ without reading about Him.
Even if you are blessed enough to be in a rare church which still preaches on what the bible actually says, not just general principles/ subjects in the bible, you are human.

A lot can change in 7 days. We are weak. Our human memory isn't like a computer's. Bad things happen and temptations come our way. Keeping our mind on God and learning how to think God's way is essential for growth in Christian spiritual maturity.

Google is a great friend for searching bible reading plans.
E.g. https://www.alextran.org/23-bible-reading-plans-that-will-satisfy-anyone/
 

Camidria

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To become a strong Christian who has strong faith foundations you MUST read your bible.
Yes this is crucially important! God uses His Word to help us fend off the attacks from the enemy, help us recognise and know His true character and this is also how He confirms many things that He tells us in our hearts!

We cannot be "Sunday Christians" and this is very important, if you are not spending time with God, praying and reading your Bible, talking to Him and through His sanctification living out what He teaches us, then you are in danger of being lukewarm and can be easily swayed by other doctrines.

Ask yourself this, how does a relationship with a person look? You talk, you spend time together, you support one another. A relationship with God looks the same! Except He supports you! All this comes through prayer and reading the word, leaving your burdens at His feet and asking Him what He wants you to do.
 

Karlysymon

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Scripture is spiritual food. If you do not eat, you will die.
Scripture is the sword of the Spirit. (Eph 6). Spiritual warfare calls for spiritual weapons. Christ used scripture to fend off the devil's assaults in the wilderness, during the temptation. With every attack, He responded....It is written...
How can we fight back if we are cluless about Holy Writ / 'It is written...' ? That also calls for confidence in Holy Writ. One cannot utter defensive statements one doesn't believe or thinks them to be interpolations.
 

Karlysymon

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"Perhaps the echo of the words of Jesus in 2 Peter 2:20 is intentional (see Matt. 12:45, Luke 11:26). Jesus tells the parable of a man who has been freed from an unclean spirit. The
spirit wanders without a place of his own, and then returns to see “‘my house from which I came’” (Matt. 12:44, NKJV). He arrives and finds it empty and put in order. He then moves
back in, but he brings with him several other spirits more wicked than himself. As Jesus says, “‘the last state of that man is worse than the first’” (Matt. 12:45, NKJV). The danger Jesus illustrates and Peter describes is real. The new believer needs to ensure that the things of the
Spirit replace the things that used to dominate his or her life.
If involvement in church and the sharing of the new faith does not replace the earlier secular activities, it is too easy to revert to one’s old ways."
 

Camidria

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"Perhaps the echo of the words of Jesus in 2 Peter 2:20 is intentional (see Matt. 12:45, Luke 11:26). Jesus tells the parable of a man who has been freed from an unclean spirit. The
spirit wanders without a place of his own, and then returns to see “‘my house from which I came’” (Matt. 12:44, NKJV). He arrives and finds it empty and put in order. He then moves
back in, but he brings with him several other spirits more wicked than himself. As Jesus says, “‘the last state of that man is worse than the first’” (Matt. 12:45, NKJV). The danger Jesus illustrates and Peter describes is real. The new believer needs to ensure that the things of the
Spirit replace the things that used to dominate his or her life.
If involvement in church and the sharing of the new faith does not replace the earlier secular activities, it is too easy to revert to one’s old ways."
In light of recent events, this post is so relevant.
Red Sky said a very true thing:

In my experience with spiritual darkness, those affected are frequently in the position of having someone in the passenger seat holding a gun to their head.

That is not to say that they were wise in picking up the hitch-hiker earlier in their journey, but the solution is to disarm the attacker, open the passenger door, kick the intruder out then firmly place the foot to the floor!
This makes me think a lot about my father, he was a lovely person with a few faults, but It all became progressively worse and when my grandfather died. Overnight he turned into a monster, all because the family soul ties has never been cut. He would be the sweetest most kindest person ever, and the next moment the demons that influenced him would take over. Sometimes we would end up in a position where he held a gun to my mother's head.... Many times my mom was beaten to a pulp. It was horrid!

After my dad lost everything (this was his path to take unfortunately) he repented and turned to God, and all the emotional and physical abuse that he inflicted on others dissipated. It has never returned, He is a new creation in Christ, free from all the horrid things he did to my mom and myself.

Who will come and give people second chances? If the many people who constantly helped my father become free spiritually just left him, where would he have been now. And my father used to stab you in the back all the time, now it doesn't happen at all..

I just want people to read this because I want to show you that no matter how bad things are, sometimes our past isn't all our fault, and unfortunately there are many that need help, but few who are willing to......
 

floss

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I've been building a relationship with the Father by relying and asking Him for assistances in all big or small things. Like an infant needing milks. From works, groceries shopping, cooking, driving...etc
I thanks Him, give Him all glory and honors for the blessing he has given unto me. I'm currently walking in Faith and life has been surprisingly unveiling. It's like I can see the connecting dots that he has laid out for my path.
However, I'm struggling with spending time talking to the Father since I'm still busy with this world. It can be hard making time to read His words. I'm guilty of this and need to find way to establish a habit of doing so.
 

Red Sky at Morning

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I've been building a relationship with the Father by relying and asking Him for assistances in all big or small things. Like an infant needing milks. From works, groceries shopping, cooking, driving...etc
I thanks Him, give Him all glory and honors for the blessing he has given unto me. I'm currently walking in Faith and life has been surprisingly unveiling. It's like I can see the connecting dots that he has laid out for my path.
However, I'm struggling with spending time talking to the Father since I'm still busy with this world. It can be hard making time to read His words. I'm guilty of this and need to find way to establish a habit of doing so.
I found an audio Bible very helpful!

You can get this one with the Gospel of John for free, then buy it if you find it helpful... 600 actors were involved so it is a cut above some in terms of quality!

http://www.thewordofpromise.com
 

Camidria

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I've been building a relationship with the Father by relying and asking Him for assistances in all big or small things. Like an infant needing milks. From works, groceries shopping, cooking, driving...etc
I thanks Him, give Him all glory and honors for the blessing he has given unto me. I'm currently walking in Faith and life has been surprisingly unveiling. It's like I can see the connecting dots that he has laid out for my path.
However, I'm struggling with spending time talking to the Father since I'm still busy with this world. It can be hard making time to read His words. I'm guilty of this and need to find way to establish a habit of doing so.
I agree with Red, you can also try YouVersion on android, some of the bible versions there are also audio that you can listen to!
 
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