STEPS FOR GROWING YOUR
FAITH ::
STEPS FOR GROWING IN YOUR FAITH |
How did you become a Christian? More than likely, you knew how to become a Christian because another believer cared enough to tell you how to be saved. And how did that person become a Christian? Probably the very same way. You see, God has chosen to include us in His plane to save people. Only we can share the Gospel. When God's people are faithful in this plan, some wonderful things happen.
First, God's love is spread to those who need it. Spreading that love is as simple as sharing John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If you could quote no other verse, this "Gospel in a nutshell" would be enough. Commit it to memory. It will bless your life and the lives of others!
Second, when we share our faith, lives are changed. The Bible makes that clear: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have past away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Finally, when we share our faith, the lost are saved. Now, we cannot save anyone. That is God's work. We can be faithful, though in telling others of God's promise that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). Your faithful witness can impact destiny-determining decisions!
If your life has been genuinely changed by the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ, you cannot help but tell that "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
A Word from God
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)
Use the "Things to Remember About Your Faith" guide in the introduction to help share your faith in Christ.
Be Ready to Share Your Faith
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Show your obedience to Christ by being baptized. This is an outward sign of what has happened in your heart and life because it pictures the death and burial of the old self and the resurrection to eternal life.
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Have an urgent concern for lost people. Realize that they are lost forever unless they hear and respond to the Gospel message.
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Adapt your testimony of how you became a Christian to a 2- to 3-minute presentation that you can share anytime and anyplace.
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Respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He will guide you in sharing your faith. He will give you the words you need to say and the confidence to say them.
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Examine yourself. Make sure that your life matches your words.
Digging Deeper
Read also: Romans 6:4; Psalm 73:28; Matthew 10:32-33, 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:18; 1 Peter 3:15-16.
