[387 words]
Acknowledge that God not only exists, but that He is eager to bless people whose hearts are hungry for His presence (Hebrews 11:6; Acts 17:24-28; Matthew 5:8).
Admit your own unworthiness when compared to such a holy and righteous God. After our ancestor Adam, all of us have chosen the path of sin (Romans 3:23; 5:12-14), and our guilt separates us from the close fellowship our Creator desires.
Allow God’s Spirit to melt away your pride and soften your hardened heart, as you turn away from the sins you once cherished (Hebrews 3:7-15; 2 Corinthians 7:10).
Believe that Jesus is God’s Son, who came to this earth so that by his sacrificial death and His amazing resurrection from the grave He could take the punishment that our sins deserved (Isaiah 53:4-12) and guarantee our own victory over sin and death (Hebrews 2:14-18; John 3: 14-16).
Boldly let others know that you are now a believer and wish to take your stand with Jesus (1 Timothy 6:11-16; Matthew 16:13-18).
Be immersed in water so that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus might become a reality in your own life, as you are born anew into God’s spiritual family and become a new creation in Christ (Galatians 3:26-29; Romans 6:3-7).
Connect with the larger body of believers, the church, into which God has now placed you, so that you can grow spiritually through teaching, fellowship, service, and accountability to your other brothers and sisters and to the leaders of the local flock (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15).
Celebrate your new spiritual status by joining your fellow Christians in a weekly memorial to the source of your salvation, the death of your Lord, by participating in the Supper He established (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Continue to grow in your faith by allowing the Spirit to strengthen and lead you (Galatians 5:16-26; Romans 8:1-17), by sharing your faith with others (Philemon 6; Matthew 10:32-33), and by discovering ways to use your God-given gifts to serve others and bring praise to the Lord (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Peter 4:8-11).
Dan Williams
Searcy, AR