New Christians
Essentials Every New Believer Needs to Know
This has been taken from the article by
Sheila Alewine
(Some changes have been made.)
What, Exactly, Does a New Believer Need to Know?
You may be in a church or a Christian community and are unsure how you should fellowship people who are new to the faith.
Here are nine basic topics that will help establish and equip a new believer in the faith.
Each topic could be expanded on in great detail.
1. Promise of Salvation
1 John 5:11-13 – “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
Many Christians spend years wrestling with the assurance of their salvation.
This is an issue that must be settled first and foremost with those who would be discipled as a believer. When a baby is born, there is no question that he has arrived.
Just as physical birth is a clear event that happens at a moment in time, so, too, salvation happens when a person is born again by the Spirit of God.
As human beings, we respond to God through our intellect, our emotions, and our will. When we are presented with the gospel, the Spirit of God enlightens our mind to understand the facts of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrectionand our own lost and sinful state before God.
Depending on our personalities, we may respond with our emotions. Ultimately it is the surrender of the will to the Lordship of Christ and placing our faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins that results in salvation.
Salvation comes when we hear the gospel, respond by faith, and take God at His word.
2. The Character of God
John 4:24 – “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
God is not like us. New believers must grasp this truth and begin to discover through Scripture the immutable attributes and character of God, so that they can properly worship Him for who He truly is.
The study of God’s character undergirds all other topics in this list.
For instance, if we do not know that God is perfectly holy, we will fail to understand the impact of continuing in sin.
If we do not believe that He is sovereign and all-powerful, we will spend our lives in fear and worry.
We will never exhaust the study of God.
Beginning our Christian lives with a pursuit of discovering who He has revealed Himself to be in Scripture is key to our growth.
3. The Bible
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
A firm belief in the authority of God’s Word and an increasing knowledge of its contents is imperative for a new believer.
A desire for and an ability to understand the Bible is one key evidence that a person truly has been saved.
The Bible is our source of wisdom for life and is far more than just a book of rules or instructions. It is the written revelation of God Himself.
The Bible is comprised of 66 books, written by 40 authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over a period of 1,500 years, and preserved for nearly 2,000 years.
A new believer must learn to read the bible, study it, meditate on it, and apply it to every aspect of life.
If you want to learn more about how to read the Bible check out the website below.
4. Prayer
Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Salvation is the beginning of a relationship between men and God. Relationship implies communication.
God speaks to us through the Bible. We speak to God in prayer.
New believers are often intimidated to pray and must be encouraged and taught to approach God often, in humility and confidence.
When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom, indicating that the way into God’s presence was now open to those who come through Christ.
Prayer is both a privilege and a responsibility for believers and essential for spiritual growth. We must teach new believers to pray.
If you are curious about how to encourage new believers to get started praying then click on the link below for some advice.
5. The Spirit-Filled Life
Ephesians 1:13-14 – “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Learning to walk in the Spirit is perhaps the most challenging of all the spiritual disciplines in this list.
When a person is born again, their spirit is brought to life, yet they still live in the unredeemed flesh of a physical body. The indwelling Spirit of God gives us power over sinful choices, yet we are still tempted.
We are given the mind of Christ but must learn to set aside our own fallible intellect and decision-making capabilities in deference to His thoughts and wisdom from God’s Word.
A new believer must learn that the power to walk in faith and obedience comes not from their own efforts, but from allowing Christ to live out His life in us through the Spirit-filled life.
6. Fellowship
Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
When a person is born again, they are born into the family of God, and the body of Christ.
The Bible talks much about God’s plan, that our personal spiritual growth is intimately connected with the growth of other believers.
Together, the body of Christ becomes a holy temple, a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22), and each part of the body is dependent on the other parts to become all that God intends us to be.
New believers must learn to spend time with, love, and serve other believers for the spiritual health of all.
7. Witnessing
1 Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”
Salvation begins a process of spiritual transformation called sanctification (the action or process of being freed from sin or purified.) The process of sanctification requires deliberate action on our part.
This transformation should be noticeable to others and provides a platform for sharing the gospel.
New believers often feel ill-equipped or inadequate to explain the gospel, as they are just learning what it means in their own lives.
New believers can be of any age.
They need mature believers to teach them how to share what has happened to them and grow confident in explaining the gospel to their lost family and friends.
True disciples make other disciples; we must equip one another to do this well.
8. Temptation
1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”
A new believer may think that he will never struggle with sin after salvation.
Scriptureand our own experiences tell us this is not true, and we must help young believers learn to defeat temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit living in them and the supernatural impact of God’s Word.
God always provides a way out of temptation; our job is to teach new believers the tools and resources they will need.
9. Obedience
John 14:21 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
A desire to obey God’s commands gives clear evidence that a person has been regenerated.
Sensitivity to sin and a hunger to please God are given to us by the Holy Spirit.
New believers must “un-learn” old habits and ways of doing things in order to live out the principles of their new lives found in Scripture.
Obedience is the key to experiencing the joy and peace that God promises His children.
If you are a new believer, you can make a commitment to grow in your understanding and practical application of each of the areas above, and you will put roots down deep that will sustain your Christian faith in the trials of life.
We can all help new believers.
I you are a mature believer then you might want to make a commitment to intentionally and prayerfully come alongside new believers and help them grow.
Be a disciple who makes disciples.