New Life
Those who place their faith in Jesus Christ are forgiven and begin a new relationship with God. Their eternal future is secure because of the wonderful gift of eternal life that God has given them. But what does all this mean for everyday life? What happens next?
Many of us are task-orientated people. Our first thought may therefore be about what we should do, now that we are Christians. However, before I make a to-do list, I need to understand who I have become. At a time when there is so much discussion about identity, I must appreciate that, as a Christian, I am not the same person I was before I repented of my sins and placed my faith in Jesus Christ – according to the Bible, I am a new creation.
Who am I now?
When I accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, my experience went far beyond adopting a new worldview or a new set of beliefs. God came into my life and changed everything. By faith, I now understand that I am deeply loved, completely forgiven, and eternally secure – all because of the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Think about that for a moment.
The God who created every star in the sky knows my name. He chose me. He loves me. He calls me His child. Many of us have defined ourselves by our failures, our weaknesses, or our past mistakes. But not now.
In Christ, I am forgiven.
In Christ, I am accepted.
In Christ, I am loved.
In Christ, I am free.
As a believer my identity is no longer defined by what I have done. It is determined by what Jesus Christ has done for me and who I am in Him. One of the greatest changes is that my relationship with God has been transformed. Prior to being forgiven I stood guilty before a holy God. Now I have been welcomed into God’s family.
God is no longer unknowable, distant or dreaded. He is no longer someone I need to think about with fear and uncertainty. He is my Father. That means I can come to Him with all my worries, questions, failures, and hopes.
Being part of God’s family means that I also have brothers and sisters in Christ. That is how the Bible speaks of Christians. We are connected to one another through our relationship with God. We have the same Lord and Saviour, the same Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and the same loving Father. We are not alone. We are now part of a large, multicultural, and diverse family with brothers and sisters around the world.
In God's family, we encourage one another, support one another, forgive one another, celebrate together, and carry one another's burdens. We are all learning what it means to love and serve God through life’s challenges and experiences.
Now that I appreciate my new identity as a Christian, what about that to-do list?
Learning how to spend time with God
An essential aspect of the Christian’s new identity is spending time with God every day. This is not a rigid routine that is imposed but a choice made from a desire to deepen this new and important relationship.
Praying
If we want to enjoy and grow in our new relationship with God, we must communicate with Him regularly. Prayer is the biblical word for talking with God, and the Bible teaches us to “pray without ceasing”. This does not mean that life should consist of one continuous prayer but that we should make prayer an ongoing and natural part of daily life – our whole lives should be lived in the spirit of prayer.
Christians do not have to be with anyone, go anywhere special, or wait for a particular time of day to pray. We can speak to God at any time and in any place, thanking Him, asking for His help with the challenges we face, and praying for others. As we pray together, we encourage one another, praise God, and bring our requests before Him.
For help on how to pray, there are sections in the Bible that guide us about the kind of things we can talk to God about. A good way to begin is with what is commonly known as “the Lord’s Prayer”, and reading the Apostle Paul’s prayers is also helpful.
Reading the Bible
Christians also spend time with God through reading the Bible. Just as the regular intake of milk is critical for a baby’s growth and development, so a Christian needs to read the Bible regularly to grow spiritually.
“as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).
If we are new to the Bible, we may find it difficult to know where to start and how to develop the habit of reading it on a regular basis.
The Bible is a library – a collection of books. It is not arranged in chronological order but is an anthology containing a variety of literary genres, including genealogies, history, law, letters, narrative (e.g., parables), poetry and songs, prophecy, proverbs and symbolic visions.
All biblical history and prophecy points to the Lord Jesus. The Old Testament books contain the story of God and His people, the nation of Israel, before the coming of Jesus Christ. The New Testament starts with the birth of Jesus and tells the story of His life, death, burial, and resurrection. It then continues with the spread of the gospel and the establishment of local churches. Most of the New Testament consists of letters written to the churches and individual Christians. These letters contain what Acts calls “the apostles’ doctrine”.
The Bible is God’s Word and contains one overarching story with a unifying theme: to reveal God to us and point us to His Son, Jesus Christ. As it is ultimately about Christ, it is best to start by reading directly about Him. The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels and record the life and ministry of Jesus.
Of the four Gospels, the one written by John is a great place to begin. It is the eyewitness account of one of Jesus’ disciples. Its audience was primarily new Christians and people who were searching, making it an ideal read for anyone who is new to the Bible. The entire book focuses on demonstrating that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in Him have eternal life.
No matter where you read in the Bible, God will bless your desire to get to know Him. Matthew 4:4 (NIV) reads: “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’”. As you read, you will appreciate the variety of what is in the Bible and receive food for your soul . . . and don’t be in a hurry! Take time to stop and think about what you have read, digesting that spiritual food so that you receive the nourishment you need to grow in your faith and in your knowledge of God.
Always remember that God did not give us the Bible merely to inform us – He gave it to us to transform us.