In this post, we’ll discuss some action items for new believers:
Find a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching church. This is priority #1.
Get a Bible, and start reading it. Pray that God would reveal His word to you and aid you in understanding it and applying it.
Keep the daily disciplines of prayer, meditation, and reading.
Fill in the gaps to help you stay focused on Christ. Find a spiritual mentor.
“I say that when a man turns right round from sin to God- from worldliness to holiness- from self-righteousness to self-distrust- from carelessness about religion to deep repentance- from unbelief to faith- from indifference to Christ to strong love to Christ- from neglect of prayer and the Bible, to a diligent use of all means of grace- I say boldly, that such a man is a converted man. When a man's heart is turned upside down in the way I have described, so that he loves what he once hated, and hates what he once loved, I say boldly, that it is a case of conversion. To deny it, is mere obstinacy and affectation. Such a change can be described in no other way. By far the most suitable name that can be given to it is the Scriptural name- conversion.” - J.C. Ryle
The Longer Version
I get this question all the time from new converts, as well as older Christians returning to the faith after a period of wandering; “where do I begin?” It’s a great question about which hundreds of thousands of books, podcasts, articles, and sermons have been written and preached. So we’ll keep it short and actionable today.
First, consider this: rather than “starting something,” like the 75 Hard Challenge or the Carnivore Diet, becoming a Christian is really just acknowledging the world as it it truly is. God has been all around you every second of your life. To become a Christian is to bring yourself into conformity with reality, to gain true spiritual sight, and to see eternal truths about yourself and about your Creator that have existed since the beginning of time. This is important; a lot of guys feel like they’re starting a new workout plan or self-help program and it can be overwhelming. This is not a 30-day cleanse or a get-thick-quick powerlifting program. You are not placing a foreign, external framework over your life but simply recognizing the way the world really is, and the truth about the One who made and sustains it. Christianity is an honest man’s religion, in that it deals with the very practical things of everyday life, the fallen condition of man that manifests itself in our every thought, word, and deed, and our obvious inability to save ourselves. Know going forward that you will have doubts; we all do. There will be times when you suddenly zoom out and think to yourself, “am I insane?” This is all normal. Let your troubles bring you to the Lord, who cares for you. Ok, moving on.
Reject isolation
Don’t go at it alone. Isolation is the enemy’s preferred tactic. Scripture commands us not to forsake gathering with the saints in the local church. A brand new Marine out of boot camp does not begin training and fighting on his own, but gets sent to a unit under the watchful eye and supervision of a more experienced team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, etc. Even after acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to fight, he is still never alone, but a part of a unit. We gather together with God’s people for many reasons, but here are a few:
Encouragement
“… not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).
“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:26-27).
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
Worship
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).
“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Ephesians 5:19).
Accountability
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).
“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23).
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
Go to the source
The Bible
Get a good study Bible and follow a reading plan. There are infinite options available online. I’ll drop a few of my own recommendations below, all of which are generally associated with my particular tradition as a Reformed Presbyterian. But there are plenty of reliable choices outside of this list, as well.
Heritage Reformation Study Bible (KJV) - I hardly ever read the KJV but this Bible has incredible commentary and questions for consideration after every single chapter of Scripture. I’ll often read a text in the ESV or NKJV but use this Bible as a study resource.
ESV Study Bible - A good, generic Study Bible. One of the best-selling Bibles in circulation today.
Reformation Study Bible - Another good option for solid footnotes, maps, and additional commentary.
Statements and Confessions of Faith can also be helpful. Our church holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith which is really just a simple and clear, systematized explanation of what we believe the Bible says on a number of different topics. I also highly recommend the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism for personal study and devotion. These are great resources to complement your Bible-reading.
Daily disciplines
Set aside time for:
prayer
Scripture
meditation on God’s word
Fill in the gaps with truth
Outside of church, one thing I’ve found helpful is to fill the other days with good sermons, podcasts, music, books, etc. It will keep your mind focused on God and will have a snowball effect in helping you think, speak, and live as a Christian.
Familiarize yourself with church history and the saints, heroes, and martyrs who came before you. Let their lives encourage and inspire you.
Reach out to a spiritual father, mentor, elder, etc. who you can confide in and who is willing to share godly wisdom, advice, and guidance with you.
To summarize:
Find a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching truth. This is priority #1.
Get a Bible, and start reading it. Pray that God would reveal His word to you and aid you in understanding it more clearly.
Keep the daily disciplines of prayer, meditation, and reading.
Fill in the gaps to help you stay focused on Christ.
We could say way more about this topic, but I’ll keep it short and sweet today.
Shoot me a note if I can help.
LC