The first thing is to make sure that you are truly saved. Satan likes to try and deceive people into believing they are saved even when they are not or places doubt into people who are truly saved. If need be, review What must I do to be saved (be born again), have eternal life and go to heaven? and read the entire book of I John and especially chapter 5. (I John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.) Jesus truly knows and will not be deceived. (Matthew 7:21-23 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. [iniquity is sin]) (II Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?) True Christians will keep his commandments. (I John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.)
I once heard a preacher say one may be saved and going to heaven, but they are not a Christian. He went on to explain that we say all who are saved are Christians, but the original people called Christians were in Antioch. (Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.) They were called Christians because they were disciples of Christ and followed Christ and were like him. If one is saved, then follow Christ and obey his commands, so that you can without guilt say you are a Christian. Tradition says the name Christian was originally meant to be an insult because they were like Jesus and the people were trying to mock God (Jesus). May we all be honored to be called Christians because we are like Jesus Christ.
As a Christian, God commands us to be holy and blameless before him because he is holy. People do watch us. We are to live in the world, but not be of the world. We are to be separate and holy from the world just as God’s word preserved in the King James Bible is separate and holy from other bibles. Our language as in the King James Bible should be holy and not the everyday language one hears on the street or is heard in a bar, though a Christian should not be in a bar. There should be a difference seen in a Christian. (Ephesians 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:) (I Peter 1:15-16 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.) (Philippians 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;) (John 17:15-16 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.)
The following two paragraphs are repeated from What must I do to be saved (be born again), have eternal life and go to heaven?, but is helpful information for those who may have not read the other page.
Some helpful things for a new Christian to have if they have access and can afford them are a King James Bible (a must if at all possible, either printed or online), a good hymnal (such as Living Hymns or the Baptist Hymnal), and a concordance such as Strong’s Concordance. Use the concordance only to help you find words in the King James Bible. You can also go to Purebiblesearch.com to use a program for free with a King James Bible and a concordance in one. An 1828 Webster’s Dictionary can also be helpful.
After salvation (being born again) read your Holy Bible (scriptures) {King James Bible} every day (Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.), pray to God in Jesus’ name, confess your sins daily and try to serve the Lord. Make Jesus Lord of your life. (not every Christian does, most do not, but it is vital for growth as a Christian) [II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.] If one is truly saved, there should be a change in the way they think, talk, act, see life, treat others, and they should hate sin and be convicted when they do sin. They should want to see people saved and tell others about Jesus. Others should notice something is different. You should want to read God’s word and know him. Jesus knows and will not be deceived. Find you a good Bible believing King James Bible church (I would recommend a Baptist or independent church, as they usually follow scripture the closest, though you will still need to be wary of some Baptist and independent churches doctrines and beliefs) and then be baptized by immersion. Attend all church services (Sunday School, Sunday Morning Worship, Sunday Evening Worship, and the Wednesday Night Bible Study and prayer time.) God should and needs to always come first in your life. If the church you attend does not have all of these services, encourage the pastor to start having them. (Revival in this nation or world will not happen if we are never at church or are always finding a reason not to have a service.) The church I went to growing up also had a Bible Training Hour just before the Sunday Evening Service. This was similar to an evening Sunday School class. Then fulfill the commandment of Jesus in the Great Commission by telling your family, friends and all that you meet about Jesus so that they may be saved as well. Never fear to stand up for Jesus. I John 4:4 says Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (This refers to Jesus who is in the saved person being greater than Satan who is in the world.) Never be ashamed of Jesus or deny him. (Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.) (Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.) Do not deny Jesus. (Matthew 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.) Do something for the Lord. Find a way to serve him and grow from a milk Christian to a meat Christian. A milk Christian is a new Christian or one who is carnal (worldly) and just as a baby drinks milk and cannot handle real food as an adult or mature meat Christian can [one who has grown mature in Jesus Christ, not necessarily their physical age as some young children are more mature in Christ than some elderly Christians]. (I Corinthians 3:1-3 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?) [Paul is referring here to most Christians who only want to be saved to keep them out of hell, but want to still live as the world and not make Jesus their Lord. These are carnal Christians and will not grow until they have a change of heart. They will stay milk Christians. They just want to have fire insurance.] (Hebrews 5:12-13 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe), and (I Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:).
All new Christians or any Christian no matter how long they have been saved, who want to grow, must tell others about Jesus and make this a priority in their life. Do not worry about being made fun of, losing your job or your life. Jesus is worth it all and will never give you more than you can handle. (I Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.) Jesus will give you a new job. Many Christians in Muslim nations or places like China and India put their lives on the line to tell others, but understand how important it is to tell others about Jesus so that they do not spend eternity in the lake of fire and care more about the souls of the lost than they do about their own earthly lives. We all should have that attitude. If one is truly saved, we will be in heaven with Jesus when we die, so we should not fear death. If you put soul winning above yourself, you will be rewarded by God in eternity, will be blessed in this life, and will naturally grow as a Christian as you will want to read and study scripture to learn more and will want to live a godly life so that others may see Jesus in you and ask how they may be saved. God calls soul winners wise. (Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.) Soul winners will be awarded a crown of rejoicing. (I Thessalonians 2:19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?) For Christians who are martyred, they will receive from God a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.) Remember Jesus who lives in you is greater than Satan who is in the world. (I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.) Never fear to serve God and witness for Jesus. Remember the gospel means good news. It is too good to keep to ourselves. Someone had the courage and boldness to share the gospel with you and tell you about Jesus, now it is your turn to tell others about Jesus. If they had not shared Jesus with you, you would be on your way to an eternity in hell and the lake of fire. You should not want that for anyone else, so share the gospel with them, even your worst enemy. Jesus commanded us to love our enemy, even when it is not easy. (Matthew 5:43-44 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;) The torment of hell and the lake of fire are forever and such an awful place, not to be wished upon on anyone. There is no escape. The thought of over 153,000 people dying every day and most of those without Jesus going to hell for eternity should motivate one to tell others about Jesus. It is okay and we should weep over the lost. If more of us wept over the lost and over sin in general (our own and our nations) then maybe we would be more motivated to witness to others and spread the gospel and try and win souls for the Lord. Revival will never happen without tears over sin and without use of the King James Bible.
Make sure you read and study scripture every day with your King James Bible. Just as our physical bodies need water every day to live, our spiritual bodies need to be watered with the word of God every day to live. (II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.) It is very important that it is a King James Bible as it is the word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.) and the other bible versions (including the New King James version) are the words of man influenced by Satan and the Roman Catholic Church. See the articles on the King James Bible. The more you read and learn, the more you will want to read and learn more. Do not try and speed read scripture. In order to get the most out of scripture, you need to make sure you are reading at a pace that allows absorption. One should be reading scripture because they love God’s word and want to learn and not just to be able to mark off ones list that they read the Holy Bible that day. Always pray and have your sins confessed prior to reading so that your mind and heart are clear to understand scripture and sin is not in the way. Always ask God the Holy Ghost to give you an understanding of what you are reading, teach you new things, and allow you to remember it and use it to teach and tell others about Jesus. The Holy Ghost wrote scripture and gave the words to holy men to write down for us, so he knows the meaning and proper interpretation of all scripture. (II Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.) When studying scripture always take it literally as it says unless it tells you otherwise that it is metaphoric such as in Revelation 1:20 we are given the meaning of the stars and candlesticks. (Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.) Always compare scripture with scripture and see what it means in other places. God said in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. (Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.) This verse is not directly referring to the fact that if two or three verses say the same thing they establish a fact, but I do think it does apply here as well. Scripture never contradicts other scripture. If it seems it is, then one or both are being misinterpreted. Scripture must be rightly divided as we saw in the above verse in II Timothy 2:15. Scripture is inspired (God-breathed), inerrant (complete without error), infallible (without defect and trustworthy and reliable and impossible to contain any errors), plenary (even all the words and punctuation, and pilcrows [paragraph markings] are inspired, as are the chapter and verse divisions), and preserved for all eternity in the King James Bible. Studying scripture is different from reading scripture. Do as the Bereans did in Acts 17 and search the scriptures yourself to see what they say. (Acts 17:10-11 ¶ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.) Never take the word of man for granted including mine. Search the scriptures yourself. Scripture is always right even if it contradicts your favorite preacher. To learn and understand scripture, learning the customs and culture of the times of the Holy Bible helps understand some of the meanings, which are foreign to many of us today, especially Americans. Also many of the things in scripture such as the Jewish temple and its furnishings are a shadow of things found in heaven. (Hebrews 8:5 Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.) Another thing is learning the feasts of Israel and how Jesus is represented by all of them. Many of the things in the Old testament were types of Jesus such as Noah’s ark. Another thing when studying scripture is to know that all directions in scripture are in relation to Jerusalem and that if it does not relate to the Jews, God does not tell us much, such as animals not found in Israel. Ultimately all scripture is to point us to Jesus.
A Christian wanting to grow must pray every day. To really learn how to pray, it takes much daily practice. They need to confess their own sin each day (name them to God and not just say sin to cover all of them) and learn to pray for others, preferably more than for themselves. (I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) Learn to thank God for allowing you another day and allowing you to breath. Pray for spiritual, mental, and physical health so that you may fulfil the Great Commission. Always give thanks for your food and drink prior to eating or drinking it. Thank God for a roof over your head. Many people do not even have these basics every day. Pray for the lost of the world, not just your family and friends. Have compassion (empathy) on the sick and poor and learn to pray for those you know that need the healing touch of Jesus or are in nursing homes or hospitals. (Prayer does work.) (James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.) Pray for your pastor (including me) and those in your church, missionaries, godly ministries (pray for Jesus is God and Lord Ministries and others), your nations military, your nation, and its leaders, (God commands us to pray for our leaders, even evil leaders for their salvation. See all of Romans chapter 13, but especially (Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.) [leaders are only there because God allows it, such as he told Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4], victims of floods, fires, shootings or other disasters you see on television (tv), wars in other nations, et cetera and whatever the Holy Ghost leads you to pray about. There is no set pattern and does not have to be exact as I have above. Those were just examples, just do not make it a ritual repetition of words such as Roman Catholics and others as the heathen do. Pray as you are led by God. Jesus gave an example in Matthew 6:5-15 ¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. [trespasses are sins] Jesus gives an example to his apostles in Luke 11:1-4. These are examples and does not mean you pray these exact words every time. Ask people what their prayer needs are and pray for them if they are according to God’s word. Never pray for something you know is a sin or not the will of God. Prayer will only be answered how you want it if it is the will of God. Never stop praying. God may require you to pray for something for awhile to see how sincere you are, before answering your prayer. Remember, your prayers are not always answered with a yes. God may say no to you about a job for example and then open the door instead to an even better job. Do not get discouraged if the answer is no. God will not heal everyone. Prayer warriors are a great asset to any godly Biblical church and will grow a Christian and encourage them. Always pray in the name of Jesus or you will not be heard and waste your time. (John 14:13-14 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.) It will only be granted if it is the will of God, not yours. He will not grant a sinful request and you must believe Jesus can and will answer your prayer, not asking, but not truly believing. Jesus said in (Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.) Always pray to God the Father in Jesus’s name through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will help you pray. (Romans 8:26-28 26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.) Thank God each day for his mercy and grace that allowed you to be saved. Mercy is God not punishing us for our sins as we deserve and grace is God blessing us when we do not deserve it. One goes before a judge if they are guilty and asks for mercy such as a murderer gets life or ten years in prison, but should have been put to death. We are all sinners that are guilty of death, but God’s mercy and grace allows us to choose his Son Jesus and live. [Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)] (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:) (Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;)
Pray every day that God will put the whole armour of God on you to protect you from Satan and his angels. Spiritual warfare is real and will only get worse for you the more you spiritually grow (mature as a Christian) and try to serve Jesus. Let us pray as Paul did to be ambassadors for Jesus and boldly proclaim him to all. (Ephesians 6:10-20 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.) (I Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.)
Get yourself a mature Christian to be your accountability partner. You both need to pray for each other and try to keep each other from sin. If one sees another sin, they need to point it out to the other, so they can confess it and try to eliminate it from their lives. We do not criticize them, but love them and have compassion on them as we will also sin, though it may be a different sin. Let your accountability partner, know what sins you struggle with and have them tell you theirs. This way each of you can try and keep the other out of situations where they may be vulnerable or susceptible to the sin they struggle with. Have others pray for both of you as well.
Learn to forgive, if you want to grow as a Christian. If you do not forgive others, Jesus will not forgive you. It is not always easy, but must be done. (See above Matthew 6:14-15) If you do not forgive someone for some wrong you feel was done to you, it will eat you alive. You will not be able to sleep, eat, and it will affect your health. It will most likely not even bother the other person and they will sleep well. God says vengeance is his alone. Never try to get back at the person. God will handle it in his timing, even if it is in the next life. (Life in heaven or hell, not reincarnation which is false.) (Deuteronomy 32:35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.) (Psalm 94:1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.) (Hebrews 10:30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.)
A Christian wanting to grow must try to eliminate sin in their life and change the way they think, act, live, the people they hang around, the things they say and do, music they listen to, and organizations they belong to. Avoid situations or people that are involved in the sins you are trying to no longer commit. Examples include hanging around your old “friends” that use drugs, hanging around bars or drinkers for those who are trying to quit alcohol, porn shops for people with a problem with pornography [destroy pornographic magazines, books, movies or any other sinful magazines (rock and roll, et cetera), books, or movies], casinos for gamblers, the routine that made you want to smoke, hanging around a person you are sexually attracted to that might lead you to commit adultery or what ever sin you need to avoid because it has a stronghold on you. Growth as a Christian is not overnight, but takes time and is a daily thing. One must work at it every day, so that strides made will not be lost and the Christian backslides. Christians should not cuss (swear, curse), use drugs, smoke (tobacco in any form or other drugs smoked), vape, or drink alcohol. (Proverbs 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.) A Christian is not to be a stumbling block to the lost or weak Christians and lead them into more sin. (See Romans 14:13 and I Corinthians 8:9) We are supposed to be setting the examples for the lost and not living as carnal Christians do (those living as the world does, with no noticeable difference showing they are Christians). Also a Christian’s body is a temple of the Holy Ghost, so we are not to harm it with drugs, smoking, or alcohol. We also need to try to eat healthy and get sleep, and dress modestly, especially females. (I Timothy 2:9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;) (I Corinthians 3:16-17 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.) (I Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.) [A Christian is bought with the tremendous price of the death of Jesus for us at Calvary.] Christians should not have premarital sex and boyfriends and girlfriends should not be living together until they are married. A Christian wanting to grow must get out of the Roman Catholic Church or Mormon church or other cults [Jehovah’s Witnesses, et cetera] if they were saved while in them. If one is a Free Mason, get out or any other ungodly organizations. This includes the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as they support sodomy (homosexuality and the LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer] Pride community and girls in Boy Scouts). (Do not fly, carry, or display the rainbow flag for the LGBTQ Pride community.) Get out of this lifestyle if you are in it and do not support it. You were not born this way, this is how you choose to live. God calls it an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.) (Romans 1:24-27 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.) (Deuteronomy 22:5 ¶ The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.) (I Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,) Children can join the Christian version for scouting in Trail Life USA for boys. They teach Christian values. If there is not one in your nation, start one. If you are a child in one of them, get out and if a parent with a child in one of them, get them out. See links on these things of Satan. The following things of Satan should be avoided and burned if one owns them: ouji boards, magic cards, Harry Potter books and movies, and rock and roll music, rap, (including so called “Christian” rock, “Christian” metal, and “Christian” rap) [Deuteronomy 32:31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.] and mostly any other kinds as well. Rock and rollers themselves have said the music comes from Satan. These things are open doors to Satan. See links on these things. Harry Potter is all about witchcraft (as are Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Wizard of Oz, Bewitched and others) and there is no such thing as white and black or good and evil witchcraft. It is all evil in God’s eyes and is compared to rebellion. (I Samuel 15:23a For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, …) (Acts 19:19-20 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.) One will never grow with these or other sinful belongings in their lives. One should listen to and sing hymns or other godly music. Godly music is an important part of a worship service. See Hymns. A growing Christian should not celebrate Santa Claus (he is Satan), the Easter bunny, Tooth Fairy, or the other false things of the world. Satan tries to use days we celebrate for Jesus and secularize them so Jesus is removed and forgotten. Also when children find out they are not “real” then when they are told about Jesus, they will doubt him as well. Say Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays. Do not be politically correct, Jesus was not. Political correctness is from Satan to try and silence Jesus and anything associated with him. Christians should not participate in the Satanic holiday of Halloween except to use it to hand out tracts to people or in some other way to present trick or treaters with the gospel. Do not dress up in costumes, especially witches, devils, ghosts, elves, et cetera. Replace these sinful things with reading your King James Bible, other good Christian books to learn and such things as the magazine Voice of the Martyrs that tells of the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters. (Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.) (Romans 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.) (Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.)
Christians should avoid most movies and television that comes out of Hollywood. Most of Hollywood is anti-God and pushes views contrary to scripture such as swearing, smoking, drinking, evolution, drugs, divorce, premarital sex, adultery, yoga (part of Hinduism), talking to the dead, atheism, polytheism (many gods), pantheism (all is god), witchcraft, the many false religions, homosexuality, bestiality, murder, rebellion against parents and authority, hating America, and anything that is against true Christianity, including the promotion of Satan and rock and roll music. An example is the Star Wars films which were produced to push Buddhism (the Force is a part of Buddhism) on the United States of America and the West. (George Lucas who produced these movies, is a Buddhist and admitted as such that this was the case.) Another example is Disney which is said to be a family oriented company, yet promotes homosexuality (including its theme parks), witchcraft (including a Harry Potter addition in their theme parks) [An example is Escape to Witch Mountain], bestiality (Beauty and the Beast), and many other sins. A Christian’s time and money can be better spent on reading and studying scripture or witnessing or fellowshipping with their fellow believers. Most of Hollywood also supports the liberal agenda as well such as promoting the homosexual agenda (LGBTQ Pride), anti-America, socialism, abortion (murder in all cases), and other anti-God views. The same can be said of most music studios out there which produce mostly anti-God music or push music promoting views that go against scripture. Unfortunately, the United States exports its sinful movies, television programs, and music around the world to corrupt other nations.
Many “games and toys” should also be avoided by Christians such as ouija boards, tarot cards, Magic:The Gathering cards, Dungeons and Dragons, Pokémon (short for pocket monsters) [Scripture connects monsters with evil. This game promotes the Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shintoism and their beliefs such as reincarnation. Some of the characters are their gods as worshipped in Japan.], and many other things. These are all related to the occult and open the door to Satan and devils. All of these things should be burned or destroyed in some way to prevent them from being found and used by another person. (Acts 19:19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.) “Playing” with these things can lead to possession by devils for the unsaved and influence from devils by the saved. This also includes such things as palm readings, psychic readings, crystal balls, communicating with the dead, astrology, and reading horoscopes. (Deuteronomy 18:9-12 ¶ When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.)
Christians should not be getting divorced (rate is just as high among professing Christians as the world. Also the saved spouse may eventually lead the other to Jesus by their witness and example.) or having abortions. Abortion is always murder, even if the child (which it is a child in the womb, not a blob of tissue. If not a child, you are not pregnant.) is from rape or incest, or the health of the mother is endangered. God will let the mom and baby both live if that is his will. It is never okay to murder one person (a child) to save another. Physician assisted suicide is also murder and just a way for the government to eliminate the elderly. No Christian should support any of these things or organizations or politicians who support these things. (Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.) See also Mark 9:42 and Luke 17:2.
When a Christian goes on vacation, they must not forget God and be on vacation from being a Christian. One who is a Christian, is always a Christian. One must bring their Holy Bible or at least have it on their phone or somewhere or read the King James Bible placed in the motel/hotel by the Gideons and still read it every day. (Beware, some of the Gideons bibles are New King James Version and not Holy Bibles [King James Bibles]) Make sure you still pray every day and make sure you pray for your travels and safety. Bring tracts with you and witness to people that you meet. Vacation is the time that you often meet people from different nations and cultures getting a rare opportunity to reach these people with the gospel. If at all possible, attend a godly Biblical church to allow you to continue to worship and fellowship while you are gone. Make sure you still give your tithes and offerings to the church you attend when you get back. This also applies to any time you miss any Sunday due to illness, weather or other reason. Do not rob God of what is due him simply because you are on vacation or miss a Sunday.
Another area to grow is in tithing and supporting missions. One should make sure they give tithes (10% of one’s gross income) to their church. (Leviticus 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.) We are to tithe on everything we own. (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.) Any given above the 10% is offerings. God commands this. (Malachi 3:8-10 ¶ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.) God was not just referring to Israel here. God commands and will bless all those who tithe, even if they think they cannot afford it. God blessed Abraham who gave tithes to Melchizedek (Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.) and the widow woman who gave all she had (two mites). She cared more about God than herself, as we all should. (Mark 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.) (Luke 21:2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.) (II Corinthians 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.) You cannot out give God. He will bless you far more than if you kept the money for yourself thinking you cannot afford it. If you give a little, God will give you little. The more you give, the more God will reward you. He will give you your money back in some form if done willingly and not grudgingly or in hopes of getting rich. If you can afford it, support missionaries who are doing God’s work as well as Godly ministries. Make sure the money is not being misused by missionaries or ministries. Not all are “true Christians”. Avoid them. If you do it with a giving and loving heart willingly and not out of guilt, god will reward you in heaven. (II Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.) Your money and prayers will help lead others to Jesus Christ. If one cannot afford monetary support, one can always pray. All true Christians can pray. The Holy Ghost knows what we want to pray for even before we ask and will teach us. (Romans 8:26-28 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.)
To grow, you need to love and honor Israel and the Jewish people. God commands it. They are God’s chosen people. Do not make jokes about them. Just because they are God’s chosen people does not mean they get automatically into heaven. They still need to be saved as everyone else (Gentiles) and in the same way by receiving Jesus as their Saviour. That does not mean we have to agree with all they stand for, but we must support them and their right to exist, defend themselves, and have Jerusalem as their capital as that is where God ordained as their capital and realize that the land they live on along with all the surrounding land now controlled by the Muslims actually belongs to Israel and will be theirs during the Millennium. God gave them that land and set their boundaries in scripture. They are the only nation that God has specifically given their land to and acknowledged their right to exist. (Exodus 23:31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.) (Ezekiel 47:13-21 ¶ Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. [Ephraim and Manasseh]
14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.
15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea [Mediterranean sea], the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;
16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar–hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.
17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazar–enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.
18 And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.
19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.
20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.
21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.) (Genesis 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:) Christian’s need to realize that Jesus himself was a Jew as well as all of the writers and prophets in scripture. We also have the Jews to thank for us having the scriptures, not only writing them, but also preserving them for us today. Never join or support the boycotts against Israel or fight against them. God said if we bless Israel, he will bless us and if we curse Israel, he will curse us. (Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.) Spread the gospel to the Jews. Tell them of their Messiah (Jesus Christ). Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.)
As I mentioned above, we need to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to have empathy and hurt with them when they suffer and rejoice with them when they rejoice. If one commits sin, we need to pray for them to get out of this sin, not rejoice over their sin. The true church is one body made up of many believers from around the world, so we need to support them, pray for them, and suffer with them. (I Corinthians 12:12-13 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.) Do not be jealous of a brother or sister in Christ for their success in serving the Lord. Rejoice for them. Pray for Christians in bonds (because of stand for Jesus, not sin, except that they get out of that sin) and for those being persecuted for preaching or standing up for Jesus. (Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.) Pray for those in persecuted nations to have the courage and boldness to preach the gospel and stay in the fight. Pray they will win many souls for Jesus. Again as mentioned above, read the stories of persecuted Christians from such places as Voice of the Martyrs or other places. Often times, attempts are made to hide and deny the persecution of Christians by the media and governments.
Be thankful for all that you have and all that happens in your life. Do not covet what someone else has. (Deuteronomy 5:21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.) God always is right and makes no mistakes. I know it is hard to be thankful for the death or illness of a loved one or pet or the ill health of yourself, the loss of a job, being imprisoned for Jesus or other situations, but God commands us to be. If we pray, God will comfort us during these times. When a saved love one dies, we know we will see them again in glory. (heaven) Praise God if you are persecuted for his sake, even though it is hard. Remember there is usually always someone having it worse than you. Be like the example of Job. Praise God and do not be like his wife and curse him. Do not lose your testimony at this time. People are and will watch you as you go through trials and tribulations. (Psalm 107:1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.) (I Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.) (II Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.)
One can start their own ministry or website to help spread the gospel as I have done with this website and ministry or make YouTube videos. Gail Riplinger and another man she knows answers the solicitors when they call and starts giving them the gospel before they get a chance to speak. Gail and the other man also make random phone calls in the phonebook and when they answer, they just start giving the gospel without giving the person a chance to talk. Many will listen because they feel it is rude to hang up. They have led many to the Lord this way. Gail even led a man and his crew over in India. Praise God for people like them. One can start a tract ministry as I have. Everyone can place tracts in areas, even if they are too shy to give them to people. Many good churches will have tracts at the church that the people can take and hand out. If you can afford your own, that is even better. I would recommend Chick tracts or at least one using King James Bible verses. Chick tracts are small comic book stories that present the gospel. They have great art and stories and I know many people who will take and read one of them, when they would not read a regular tract. They come in many languages. Tracts can be placed almost anyway such as in public bathrooms, on fuel pumps, on shelves in stores or inside items such as shoe boxes, inside books [library or store] especially ones related to the tract such as Harry Potter books and also in non King James Bible versions or in King James Bibles, left on public transportation, mailed with your bills, in dressing rooms, around school, at laundromats, handed to cashiers, or left with your tip at a restaurant. One Chick tract user mails a tract with a response card if they get saved to random addresses all over the nation. He has had replies from 18,000 people saying they got saved after reading the tract. Praise God. The possibilities are endless. Your imagination is the only limit. Some websites for King James Bible tracts are chick.com, http://baptisttracts.org/, http://libertygospeltracts.com/, and http://store.kjv1611.org/sale/. There are other places to buy tracts using the King James Bible. You can also support missionaries who use Chick Tracts by sending a check to the Chick Missions Fund from Chick Publications. They use the money to send Chick Tracts for free to the missionaries asking for them. People around the world love to read them and it allows you to support reaching and winning souls in nations you will never have the opportunity to go to. The Holy Ghost will help you start a ministry if that is your calling or you can try and join one that already exists. Besides starting a ministry, one should try to go on mission trips. If you cannot afford to go, try and raise money, or some local churches will pay for you to go [either all of it or partial payment]. Always make it your main point while on a mission trip to tell others about Jesus. Witnessing should be the main point of the trip with the secondary purpose of assisting the locals. Tracts and Holy Bibles (King James Bibles) are great things to bring along to pass out to the people you are witnessing to. If called into the ministry fulltime as a preacher or otherwise, praise God and obey. The harvest is plenty, but few to serve God. (Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.)
The Holy Ghost gives a true born again believer at least one spiritual gift when they are saved. As a new Christian, you will have to pray and ask the Holy Ghost what yours is (are). Different gifts are given to different Christians. Some may have more than one. Often the more you grow and show you use and can handle the first gift the Holy Ghost gave you, then you may get more gifts. No one Christian has all gifts and that is why the church is a body of all true Christians who must work together just as you need all parts of your physical body to function properly. No one part or Christian is more important than another. One should always use the gifts and talents to serve God and not for their purpose just to get rich or fame or other reason. If your gift is music, sing for the Lord, write music for the Lord or whatever other way you can use what God has given to you to glorify him. This applies to any gift you have. They should be used to win souls and serve their fellow Christians. Some gifts are listed in Romans 12 and I Corinthians 12. Other gifts are listed in other places. (Romans 12:4-8 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.) (I Corinthians 12:1-31 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
21 And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
22 Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:
23 And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
24 For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.) I do believe that gifts and talents are not exactly the same. One can be talented in sports and that talent comes from God, but they may not be a Christian (saved). One who is a Christian, should use that talent for the Lord. I do believe that it may be possible that if a Christian does not use the gift or gifts given to them by the Holy Ghost at the time they are saved, that they do not lose their gift or gifts, but that they may become ineffective.
Make Jesus Lord of your life and pray before making decisions and always put Jesus first. Not all Christians have Jesus as their Lord, in fact most do not. (Luke 6:46-49 ¶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.)
To Grow, a Christian must keep their faith and do not doubt it. Believe God’s word is true. Do not lose faith when college professors try to tell you the Holy Bible is wrong and evolution, not creation is true. Hold strong in your faith when people tell you the King James Bible is wrong and one of the false bibles is true and that none of the versions are the word of God and have been fully preserved and that only the originals were inspired, not the King James Bible which was inspired. Do not lose the faith when they tell you that their was no global flood or other things in scripture are wrong. Do not lose faith when persecuted. (Matthew 5:10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.) God is always in control and if you stay in his word using a King James Bible and do the things mentioned on this page, you will not lose your faith. No matter what you do for God, without faith you cannot and will not please him. Having faith is the only way to please God. (Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.) (Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.) [II Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)]
Growing as a Christian is not always easy. It takes dedication and you need to work at it every day. One is to pick up their cross daily. This is not a literal cross, just that we need to work on not sinning each day and when we do to confess them and not deny our Saviour or be ashamed of him. (Luke 9:23 ¶ And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.) (Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.) Note that change is not and will not be instantaneous for most sins. Some changes should occur immediately when you are saved. One should be convicted of a sin they have always done if they commit it now that they are saved. Growth and change should continue over a lifetime, but try to strive for perfection and no sin in your life as soon as you can [one will never be perfect and without sin which is why we need to be saved, but we should still try to be as much as we can.) When one gets saved, life does not get perfect. In fact the more you try to serve the Lord, Satan will attack you more. We should thank God for that as it means we are pleasing God and making Satan angry. Spiritual growth as a Christian has three main stages of growth. See I John 2 (read entire chapter which has three stages, little children, young men, and fathers). When one is saved that is called salvation or some say redemption or justification. All true believers are saints in God’s eyes, unlike in the Roman Catholic Church were only certain individuals are made saints and only after they die. The process of growing as a Christian is known as sanctification and when we get to heaven and get our new glorified bodies and no more sin in us, that is known as glorification. Old people can be babes in Christ and young children can be mature in Christ, so physical age does not determine how much you have grown as a Christian since you were saved. (I Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:) [leaven represents sin, which we need to remove in order to grow spiritually] Galatians 5:19-21 lists many sins which are of the flesh and will prevent spiritual growth. For true growth, one needs to bring forth the nine fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (Galations 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.) Ask spiritually mature Christians to pray for you as you strive to spiritually grow. Never stop or give up on striving to grow. Do not be discouraged. You will have your good days and bad days. I still sin everyday and have done many things I am not proud of, but God can still use one who truly is seeking God to rule their lives and confesses their sins and strives to serve God. If you have read here to the end, you probably truly do want to spiritually grow as a Christian and I believe God will help you achieve that. Congratulations. As you grow as a Christian and witness to others about Jesus, you will suffer persecution. Do not fear and do not stop trying to grow. Thank God for the persecution as God said it would come and ye would be blessed. You are being persecuted because people see Jesus in you and hate God who you represent and not you. (II Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.) Jesus said in (Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.) (John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.)
One final word for those who want to grow. If one refuses to grow and stay in their sins, God will sometimes take that individual home to him early. They will not lose their salvation if they are truly saved, but will have an early death. This is known as a sin unto death. We are not to pray for these people. (I John 5:16-17 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.) Two examples in scripture is the early death of Moses who was not allowed to go into the Promised Land because he smote (struck) the rock instead of speaking to it as commanded by God. (Numbers 20:7-13 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
12 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was sanctified in them.) This Rock was Jesus. (I Corinthians 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.) The first time the people murmured and cried for water, Moses was told to smite the rock. This was a type or symbol of the first coming of Jesus as a beaten, scorned, and despised Saviour. Moses was told to speak to the rock the second time as this was a type of the second coming of Jesus in all his might and glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. Moses destroyed this type for the Israelites as well as disobeyed God and smote the Rock of Jesus. He smote our Saviour and therefore God took his life early. Another example is seen in the New Testament where Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied to the Holy Ghost. (Acts 5:1-11 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.) It was not required that they had to give all the money to the apostles, but they lied about the money they kept back and said they gave it all. This was early in the growth of the church and in order for the church to grow, God could not tolerate lying to the Holy Ghost. Therefore they remained saved, but had an early death.
“Those who fear only God are a terror to the interests and kingdoms of darkness.” (Quote by Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who spent many years in a communist prison in Romania for preaching Jesus and later founded Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry to help persecuted Christians. His story can be read in his book Tortured for Christ published and found at Voice of the Martyrs website persecution.com.) He was saying if we fear committing sin before God more than anything else, we have no need to fear man. Man and Satan can only do what God allows them to do to a Christian. See the book of Job. Let us all grow (including me) to be like those who are willing to die for Jesus.
A good book for a growing Christian is The Next Step for Growing Christians by Jack Chick, published by Chick Publications and available at their website www.chick.com.
