Hello, I am looking for help in the first steps. I don't have a church yet, but will begin visiting different ones starting this Sunday to find the right one for me. I am reading my new bible, Life Application NIV, which is helpful as well as Mere Christianity and a couple other books. I pray daily, but need help taking the final step. I still have some fear in making the commitment, but want to make it.
How do I take that next step? What do I do and how?
Thanks,
Greg
It sounds to me like you've taken the first, second, and third steps! You're doing great; the NIV Life Application Bible was my first Bible and I used it for years and years. NIV is my favorite translation and is still the one I primarily use today. The publisher's (Zondervan's) footnotes are helpful for understanding passages and provoking thought. Just keep going on doing what you are doing and what you said you plan to do.
The commitment God wants from you is to yield to his Lordship. We were born with a sinful nature and have also chosen to sin (act in opposition to God). Jesus died to pay for those sins, and through that God has forgiven you of your past, present, and future sin. He gives a new nature to those that commit to him, so that they will grow in holiness and purity and become like him. You were dead to God due to your sins, but now you are a new creation that is a unity of the new (reborn) you and God, the Holy Spirit. You are born again—and that's not a metaphor.
Whenever you feel condemned, remember that he only sees this new holy and perfect you. It's not that he is blind to your sin problems or rough edges, but he will never again have condemnation for you. In his eyes you are one of his pure and perfect children. But there are things working against us, and our memory and the things that we are accustomed to are from the effect of an impure past (not just our own).
Tell Jesus that you commit yourself to him entirely—and begin acknowledging him as your Lord with your words and actions. Him being your God and Lord means that you accept that he has the right to say what is right and wrong and to hold you accountable for your words and behavior. It means accepting his will for your life (and whatever he decides about your death, too). Your life (and death) are in the best hands possible.
If that seems scary, recognize that he is a very Good God and Lord, who is all about Life, and he is
far, far more able to run your life than you or anyone else is. He is not interested in anything for himself, but only what is best for you (and other people). He has a storehouse of blessings for you, and the only hindrance to him pouring them all out is your ability to handle them well. He will transform you as you seek to know him better. He will guide you in what he wants (often through Scripture) so you will have the best future possible. He is committed to ensuring long-term, overwhelming happiness for you, but sometimes at the expensive of shorter term suffering (which only exists because of sin, not God). He promises to help you with everything he has commanded you. He doesn't expect you to do anything that he hasn't prepared you for (but not everything that happens in your life will be his doing; he'll help you with everything though). It is wise to try to make your first response to anything that confuses or troubles you (or anything at all) to go to him in prayer and/or search for understanding that he's already given in the Bible. He is interested in
everything that you are concerned about or interests you. He
always has time for you. He wants you to persist in asking him for what you want and need.
Finding a good church is a good step. Ask Jesus to get you to the church he wants you to attend. Try to make friends and find ways to connect or interact with the goals of enjoying yourself and growing spiritually. Keep an eye out for someone of the same gender as you who you can regularly ask questions to about God and how God views things. Hopefully they'll also check up on you every now and then. You can also ask the pastor of the church you decide on for someone like that.
Our #1 goal is to know the living Jesus better. It is a two-way relationship, and the result will be to become more like him. The Bible is not only the best way for that, but believing what God said in it will both provide you with both armor and power for the things you must deal with in life. You are accepting his offer to be adopted into his family; there is nothing in all creation that will ever cause him to reject you (or stop loving you a huge amount). Never, ever, ever. He will always be a Good and faithful heavenly Father to you.
Believe what you read in the Bible; it's all true, but sometimes takes a while to understand. Challenging the validity of something in Scripture instead of assuming you just don't understand something will hinder your progress;
persisting in that kind of approach to Bible study would be harmful. I suggest you ask God to help you understand what he means in the Bible each time you sit down to read your Bible. I also suggest that you ask the Lord to bless you with the humility you need to be a good student. (It's better if the Lord is doing that for you regularly rather than if you get to a point where you need a lot of his help with it.) You are going to be exposed to a lot of incorrect understanding of what God is like, what his will is, and what he approves of (particularly if you read posts on the Internet). You need to focus on your own study of the Bible and the revelation of truth that God will give you.
About the Holy Spirit that dwells within all committed followers of the Lord, Jesus said,
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26, 1984 NIV)
You have all kinds of things you can do. I suggest you read a (not necessarily recently released) book about prayer that has a good reputation (i.e., about what prayer is).
After having written all this, I must also include: also recognize your limitations. Don't go overboard with everything I've said or you want to do. It is wise to make adjustments until you think you have a level of commitment (activities) that you can sustain the rest of your life. His loving heart, words, and actions for you will be his focus regarding you for the rest of eternity. The more devoted you are to him, the closer he will come to you. God is so Good and amazing that the more you get to know him, the more you
will love him. It's unavoidable.
