You're a CHristian - Now What?

🔦New believers and those we call "seasoned saints" all endeavor to know and do God's will. The simple fact that God has a will for our lives stuns me, but His Word assures us repeatedly that God indeed does have things He wants us to do. It's not that He needs us to do these things. It's more that He wants us to enjoy the benefits of living a life that pursues His plan. The Bible even tells us certain things explicitly that are God's will for us, and then for other things, it simply tells us how to discover His will.

📖 1. It is Written - Some things never change.

I mentioned that the Bible explicitly lays out certain things we can know for sure are God's will. And in the process of fulfilling these, we will discover His will on most other issues that arise.
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• "be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." Acts 2:38 (NLT)
  
• "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." - Romans 12:2 (NLT)
• "God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin." 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (NLT)
• "So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLT)
• "Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT)

🌍2. A Global Christian - Go Into All The World

One of the most obvious commands we have from God is commonly called The Great Commission. For one thing, these were Jesus' final words before ascending back to Heaven. For another thing, we find the Great Commission in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Anytime you tell your kids something 5 times, they had better listen! You know what God wanted to be sure we did not miss?

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)

This mission is extreme in every way. It is extreme in the Person who gave it - there is no one like Jesus. The risen Son of God to whom all authority in heaven, earth, and under the earth has been given (Matthew 28:18). It is extreme in the Power that it promises. More on that in a moment. And it is extreme in the Scope it demands. Start where you are - your family, your neighborhood, your workplace, your community - and branch out from there "to the ends of the earth." Something amazing . . . the first century Christians had spread the news of Jesus to the edge of the known world in Spain within a generation without the use of YouTube or TikTok. When you consider the onslaught of persecution they faced, there is only one explanation for the Gospel's success, and that explanation is a He - God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, "You will receive power." Can you serve God without His power? Maybe for a bit. But all you do will eventually amount to nothing. Your labor in your own strength will not bear lasting fruit. Jesus told His followers (and the same goes for us) - wait where you are until you receive this power. You are going to need it. Why? God does not typically call us to do things we can do without Him. Jesus even said, "Without me, you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

How do you receive this power? As a believer, you already have the Holy Spirit indwelling you and sealing you to the day of redemption. Take the first step of obedience as a new follower of Jesus and be baptized at a local Bible-believing church in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then, pray and ask God the Father to fill you with His Spirit and use you in the fulfillment of His Great Commission as He sees best. Be a surrendered vessel unto honor for Him. He will direct your path (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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