Basic Truths Of A Christian |
You Have Now Received Christ "But as many as received Him (Christ), to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
his name" (John 1:12). " As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him" (Colossians 2:6) This tract is prepared to help you know how to walk in this new way of life. You have begun a new life of faith. You have found a new peace and a new joy of salvation. you now want to learn how to keep that peace and joy constantly abiding. |
Be A Thankful Christian Your sins are forgiven and they will never be remembered against you any more. "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). "I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins" (Isaiah 43:25). Your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. you are now a child of God, a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. "The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then Heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16,17). You have entered the door. "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (John 10:9). There are many new and wonderful experiences ahead for you. You have enlisted on the Lord's side. "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matthew 12:30). The devil will certainly oppose you. he will try to deceive you, discourage you and defeat you. Already he has probably cast doubt in your mind. You will learn to use the Scriptures as Jesus did to overcome the devil. Every convert, as soon as he is saved, should offer a prayer of thanks for his salvation and then immediately pray for someone whom he desires to see saved. Who would receive a gift without saying thanks? Always be a thankful Christian. |
"Lord, teach us to pray" was the desire of the disciples living with Jesus. It is still a lesson to be learned. It is best learned by practice. Learn to pray for yourself. Be honest with yourself and God when you pray, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalm 66:18) You are saved but you are not perfect. Pray for an understanding of God's Word. Pray for a discernment of God's will. Pray for strength to do God's work. Be sure that your praying is more than a mealtime or bedtime prayer. some of you most wonderful experiences with god will be through prayer. Learn to pray for others. You will find in the prayer services of your church an opportunity to share with others in a ministry of prayer. James urged, "Pray one for another." Paul requested, "Brethren pray for us." It is good to talk to men about God but it is even better to talk to God about men. |
There is no commitment in the New Testament for you to attend church- "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25). Your regular attendance at the place of worship will strengthen your soul. Faith will be increased by hearing God's message. Your interest in things spiritual and eternal is shared in worship with others. Your faithful attendance at every service is a testimony of your love for Christ and His work. It is a worthy example for others to follow. You are to be faithful witness of God's salvation. "Ye are my witnesses." Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed." Be sure to tell others that you are saved. You will find no greater joy in being a Christian than the joy of bringing others to Christ. In the first chapter of St. John the bringing of others to Jesus is clearly seen. John the Baptist pointed his followers to Christ- "Behold the Lamb of God"; Andrew brought his brother, Simon, to Jesus; Phillip told his friend Nathaniel about the Lord. You are faithful in giving to the work of the Lord. Salvation is free, but discipleship costs something. you have received more from the Lord than you will ever be able to repay. Your giving is not an installment buying a mansion in Heaven. you cannot too much to the work of the Lord. It is the greatest business on earth and it takes money to operate this business. Your giving is an expression of the joy of salvation, "For God loveth a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). many blessings are determined by your giving. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully" (2 Corinthians 9:6). "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall give men into your bosom" (Luke 6:38a) Your giving is a witness that Jesus lives as a High Priest in the Holies of the Heaven. "And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnesses that he liveth" (Hebrews 7:8). The tithe (a tenth of the increase) was the minimum amount of giving for the Jew under the law. However, long before the law was given by Moses the Bible tells of faithful Abraham giving tithes (Genesis 14:20). Should the Christian under grace think of giving any less? "Upon the first day of the week let everyone
of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be
no gatherings when I come" (1 Corinthians 16:2). The Apostle Paul
asked the Christians to do what Malachi had asked the Jews to do- "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,
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Be a Victorious Christian "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood." There is an assurance of salvation for every believer-- "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Timothy 1:12b). "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" (1 John 5:13). With the assurance of salvation there must come the warning-- "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). You must hold fast the profession of your faith for "the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:38). Jesus speaks of Himself as the vine and the believers as the branches. The branch which does not abide (remain) in Christ is cat forth, is withered and is burned. A branch cannot become a withered branch unless at one time it was an "alive branch" (John 15:1-6). The idea that one can continue to practice sin and have salvation is contrary to the teaching of Jesus. "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:18). There will be times when the devil will entice you to sin. "My little children, these things I write unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Immediately confess that sin to God and seek His forgiveness and grace to overcome sin in your life. The fact that you can be lost after you have once been saved does not rob you of the assurance of your salvation. It does add caution to the way you live. You are born only once into the kingdom of God. A backslider is not reborn but restored. There is the possibility of your falling from grace but not the probability. One who has fallen from grace is forever lost. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:4-6). The backslider who, though living in sin, has not yet made "shipwreck of faith" (1 Timothy 1:19) or has not yet done "despite unto the Spirit of grace" (Hebrews 10:29) has privilege of returning to God. "Return ye backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings" (Jeremiah 3:22a). However, the backslider who continues to live in sin and refuses to return to God will lose his soul. "But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die" (Ezekiel 18:24). Many of the Israelites, though delivered from Egypt, were denied the privilege of entering into God's rest because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:18,19). "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief" (Hebrews 4:11). Evangelist Bobby Jackson with the 26th Psalm gives new converts strong assurance that they need not backslide: 1. Trust the Lord (vs.1) "On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
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Be an Obedient Christian "Follow Thou Me" is the command of Christ to every disciple. Water baptism is commanded by the Lord (Matthew 28:19,20). It is an outward symbol the inward change. Baptism is intended to be an expression to the public of one's trust and purpose to follow Jesus as the Christ. Because of your faith in Christ dying for your sins, you are crucified with Christ. This faith in His death brings the cleansing of His blood, "What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." "Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold...but with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18,19). "Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:11). Now, being dead to sin, you are "buried with him baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Colossians 2:12). The Lord's supper is the privilege of every believer to "show the Lord's death till he come" (1 Corinthians 11:26). the broken bread is a symbol of His broken body and the fruit of the vine is a symbol of His shed blood. Jesus established the meaning of this supper in the Upper Room at the time of the Jewish Passover. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7). The communion will bring anew and afresh to your soul the meaning of the death of Christ on the cross. The Washing of the Saint's feet was begun by Jesus in the Upper Room. It is the "yielding of the Master" to teach literally the lesson of humility. Jesus taught that it was to be practiced by His disciples. "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14). It was advised by Paul in giving instruction to pastor Timothy concerning the help which widows were to receive from the church (1 Timothy 5:10). You will find in the practice of feet washing an expression of humility in bowing as a servant to others. The Free Will Baptist treatise states that this act was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ, and called an "example" on the night of His betrayal, and in connection with the institution of the Lord's Supper. It is the duty and happy prerogative of every believer to observe this sacred ordinance.
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Be a Loyal Christian You have now given allegiance to Christ and the Church. "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children" (Ephesians 5:1). Your loyalty will be tested, but, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus...endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:1,3). In choosing this church as your church for Christian fellowship and service, your loyalty to its work for Christ is expected. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). You will develop a beautiful Christian life and a rich Christian fellowship by putting Christ and Church first in all things. you will find the best people in the world in the church. Of course, there are people in the church who fail, but your trust first of all is in the Greatest Friend, Jesus Christ. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" (John 15:14). " O bear, ye
brave, the sound "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24). |