What to know after giving your life to Christ

Now you have asked Jesus into your life, put in order your debts to people as far as you are aware, received forgiveness for your sins, and have peace with God. A burden has been rolled off you; you feel light and ready for a meaningful new life in Christ.

The Bible says, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3.

We see here how great God’s mercy is to have rescued us from seemingly impossible circumstances. Not only are we saved from our sins, but also from the influence of spirit powers that cause people to act in ways far beyond their control.

A new life in Christ = a whole new desire

This passage also reveals to us what our lives as Christians are to be. Through experience we recognize we are still bound by our own natures—the way we think, the way we react to certain people and situations, the manner in which we react when our feelings go up and down according to our “mood,” the times when we can’t stop ourselves from doing wrong. We can find ourselves continuing to “fulfil the desires of the flesh,” often without realizing it, but only seeing that we did so after the event. But the difference now is that this is not how we want to be. If God has chosen to set His love upon us by rescuing us in this way, then He surely has greater plans for us than the forgiveness of sins.

We read further in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Through faith, the gift of God—grace—came over us when we came to Jesus to ask for, and receive, forgiveness for our sins. We must continue in this faith all through our Christian life: this faith that will call out for grace, which also means power to help us whenever we are in need. (Hebrews 4:16.) It is the power to say “No!” whenever we are tempted to follow our old way of life, or habits. It is power over getting angry, being bitter or envious, keeping grudges against others because of how we were treated so we can actually forgive them and pray for them; in short, it will transform our lives.

Seek power from God to live a victorious life

This is the Christian life—one of warfare against sin and Satan; a war in which we are to overcome just as Jesus overcame. He overcame sin by being obedient to His Father’s voice throughout His life, and then He won His final victory over Satan when He was crucified on Calvary’s cross. The message of the cross is the power of God, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:18. It is this power we also need in order to live a victorious life.

Read also: The message of the cross: practical Christianity

We need to personally come to faith in these verses: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. And, “… knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Romans 6:6. In this way, the Holy Spirit gives us power to follow in Jesus’ footsteps; we lose our own life and gain His life in return. This power we are to seek so we can be victorious; this power Jesus promised the disciples before He ascended to heaven. This power is available today for all who seek to be free from themselves and to live wholly to please the Lord.

Read also: Why do I need the Holy Spirit?

Think to become a meek person, one who before would “fly off the handle” at the slightest provocation! When we are crucified with Christ, we receive power to overcome in temptation. This is a tremendous testimony to those who know us that something has happened in our lives!

You can’t do this alone

In order to grow as a Christian, we need nourishment. This we find through reading the Bible—it is the handbook to living—and by praying over our own need to grow to be more like Jesus, and for other people. In both cases, we need the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He inspired the authors of the books of the Bible to write as they did, and He will interpret to us what is written. We also need to meet with people who also are living a victorious life as far as they understand. To talk with one another about our hope and to share our needs builds fellowship, and is a great help to us to grow in our own lives.

We need to expect to get help from God. He is our Father—a Father who only wants the best for His children—and He wants to develop a personal relationship with each of His children. “… He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.” Isaiah 50:4-5. Let us be those who wake up every morning and let God speak to us, and be determined to do as He speaks to us. He will give us all the power (grace) we need to do as He has asked. This is surrendering our lives to Jesus: we who are only sinners by birth and habit, we have been called by Jesus to live a completely new life in Christ that will bring honor and praise to His name!

You have made a good decision when you chose to turn to Jesus. His desire is to help you and to transform you completely on the inside. He wants to bless you beyond all you can imagine or desire. Continue to trust in Him with all your heart and you will experience great things in your life.