After salvation, what's the next step?
Get Baptized
Baptism is an act of identification and obedience. In baptism, we identify with Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection (Matt 3:13-17). When we are baptized, we obey Christ’s teaching in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Scriptural baptism is after salvation and by immersion. Baptism does not save anyone; baptism is a public profession of faith by those who have been saved. Talk with the Pastor and let him know of your desire to be baptized.
Spend Time with God Daily
If the goal of our life is to know God, then our daily goal is to spend time with Him. There’s two primary ways to know God.
- Prayer: Prayer is sharing with God what’s on your heart, and listening as God shares with you what’s on His. Think of prayer as a conversation between friends. If only one person is talking, that’s a monologue. When both are talking, that’s a conversation. God’s voice in prayer will never contradict God’s voice in Scripture.
- Study and Memorize Scripture: We study Scripture to know God, His heart, His directions, and His ways. The Bible is alive (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible is God’s Word and He uses it to speak directly to His people.
Where do you begin? Here’s a few suggestions:
- Read the Gospel of John, one chapter a day. Ask two questions: Who is Jesus? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?
- Read the book of Proverbs, one chapter a day for 31 days
- Read the New Testament (Matthew-Revelation). If you read three chapters a day, it will take you around three months to finish the New Testament.
- Read the entire Bible (Genesis-Revelation). Use a “read through the Bible in a year plan” that works best for you.
- For some, a modern translation of the Bible works best in helping us understand what is written. Some recommendations are: New American Standard Bible (NASB), Christian Standard Bible (CSB), and the English Standard Version (ESV).
Unite with a Local Church
In order to grow as a follower of Christ, you need to be in community with other believers.
- Gather (Corporate worship) Through singing, praying, and hearing God’s Word, we gather as a body of believers to worship God. (Hebrews 10:25)
- Grow (Join a small group) Small groups will help accelerate your growth in Christ. (2 Peter 3:18)
- Give (Give to God’s work) Giving is an act of worship and trust. The Bible teaches us that God owns everything, and He entrusts a portion to us. (2 Cor. 9:7)
- Go (Get involved) Talk with the pastor, discover your spiritual gift(s), find a place of service, get to know the people- GET INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF THE CHURCH (Matt 28:18-20)
In all of these steps, the goal is not to perform religious duties out of obligation; the goal is to know God. Let your Bible study, prayer, and church involvement lead you into intimacy with God. It’s not “I got to” rather it’s “I get to”.