By Pastor Dennis Dills

THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN

     You may be young or old in years but if you have just been saved or born again you have become a Child of God.  You are a young Christian.  You are called a “Young convert” or a “Babe in Christ”.  As a young Christian, you need to remember and realize that you have just left the old family of which the devil is the father, and have become a member of God’s family.

John 8:44, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."

Acts 13:10, "And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?"

 Galatians 3:26, "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN

     If you are in God’s family, you have been born into it.  There is no other way into the Family of God.  Just like you were born into your earthly family, you have been born into this Heavenly family.

John 1:12-13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

John 3:3-7, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

 YOU ARE A NEW CREATURE

     Since you have been born again, you have received JESUS into your heart as your personal Saviour.  You have now become a new creature.

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Galatians 6:15, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."

      Since you are a new creature in Christ Jesus, it is important that you make a public profession of faith.  The more you give your testimony of salvation the stronger you will become in the Lord.

Romans 10:9-10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Luke 9:26, "For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."

NEVER BE ASHAMED OF THE LORD

     Remember, Christians have the greatest story that can ever be told, and the greatest message this world could ever hear.  Don’t ever be ashamed to tell what JESUS CHRIST has done for you.  He saved you and picked you up out of the very pits of hell and set you free.  You have nothing to be ashamed about.

Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

FIND A FUNDAMENTAL CHURCH TO JOIN AND BE A PART OF

     All new converts should find a local assembly (Church) that preaches the pure Word of God.  After much prayer and leadership from the Holy Spirit, you should join it and be baptized.  Do not be persuaded by men, wives, or children, but by the Holy Ghost.

AFTER SALVATION YOU SHOULD BE BAPTIZED

     Remember, baptism does not save you, it just gives an outward testimony that you have been saved.  Multitudes have been baptized but have never been saved.  Depending on baptism to get you to heaven is depending on works and God said that salvation is not of works.  The water of a baptismal pool or river does not cleanse you from your sins, it takes the BLOOD OF CHRIST to do that.

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast."

 STUDY THE WORD OF GOD

     If you have just been saved, you are now a babe in CHRIST and the next thing you need is growth, not works.  Food is necessary for growth.  Just as God has provided milk for the natural baby, He has provided the spiritual milk for the babe who has been born of the Spirit.

1 Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:"

 Job 23:12, "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."

Jeremiah 15:16, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."

      Do not neglect to feed your soul with the Word of God.  Read it, study it, learn it, memorize it, eat it.  Don’t get hung up on passages you can’t understand.  As you grow these passages will become clearer.  The Gospel of John is a good place to start, the Romans, Ephesians, and so on.

     The Bible is a personal message from god the Father to you.  Treat it as such.  Its promises are true and they are yours.  Apply them and trust God to make them real in your heart and in your life.

     There are absolutely no substitutes for Bible study.  Prayer, as important as it is in the Christian life, is not a substitute for Bible study.  Revivals, camp meetings, and worship services are very important, but they in themselves can’t sustain and develop your Christian growth like the STUDY OF THE WORD OF GOD.  Read your Bible prayerfully and read it daily.  Sin will keep you from the Bible but the Bible will also keep you from sin.

2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Psalms 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

PRAY EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE

Do not neglect to pray.  God is the Supplier of our needs and JESUS is the Source of the supply.  Be always in the spirit of prayer.  Prayer is the key that unlocks heaven on our souls.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

 Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 GO TO CHURCH FAITHFULLY

      Love the House of God.  It is our Christian duty to be faithful to the Lord’s house.  Many just go every now and then at special events or dinners.  Every Child of God needs the fellowship that we only get down at the Lord’s house.  A Child of God out of church is like a fish out of water, neither will survive very long.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

      The Church is the most costly thing on the earth, it cost JESUS His life.  Jesus loves the Church, so ought we to love it.  Love it so much that you will have nothing to do with anything that  will deaden its spiritual life, lower its standards, or make it a laughing-stock in this godless world.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

     As a Christian, remember that you are indwelt by the Holy Ghost.  The Spirit of God dwells in you to lead you, teach you, comfort you, convict you, and convince you.  Through prayer, the Word of God, and the Holy Ghost, there is no reason whatsoever why we cannot be victorious in our Christian life.

Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Romans 8:14-16 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

LOVE NOT THE WORLD

     Shun worldliness, in the church and out of the church.  Worldly people have little or no appetite for the Word of God.  We are living in a time when you look into the world and find the church and look into the church and find the world. There seems to be no difference between the church and the world.  But God says there is to be a distinct difference.  Regardless if we believe it or not, God’s people are a peculiar people and are to be separate from the world and its pleasures of sin.

1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

YOU NOW HAVE A SPIRITUAL FAMILY AS WELL
AS AN EARTHLY FAMILY

     Since you have been born again, you now have a new family relationship.  You have a new life instead of spiritual death.  You have been transformed brand new.  Your heart has been cleansed from sin and you are alive forever more.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

 Ezekiel 36:26,27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.   And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

YOU ARE KEPT  BY THE POWER OF GOD

   We are not kept by our own power or out own strength, by the power and the might of the Son of God.  None of us are able to keep ourselves saved, but God who is rich in mercy can

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

WE ARE TO GIVE GOD PRAISE

      Every Christian is to give God praise and glory for what He has done for them.  This is an area Christians fail in today.  God is pleased with our praise, and certainly He is worthy of them.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Ephesians 5:19,20 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

WE ARE TO LOOK FOR HIS RETURN

      Regardless of what this world thinks or believes, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself will come again.  We are living in the closing days of this present day of Grace.  Every Christian is to look for the coming of the Lord with excitement.  We should look each passing day for the Lord to return for the born again believers.  Jesus Said:

John 14:2,3 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

KEEP LOOKING UP

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This booklet is dedicated to all Christians and especially to those who have just been born into the family of God.  It is also FREE, and sent forth in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST who purchased our salvation on the cross of Calvary.  You may want large quantities for various study groups.  Feel free to ask for them.