When we place our faith in Jesus Christ we become a new person. The Bible says we’re born again. We were once dead but now alive. Christ reconciles us to the Father and we have peace with God. We experience the abundant life Jesus promised to all who follow Him. Since we have discovered the great treasure of His love, we naturally respond by striving to live up to the position we have already attained.
Finding the treasure worth giving all you have to attain
What is the one thing in your life that you would never give up, no matter what? It’s something that defines your very identity. Have you found it? Many people have not. They go day after day in a sort of survival mode. For them life seems to be a series of compartments. There’s work, there’s leisure, there’s education, etc. They all have more or less equal value to them.
But that’s not how God intended for us to live our lives. He wanted us to have something so valuable at our very core of being, that everything else would pale in comparison to it. This would be the treasure worth giving everything we have to possess. Jesus spoke about this in His parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matthew 13:44).
Finding the pearl of great price
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).
Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Have you recognized your great need for God’s forgiveness and hope for eternal life? Are you aware of the terrible hell awaiting you for eternity if God judges you rightly? Have you been convinced that God recognized your dilemma and made a way for you through the sacrifice of His one and only Son? Do you see that this is the “treasure hidden in a field” and the pearl of great value described in Jesus’ parables?
He’s waiting for you to heed the warning and avoid the looming judgment and condemnation. He says to you, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
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You are a new creation
Your new identity in Christ
Once you commit your life to Jesus by faith, you leave the kingdom of darkness and enter into the kingdom of light. Jesus has redeemed you. He has purchased you with His own precious blood to become a member of His body, the church, in which He is the head. God has forgiven you of all your sins. He has reconciled you to the Father, and you now have peace with God. You have been adopted as a true son or daughter into the family of God, and you will always remain so.
The Holy Spirit comes to indwell you so that you become a new person. Your old life is now past and the new life has come. You no longer live to please yourself. Instead, your highest aim in life is to live and please Christ, your Lord. Your greatest joy in life now is to walk with your Lord in fellowship with Him. You trust Him and follow Him in obedience to His Word. You also want others to experience the same joy you now have. So, you’ll want to share with them the certain hope you now have in Christ.
You will battle against sin, but sin will no longer have its full reign in your life as it once had. The Lord will help you grow in holiness day by day. He wants you to be like Him. So, you’ll want to stop indulging in your sinful desires and start conforming to His will for you.
Living by faith in the Son of God
When you first come to Christ, you begin like a baby. There’s so much to learn and experience before you become a mature Christian. It’s important to know how you can live your new life in such a way that fosters your growth in Christ. Here are some of the areas to focus on.
Growing in the knowledge of the Lord
Daily Bible reading is a good spiritual discipline to adopt. There are many different reading plans you can find online. I suggest reading the New Testament every year to begin with. You can complete it by reading one chapter each day for five days each week. Be sure to set a plan to also read through the Old Testament. Some parts will probably be harder to get through than others, but don’t give up. It will be worth it. You might want to set a two-year goal to read through the Old Testament.
Find a version of the bible that is understandable to you. I generally use the NIV version, but there are many very good versions to choose from. I recommend highlighting verses in your bible that are particularly meaningful to you. You should also commit to memorizing verses that will remind you of important truths as you encounter life.
Persistence in Prayer
God wants to hear from us, and we need to hear from Him. We need to address God as our heavenly Father. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He loves us and cares for us. Our prayers should include expression of adoration, confession of sin, thanksgiving, and supplication (petitions or requests). You can remember this through the acronym ACTS. We pray with respect and expectation that He hears us whenever we pray in accordance with His will.
Worshiping God in spirit and in truth
God is worthy of all our adoration. There are a variety of ways we can worship God. Some people worship best by meditating on God’s Word. Others find that walks through nature give them the closest connection to God. Still others may discover that Christian music brings them close to God. Of course, worship services at church are designed to use various means to corporately worship God. Open yourself up to try various ways to worship God and develop a regular pattern or worship.
Enjoying intimate fellowship with your Lord and His people
As Christians, we all belong together as one family, under the headship of Jesus Christ our Lord. As such, we should gather together as family and practice our love for each other. It’s important that we select a church where we can develop close relationships with other Christians. Our spiritual growth is enhanced when we can regularly practice our Christian life together. The Bible tells us not to forsake meeting together. So, make it a priority to be an active part of a Bible-believing congregation.
Hungering and thirsting for righteousness
Though you are a new creation in Christ Jesus, your sinful nature hasn’t disappeared. You will still experience sinful desires. The good news is that you now have the indwelling Holy Spirit to help you battle against those desires and experience victory over them.
It may be surprising to learn there will continue to be a battle in your mind between indulging in your sinful desires and choosing to do what’s right. This is the natural condition for the Christian, and it should keep us aware and alert of our dependence on God to overcome evil.
Giving and receiving forgiveness
God requires us to forgive others, just as we have been forgiven by God. Forgiveness is a choice we make not to hold anything against anyone who has wronged us. It’s not easy. It may require persistence in choosing to forgive. But God requires it from His children.
Enduring your trials with patience and endurance
It should not be surprising when you encounter troubles and trials of all sorts. This happens to be one of the most effective ways God uses to grow our faith in Him. He is always faithful and we can only understand it from the heart when we experience it. So, God wants us to patiently endure our trials, because He is developing our character and hope in Him as we go through them.
Putting the needs of others above yourself
God is a God of love, and He wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Our neighbors are anyone in need that we have the ability and opportunity to help. So, look for where God is presenting opportunities for you to serve others, just as Christ came to serve and not to be served.
Sharing your hope and faith with others
One major way you can practice love toward others is to learn how to share your faith with them. If Christ has made a difference in your life, He can make a difference in theirs too. You have a personal story to share about how God has delivered you that nobody can deny. Therefore share the story and be ready to give reasons for the hope you have. This blog site should be able to help you do that.
