It is an exciting time when a child takes his or her first steps. The proud parents can’t help wondering where their toddler will eventually end up in life. What will they become; what will they do; what great thing might they one day accomplish?

Likewise, it is an exciting time when a new convert takes their first steps in the Christian life. Where will their spiritual pilgrimage take them? What great service might they render someday for Christ?

Along with being exciting, first steps are also extremely important, especially when it comes to the Christian walk. Missteps at the onset may spell impeded spiritual growth or ineffectual Christian service in ensuing years. Thus, one must be careful to get off on the right foot in their Christian life!

FIRST STEP

BAPTISM

Our first step of obedience to Christ in the Christian life is baptism. Christ commanded all believers to be baptized (Matthew 28:19).Baptism is an outward sign of the inward change Christ has wrought in our lives. It pictures our death to sin and resurrection with Christ into newness of life (Romans 6:1-14). Our old man is buried beneath the baptismal waters and we emerge from them a new person in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

By following Christ in believer’s baptism we publicly profess our faith in Him. Baptism provides us with an initial opportunity to put our newfound faith on public display. It is a way for us to announce to the world that we are not ashamed of Him who said, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His glory…” (Luke 9:26).

Baptism is also the rite by which we are admitted into church membership. No Southern Baptist church will receive into its membership someone who refuses to validate their faith in Christ by following Him in believer’s baptism. Thus, to be a member of a Southern Baptist church you must prove your profession by observing the ordinance of baptism.

SECOND STEP

BIBLE STUDY

Nothing is more important in life than knowing God. It is by coming to know God through faith in Jesus Christ that we become recipients of God’s gift of eternal life. As Jesus said in John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Once we come to know God by coming to Christ, the goal of our Christian life ought to be getting to know God better everyday. After all, the better we know God the better we can live for Him.

In an effort to please me and make me happy, let’s say you invite me over to your house for a delicious broccoli casserole. In spite of your hard work and good intentions, you would fail to meet your objective. “Why,” you may ask; because I don’t like broccoli. Before inviting me over for supper you should have taken the time to get to know me better, learning what I like and dislike. If you had, you could have served me a dish that I would have enjoyed rather than one I disliked.

If you’re going to live the rest of your life for God, you must take the time to get to know God better. The better you know Him the better you’ll be able to live for Him. You must learn what pleases God and what displeases Him; what He expects you to do and what He forbids you from doing. Only then will you be able to live a life that is pleasing to God.

Reading and studying the Bible is a great way to get to know God better. The Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself to us. It teaches us about God; what pleases Him and what displeases Him. The more we acquaint ourselves with the Bible the better acquainted we’ll be with God and the more capable we’ll be of pleasing Him in our lives.

For this reason, few things, if any, are more important in the Christian life than daily taking the time to read and study the Bible. You should schedule time everyday for getting alone with God in His Word. Begin your daily Bible study with prayer, asking God to open the understanding of your heart to the truths of His Word (Luke 24:45; Acts 16:14). You might also want to use a notebook or journal to record all of the marvelous truths God will reveal to you from His Word.

THIRD STEP

PRAYER

A good way to get to know anyone better is to take the time to talk with them. The more you talk, the better you’ll know one another. A great way to get to know God better is by talking with Him. Talking with God is called prayer.

Notice, prayer is talking with God, not to God. It is a two-way street. It is not a monolog—you talking to God—it is a dialog—you and God talking to each other. As important as it is for you to talk to God in prayer, it is even more important for God to talk to you. Thus, don’t keep God from getting a word in edgewise, but take the time in your personal prayer closet to listen, as well as to speak.

The only way to really get to know anyone is to spend a lot of time with them. Likewise, the only way to really get to know God is to spend a lot of time with Him. Your daily time of Bible study and prayer should be closely guarded. Nothing is more important to your spiritual growth and development. Failure on your part to schedule and guard this vital time will lead to it being habitually preempted by other things. You must not allow this to happen, since nothing is more important than keeping your daily appointment with God!

FOURTH STEP

CHURCH ATTENDANCE

Faithfully attending church is another way to get to know God better. The sermons of pastors, the lessons of Sunday School teachers and the special training opportunities provided at church educate and equip us for the service of God. Church worship services lead us into greater intimacy with God and the encouragement derived from fellowship with our fellow church members is invaluable to our spiritual wellbeing (Hebrews 10:25).

If you wanted to get to know me better, you could talk with people who know me well. They could provide you with a wealth of information about me. In church, there are lots of people who know God well, people who have been walking with Him a long time and serving Him for years. These saints can provide you with a wealth of information about God. Getting to know them translates into you getting to know God better and better. Becoming closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ actually enables us to get closer to Christ.

FIFTH STEP

WITNESSING

A final way to get to know God better is by sharing your faith with others. The Bible teaches that we come to a fuller understanding of everything that we have in Christ by sharing our faith with other people (Philemon 6 NIV). The more we share with others the more the Lord will entrust to us. This is not only a divine principle found throughout Scripture, but it also explains why those who faithfully witness for Christ are always more knowledgeable of Him than those who seldom share their faith.

Many people believe that you have to be a Bible college graduate to effectively share you faith with other people. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. All you need to witness for Christ is a testimony. Nothing is more powerful than a personal testimony. Why else would Madison Avenue use so many personal testimonies in advertisements?

Your testimony consists of four components: (1) What your life was like before you came to Christ (2) How you came to realize your need for Christ (3) How you came to Christ, and (4) What your life has been like since coming to Christ. No one can argue with your personal testimony, since you are its only authority. While men may discount it, they can’t debate it.

Along with helping you to know God better, witnessing is important for two other reasons. First, it is the only way others can come to know God and be saved (Romans 10:13-14). Your family and friends may never come to know Jesus Christ if you fail to tell them about Him. Not knowing Christ personally, they need to be introduced to Him. You may be the only person they know who knows Christ and is capable of introducing them to Him.

Second, Christ has commissioned His church to tell His story and to introduce Him to the whole world (Matthew 28:18-20). This is our mandate; it is our mission in this world as Christians. Therefore, any Christian who fails to witness is a Christian who is failing to carryout his/her utmost responsibility in the service of Christ.