What new Christians need to know
What new Christians need to know
Often new Christians do not have knowledge of the Bible. Sometimes what they have been told is not accurate. Here I am going to describe basic concepts that should help Christians head in the correct direction from the start.
I'm going to give scriptural references for these concepts from the Bible, but remember to check these verses out as soon as you can to make sure that they actually show what I am saying they show. The Bible says we should check everything with scripture - Acts 17:11 New International Version (NIV):
"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. "
This is to protect us from those who who do not teach or believe the whole truth that God teaches us through the Bible. It is easy to search through the Bible and pick out scriptures that seem to support what one wants to say - 2 Peter 2:1 (NIV):
" False Teachers and Their Destruction:
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves".
But when one knows enough of the Bible to see how all the scriptures describe the bigger picture, then the real meanings become clear. God wrote the Bible in such a way that as long as one reads an acceptable version, God will make the picture clear. He describes the things He wants us to understand in enough different ways that even if the words are different, or the descriptions are different in one place or another, He can make the meanings clear to us once we have read enough. Just remember that the only "document" that God says we can trust is the one He guarantees, which is the Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16: (NIV)
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"
So as soon as you can you need to take advantage of your first opportunity to obtain a Bible that is accepted by most Christians. Some generally acceptable versions are:
Modern English versions:
New International Version (NIV)
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Modern King James Version (MKJV)
Old English versions:
King James Version (KJV)
American Standard Version (ASV)
Do not use Bibles from the following:
There are some Religious organizations that claim to be Christian but they are not. Do not trust organizations that say they are the only one that knows the truth, and generally base that statement on the teachings of one person, or some people, instead of just God alone. They will say that God revealed truth outside of the Bible through a person, or people, so in order to know the whole truth one must also study the teachings of someone outside of the Bible. They will say that in order to understand what the Bible is saying, we must study the teachings of a person, or people, along with the Bible. Some of these organizations have their own versions of the Bible where they have either added something to the Bible, or taken something out - Revelation 22:18-19: (NIV)
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll."
Until you can check the scripture references, ask God in Jesus's name to always lead you to the truth, and trust that He will.
I think it is often easier if one starts reading the book of John (the Gospel of John) in the Bible and then continue on to the end. Then go back to the rest of the Gospels (Mathew, Mark, and Luke). Then read the Old Testament. Of course when the New Testament quotes an Old testament verse it is often beneficial to read that Old Testament verse but it does not always make sense until one knows more of the Bible.
In fact there probably will be a lot that you read that does not make sense. That is okay. God can only reveal to us what we can handle at any particular time. Do not try to figure it out. If you try to figure it out you risk coming to the wrong conclusion. Just keep reading and God will make sense out of it for you when you have read enough of what the Bible says to get the picture. In the meantime keep reading and live by what you do understand. I see the Bible as a big picture puzzle. The more pieces you have together the more clearly you understand the picture. And the pieces explain each other when you get enough of them. Just keep reading it so you can get more and more pieces. And it does not hurt to memorize as much of what you have read as you can. However do not make the mistake of thinking that because you have memorized scripture you then understand what you have memorized. When you memorize scripture you are only memorizing pieces of the picture puzzle. You may not yet have memorized enough pieces of a particular part of the picture to have an accurate understanding of what those memorized pieces are actually picturing. God will, by His Holy Spirit living in you, make sure you understand the concepts He wants you to know, if you stay in a humble attitude of depending on Him. In the meantime any mistakes you make are forgiven by Him.
The reason we have so many denominations and factions disagreeing with each other is because people think they can figure it out and therefore conclude they have reached the correct meaning of a scripture. But in truth they have jumped to an incorrect conclusion because they used their natural intellectual to try to figure out the meaning instead of humbly and patiently waiting for God to reveal the meaning to them. As Christians we are in the process of having God renew our minds Romans -12:1-2: (NIV)
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Be humble and patient and do as the scripture above says and keep reading the Bible. As God uses the scripture to renew your mind you will see what He is saying in His Word.
We now have two minds to deal with, the old self and the new self - Ephesians 4:22-24: (NIV)
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
Our old self cannot receive or believe the things of God because they are Spiritually discerned. But as Christians we have the mind of Christ so we can receive and believe the things of God - 1 Corinthians 2:13-16: (NIV)
"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,
'Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?'
But we have the mind of Christ."
So the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the understanding of scripture God wants us to have and live by in His perfect timing for us. As we get more and more of the pieces of the picture puzzle by just reading, each piece is another truth from the Bible that is part of our new self. As we "put on the new self" by believing that truth, and "put off the old self" by no longer believing what we thought before, our minds are being renewed. As God continues this process of renewing our minds we get more and more pieces of the picture. As we get more pieces God can show us the picture more clearly, and scriptures we read before but did not understand will make sense. We have so much division among Christians because instead of humbly waiting for God to renew our minds with enough scripture pieces for the picture to become clear so we can agree, we add concepts from our old-self that seem to make sense even though actual scripture does not describe the concept we are adding - Proverbs 14:12: (NIV)
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
If we try to "figure" out what the Bible means instead of just reading it, then we risk adding old-self concepts to what the scripture says and therefore come to the wrong conclusion. If you cannot understand what a scripture is saying just as it is, do not add your own thinking. Just keep reading on and trust that God will show you what a scripture means as you get more pieces of the scriptural picture. He will do this in His timing because He knows how much we can handle. In the meantime do not participate in the division of Christians by supporting one side or another. It is okay to admit one does not know something. We are not supposed to be in disagreement - 1 Corinthians 1:10: (NIV)
"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."
2 Corinthians 13:11: (NIV)
"Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you."
Here are some Bible concepts that help from the start:
God created us so that we would seek Him - Acts 17:24-28: (NIV)
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ "
Keep the truth of God in your mind - Colossians 3:1-4: (NIV)
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
Nothing can separate you from the love of God - Romans 8:38-39: (NIV)
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Remember what problems the Bible says we have without God:
We have minds and hearts that cannot understand the truth and cannot be trusted.
1 Corinthians 2:13-14: (NIV) "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit."
Proverbs 14:12: (NIV) "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
Proverbs 28:26: (NIV) "Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe."
Psalm 118:8: (NIV) "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans."
Jeremiah 17:5: (NIV) "This is what the Lord says: 'Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.'"
Jeremiah 17:9: (NIV) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
We are all sinners who will be judged - Romans 3:23: (NIV) "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
Isaiah 64:6: (NIV) "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."
Acts 17:30-31(the man in the following scripture is Jesus): (NIV) "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
1 John 1:8-10: (NIV) "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
We can trust God.
Jeremiah 17:7-8: (NIV) “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Psalm 62:1-2: (NIV) "Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."
Psalm 62:7-8: (NIV) "My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."
Matthew 19:26: (NIV) "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.' ”
Psalm 147:3-5: (NIV) "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit."
Jeremiah 23:24: (NIV) " 'Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?' declares the Lord. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the Lord."
1 Corinthians 10:13: (NIV) "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."
Ephesians 3:20-21: (NIV) "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."
2 Corinthians 9:8: (NIV) "And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work."
We are Christians because we believe in Jesus Christ, not because of how perfectly we perform.
Ephesians 2:8-9: (NIV) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."
Romans 4:4-6: (NIV) "Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:"
Remember that condemnation is no longer a part of our lives, including any condemnation from failing to obey the Old Testament Laws. We are already considered as perfect to God because God credits to us Jesus Christ's perfection.
Romans 8:1-4: (NIV) "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."
Galatians 5:1-6: NIV)"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."
Remember that we have repented of our sin and must continue to do so.
Romans 6: (NIV) "Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
1 John 2:3-6: (NIV) "We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did."
1 John 3:6: (NIV) "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him."
Galatians 5:13-26: (NIV) "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
Remember we received the Holy Spirit and now have the power to stop sinning.
John 14:15-17: (NIV)
"Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
'If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."
Romans 8:13-15: (NIV) "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father' .”
God changes us by making us a new person and then renews our mind.
Colossians 3:9-10: (NIV) "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."
2 Corinthians 5:17: (NIV) "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Galatians 2:20: (NIV) "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Romans 12:1-2: (NIV) "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
God will teach us what is sin and what is not sin (and more).
John 14:26: (NIV) "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
2 Timothy 3:16: (NIV) "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"
While we are learning what is sin, Jesus will keep us from being condemned when we do sin.
1 John 2:1-2: (NIV) "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
God intends to finish the work He started in us.
Philippians 1:3-6: (NIV) "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
We need to be sincere in our faith so that we act on what we believe.
James 2:18-26: (NIV) "But someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness', and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
Remember that because we still live in this natural body of flesh with its sinful nature, it is not automatic to think and feel like a Christian. We are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ. Because of our faith in Him He forgave and changed us, and by His Holy Spirit He lives inside us. But in order to not be fooled by our old-self, or the world (what non-Christians do and say), or the Devil - 1 Peter 5:8: (NIV) "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour", we need to do the work of learning the word of God (which is written down for us and presented to us by God through the Bible) - Hebrews 4:12: (NIV) "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.", and put off our old-self and put on our new self in Christ Jesus - 2 Corinthians 10:5: "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
This is our work. It is not what saves us, but doing this work is the proof of our faith. Our faith in God causes us to love God and that love compels us to do this work of obeying Him. We do not do this work reluctantly so that it is a heavy burden to us. We do it because, regardless of all the challenges, it is what we really want to do the most down deep inside. Because of God's wonderful grace, mercy, longsuffering, and patience; because of His forgiveness; because He has already counted us perfect due to reckoning to us Christ's perfection; because He takes care of our every need; because of the fact that while we are working on being perfect He forgives our failure to be perfect; because of all His help; because of all these truths, we can rest in God's perfect love, character, and provision while we are doing this work. Thus our yoke in God is easy and our burden is light compared to the heavy and wearying burdens that others would lay upon us.
Jesus says in - Matthew 11:29-30: (NIV)"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.”
Remember that we are forgiven, have a complete relationship with God as His children, and will spend eternity in Heaven with Him because we believe in Him. Believing in Him is also believing what the Bible says because the Bible is a collection of "words" that are from God. The Bible even refers to Jesus as the "Word" - John 1:1-4: (NIV) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind." John 1:14: (NIV) "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Remember that really believing in God and the Bible produces the work of trying as hard as one can to do what one knows the Bible says to do, because we love God and His ways more than anything else. It is important to know this because people who claim they are Christians but do not try as hard as they can to do what the Bible says, have a problem concerning the sincerity of their faith in God.
It is very important to live by what the Bible teaches about fellowship and friendship. God wants us to have fellowship with Him, and with other Christians. This fellowship only happens between people who are sincere in their faith. To have the fellowship God wants us to have, we have to fellowship with others who have "living faith" in Christ Jesus. Scripture at the beginning of this page has already warned us that there are those who call themselves Christians who will teach false doctrine. I have also explained from scripture how disagreement has divided Christians. This is why we must not just accept what we are being told but must check everything out. In the same way we must not blindly trust that someone who claims to be a Christian really is one. So just as we have to make sure that what we are being told is what the Bible actually teaches, we must use what the Bible teaches to make sure our fellowship is with real Christians. Christians who have living faith that causes them to strive to do what God says. We know by scripture already presented that Christians do not have to be perfect at practicing what the Bible teaches, but we know that real Christians will believe in obeying God, and will be doing all they can do to try to obey God. God tells us to have fellowship with these Christians when such fellowship is available and stay distant from the ones who say they are Christian but don't do all they can to obey God.
Hebrews 10:24-25: (NIV) "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.",
Ephesians 5:1-21: (NIV) "Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
'Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.'
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Do your best to find other real Christians to fellowship with. Do not worry if you cannot find any. There were people in the Bible who had times when they were the only one they knew of who really believed in God. God still gave them all they needed from Him. Just continue working on your relationship with God, ask Him to show you when, how, and where there are real believers to fellowship with, and keep searching for real Christians. When you find them, make sure you continue in fellowship with them as well as you can because if done correctly it will be very helpful.
Philippians 2:1-17: (NIV)
"Imitating Christ’s Humility
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you."
It is very important to do the best that you can do to make sure that the people you spend your time with have the correct influence on you.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18: (NIV)
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people'.
Therefore, 'Come out from them and be separate', says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.'
And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters' says the Lord Almighty.”
Psalms 1:1-2: (NIV) 'Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night."
Proverbs 13:20: (NIV) "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."
Galatians 1:6-19: (NIV) "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!"
Galatians 5:7-12: (NIV) "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 'A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.' I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!"
It is not always easy to separate oneself from those things and people that prevent us from being properly influenced. It is not always easy to separate oneself from those who are bad influences. But as scripture points out, we are influenced by those we spend time with. Since we have repented of the old-self and are working at putting the old-self off, we need to avoid all that we can that competes with doing this. Since we are working to live by what the Bible says we must do the best we can to avoid the influences that compete with doing that . Some are afraid of upsetting people. Some are afraid of hurting the feelings of people. Some think it is wrong to hurt or upset people. When it comes to a choice of doing what pleases people or what pleases God, God tell us to be God pleasers, not pleasers of people. Jesus Himself says that He came not to bring peace but instead came to bring division when it comes to the choice of believing God instead of believing people.
Matthew 10:32-38: (NIV) " 'Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me."
When it comes to a choice between being loyal to a person instead of God, God says to be loyal to Him first.
1 Samuel 15:24-25: (NIV) "Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.' "
Galatians 1:10: (NIV) "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Acts 5:29: (NIV) "Peter and the other apostles replied: 'We must obey God rather than human beings!' "
God disciplines us for our good.
Hebrews 12:4-11: (NIV)
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
'My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.'
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
Do not put a time frame concerning your growth towards being perfect at doing all that God says we should be. Just keep seeking Him and try to be doing your best. He will make it happen at the right pace. You can't lose as long as you believe in Him, so keep making your choice to believe Him.
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