How to Grow in Your Christian Walk

By Sheldon Newton
While becoming a christian is automatic, growing as a christian is not. The way to become a christian is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Accept that God so loved you that He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus to die for you and shed His precious blood to wash away all of your sins, and believe that God raised Him from the dead, according to the Bible. (John 3:16) Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and there it is, you are saved, according to the Bible. (Romans 10:9-13) That is all anyone needs to do to become a child of God. (John 1:12) However, after one receives Christ and is made a new person, he or she must now grow in the christian life. (2 Peter 3:18) And this takes time. It takes patience and perseverance. And it takes knowledge.

Many new believers in Christ are surprised when they realize that even though they have given their lives to Christ, they are not perfect. Some were of the opinion that giving our lives to Christ makes us instantly, "super saints", who never experience failure again. Then, when they find themselves encountering temptations of various sorts trying to allure them back to their old lifestyles, they become alarmed, and wonder if they are really a christian.

But we must realize that when we give our lives to Christ, we are born again, spiritually, and start life all over again. And just as we started out as natural babies, when we came into this world through the womb of our mothers, even so, we start out as baby Christians when we receive God's free gift of salvation.


2 Peter 2:2 

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby."

Seeing that we start out as baby Christians, even as a baby in the natural, it will take time to grow up in Christ. It will take feeding, effort and practice. But continually growing in the Lord will be an awesome experience, because everyday with Jesus Christ, drawing closer and closer to Him, will be an adventure that gets sweeter and sweeter and the path to true life, peace, joy and contentment will get brighter and brighter. 
Here are a few tips for developing in your walk with Jesus:


1. Read your Bible daily. 

Develop the habit of reading God's Word everyday. Make time for God. His Word is your spiritual food. Just as your outer man needs physical food for nourishment, even so your spirit needs the Word of God, so that you can develop spiritually. (Matthew 4:4, 2 Peter 3:18)
2. Pray daily. 

Practice God's Presence by speaking to Him about everything. Let God in on the affairs of your life. Acknowledge Him in all of your ways and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)






3. Find a church home that teaches the Word of God. 

It is vital that you find a good Bible-believing church, which teaches the deity and Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.You need to be around fellow Christians, so that you can learn from them and grow in the Lord. You need a good and goldy pastor, who will love you and instruct you in the things of Christ. Don't be a lone ranger. Yoke up with a christian fellowship and experience real growth in the Lord.


4. If you miss it, confess your sin. 

If you sin as a christian, don't run from God, run to Him and confess your sin to Him, in Jesus Name. (1 John 1:9) God will not chase you away because you messed up. He will not kick you outside of His Kingdom. He loves you, and knows that it will take time for you to grow and mature in Christ. As long as we are in the earth and in these bodies of flesh, it is possible for us to yield to the temptation to sin. But this is where the Advocacy Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ comes in. He paid the price for our sins. So we come to the Father God in His Name and receive forgiveness. I am not encouraging you to intentionally do something wrong. God forbid. Rather, I am just stating the fact that we may all miss it and if we do, God does not throw us away. Instead, He wants us to come to Him and admit that we have sinned, asking Him to forgive and cleanse us from that sin, and help us overcome it, living a life that pleases Him.

These are just a few principles for living and walking the christian life. There are many more tips and these shall be shared in another article. One of the main things you need to remember is to never quit. Never give up. Make up your mind that you will live for Jesus Christ, one day at a time, one step at a time. Ask daily for His grace, favor and help and you will be alright.

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