HOW DO I FOLLOW JESUS CHRIST?
FOLLOWING
We make decisions about life every day. Those decisions are often rooted in our own desires, with little or no concern for our Creator’s design and purpose. Those selfish decisions, called “sin,” bring destruction, ruin, and separation from God (Matthew 7:13). BUT, God has made you with purpose! Jesus tells us to put away our selfish desires and follow Him every day (Luke 9:23). He called His first disciples saying, “Follow Me.” That is the commitment God is inviting you to begin today! Follow Him and discover a new life and purpose (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 7:13). Let me explain how to make this important decision.
ADMIT
Admit that you have sinned. Sin means we have “missed the mark” of perfection by disobeying God and make selfish decisions – doing what we want instead of what He has told us is best for us. Every single person has sinned, and sin separates us from God spiritually and eternally – that is called death.
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Romans 3:23, NIV
“For the wages of sin is death…” Romans 6:23a, NIV
BELIEVE
Believe that God loves you! He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sins and raised Him from the dead, to prove He is God and to give eternal life. Jesus came to earth through a supernatural birth, lived a perfect life, and sacrificed Himself as the payment for our sins. You cannot “earn” or “deserve” God’s forgiveness. He died for you and paid your debt!
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, NIV
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16, NIV
CONFESS
Confess means to admit or say something that is true. You need to confess that Jesus is your “Lord.” (Lord means King, Master, or God.) By confessing Jesus as Lord, you are committing to follow Jesus in obedience by giving Him control of your life, so He can transform you by His power. When you make this confession, you will be “saved.” Saved from the destruction and separation sin has caused. God will forgive your sin and give you a new life, purpose, and eternal life with Him.
“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9, NIV
If you are ready to make this commitment to follow Jesus as your “Lord,” we encourage you to verbally speak that confession. For example, “Jesus, I believe you died on the cross for my sins and rose again. I confess that you are the Lord of my life. I will follow you from now on.”
NEXT
Your next step is to make your decision public by being baptized, studying and learning God’s will for you, and becoming a part of a spiritual community (church) that will help and encourage you (Matthew 28:18-20). IBC would love to help you learn to follow Jesus Christ! It’s important that you learn how to take your next steps. You will find our staff contact information on this web page. Email Pastor Matt - takingthecross@hotmail.com, Pastor Sam - aloveforChrist@gmail.com, or call the church office at 580-363-5058 between 9 AM and 2 PM, Monday through Friday.
We meet on Sunday at 10:30 AM for worship, which is also livestreamed, and we would love for you to come and get connected!