i chose jesus today, now what do I do?
Congratulations! You just made the best decision of your life. You chose Jesus today! You realized that you are a sinner and you believed that Christ is the one and only way of salvation. You confessed your faith in Jesus and asked Him to come into your heart and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness and sin. That act of choosing Jesus ensured that your name became registered as a citizen of heaven! Luke 10:20. Eternal life in heaven with Jesus is your final destination.
Your sins were forgiven when you chose Jesus
When you chose Jesus and became saved, He forgave you for all your past sins. The Bible explains that when we confess our sins before the Lord, He will forgive them and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. I John 1:9. That means that your slate has been wiped clean and every sin you committed before you became saved has been removed. They are gone! The Bible says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:12.
You became a child of God when you chose Jesus
When you chose Jesus, you became a part of God’s family and you are now His child. Jesus gave you His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – to live in your heart and guide you in your spiritual walk. Romans 8: 15-17. Apostle Paul said:
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:3-8.
As a child of God, you have become a new person with a new nature. Apostle Peter explained that the children of God are partakers of His divine nature and are no longer slaves to our sinful nature. II Peter 1:4. As partakers of His divine nature, your values and what you deem important will change and Christ will become the central focus of your life. Learning to be like Christ, learning to think like Christ, and learning to live like Christ is your goal. In his book, First Steps in a New Direction, Dr. Jack Van Impe wrote:
Don’t be frightened or dismayed. God is simply working out His plan for your life. You see, He has a special plan that only you can fulfill exactly the way He wants it fulfilled. Your love, testimony and service for Him will help others find the new life that you have found and be blessed as a part of God’s growing family.
You will not become perfect; you will still make mistakes; and you will still have sinful desires. While your past sins were forgiven, you still may have the desire to sin and you may continue to be tempted to return to your old way of living. Apostle Paul described this struggle as a war within his mind – the desire to sin contending with the desire to live in accordance with God’s word, the Bible. Romans 7:14-24. Paul explained, however, that Christ has freed us from the power of sin. Romans 8:1. Because the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us, we have to power to overcome sin and temptation. The Bible says, “The spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.” I John 4:4 NLT. If you slip up, then pray and ask for forgiveness. Learn from your mistake and move on. As you grow in your faith, read God’s word, and cultivate a robust prayer life, you will be able to overcome sin and withstand temptation. You will live to bear the fruits of the spirit rather than fulfill the lusts of the flesh:
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. Galatians 5:16-26 NIV.
Starting your new life with Christ
First, remember that choosing Jesus is something that we must do every minute of every day. We must choose to please and obey Him with every thought, every word, and every action. Ask yourself if it is something that Christ would approve. Make the right decision and choose Jesus!
Second, find a church that is rooted and grounded in the Word of God, the Bible. Regular church attendance is vital to spiritual growth. The Bible says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25. There are several things to look for in finding the right church. Dr. Van Impe provides some factors to consider:
- Does the preaching center on the cross and the blood of Christ?
- Is an invitation of salvation given at the end of each service? Are people being saved?
- Is there an emphasis on the soon return of Christ?
- Is Christian love evident?
- Is holy living a theme frequently proclaimed by the pastor or minister?
Third, study your Bible! The Word of God will help you grow in your spiritual walk and will lead you along the path God has set before you. The Bible says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalms 119:105. NLT. Read your Bible daily to learn God’s standard of holiness, to gain spiritual strength, and to live a life that is victorious over sin. If the King James Version of the Bible is difficult to understand, consider the New International Version or the New Living Translation. These versions, use modern English and may be easier for you to comprehend. Better still, consider a parallel bible that features several translations in a side-by-side format. See the Resources page for suggestions. Visit the Daily Bible Reading Plans page and select a plan to guide you as you delve into God's word. The "The Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ - The Gospels in 60 Days" plan is a good starting point.
Fourth, pray, pray, pray! Talk to Jesus every day and throughout the day. There is no special skill required. Just talk to Him. Thank Him for dying for you. Acknowledge His power and majesty. Ask Him to help you walk in His likeness. Pray that He will forgive all the wrong things you may be doing. Ask Him to supply all that you need. Pray for others. Most importantly, pray for the coming of His Kingdom and that His will be done. Jesus provided a model prayer in Matthew 6, and that prayer contains all the elements that we ought to pray daily. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. I Thessalonians 5:17. To learn how to structure your prayers, visit the Bible Study "The Lord's Prayer Applied" and "Sermon on the Mount, Part 9: Ask, Seek, Knock - God's Framework for Prayer" on the Bible Studies page. Also, visit the Daily Prayer Guide and Requests page for our featured prayer of the month and for a list of items to include in your daily prayers.
Lastly, tell others to choose Jesus today! Now that you have partaken of this wonderful gift of salvation, tell others about it. Be an example of holiness. You are a new person, and people should be able to see that in the way you live. Help others, and live a life in service to Christ.
For help getting started with daily Bible study and prayer, visit the Daily Bible Reading Plans page and the Daily Prayer Guide and Requests page.
Note: This lesson contains excerpts from the booklet “First Steps in a New Direction” by Dr. Jack Van Impe. To request a free copy of the booklet, write to Jack Van Impe Ministries, P.O. Box 7004, Troy, Michigan, 48007. The booklet is free.
Download a copy of this Bible Study: I Chose Jesus Today Now What Do I Do? (Adobe Reader needed)
God bless!