You Have Believed in the Lord Jesus Christ — What Comes Next?
If you have placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for your salvation — then congratulations from the bottom of our heart! You are now a child of God and you have eternal life guaranteed by His promise that never changes. You will never perish and no one will snatch you out of the hand of the Lord. Your salvation is not conditioned on your future works — but it is a free gift sealed by the seal of the Holy Ghost forever. But faith is not the end of the journey — it is its beginning. You are now like a newborn child — alive and healthy but you need to grow. God does not want you to remain a spiritual infant throughout your life — but He wants you to grow and become strong and know Him more and become a mature person in your faith. How does this growth happen? The King James Bible gives you clear and practical steps.
This verse reveals a deep truth from among the truths of God. The King James Bible contains countless treasures of divine wisdom, and every verse is like a precious gem with multiple facets that shine with different meanings the more you meditate on it. Meditate on the words of this verse with patience, read it again and again, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you the truth it contains. The King James Bible is not a book for quick reading but for deep meditation. Every word in it is inspired by God for your benefit and for the growth of your faith. When you read with a humble heart and an open mind, the Holy Ghost opens to you treasures you could never have seen before. Make the meditation of the King James Bible a daily habit in your life, and you will find yourself growing in the knowledge of God more and more.
First — Read the King James Bible Every Day
This is the most important step of all — and without it you will never grow. The King James Bible is the food of your spirit — just as your body needs food every day to remain strong and healthy, your spirit needs the Word of God every day to grow and become strong. If you neglect bodily food you will grow weak and fall ill — and if you neglect the Word of God you will grow spiritually weak and become vulnerable to falling into sin and being deceived by false teachings. The King James Bible compares this to children's milk.
"Desire" — not read out of compulsion and duty but desire — meaning that you long for the Word of God as a hungry infant longs for his mother's milk. This longing does not come immediately at first — but it grows the more you read. Begin even if you do not feel the desire — and you will discover that the desire comes with practice. Where do you start? Begin with the Gospel of John — read it from this website. The Gospel of John is the clearest book that explains who the Lord Jesus Christ is and why He came. Read one chapter every day — about ten minutes of your time. You do not need long hours — consistency is more important than quantity. To read ten minutes every day regularly is far better than to read for one hour and then stop for weeks. Before you read — pray a short sincere prayer: "O God, open my eyes to behold wondrous things in Thy Word. Help me to understand what I read and apply it to my life." And the Holy Ghost who dwells in you will help you understand what you read and will make the words come alive in your heart as if they were written for you personally.
After the Gospel of John — read the letter to the Romans then the letter to the Ephesians then the rest of the New Testament. Then begin the Old Testament. And the goal is to read the whole King James Bible — all 66 books — because every book in it teaches you something about God and about yourself and about your life.
Second — Pray Every Day
Prayer is the cord that ties you to God daily — it is your personal conversation with your Heavenly Father. You do not need memorised words or a special language or rituals — speak with God simply and honestly as you speak with someone you love and trust. What do you say in your prayer? Thank God every day for His salvation and His love and for every blessing in your life — even the small things we consider ordinary like health and family and food and shelter. Confess your mistakes to Him — do not hide anything from Him because He already knows everything — and ask for His help to overcome your weaknesses. Ask for His guidance in your decisions and His power for your day and His wisdom for your problems. And pray for others — your family and friends and neighbours and those who do not yet know the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask God to open their hearts to the truth.
Notice the astonishing promise attached to prayer: when you pray instead of worrying — God gives you a peace that surpasses all human understanding. A peace you cannot explain and cannot manufacture yourself — that guards your heart and your thoughts in the midst of all the pressures and problems of life.
"Pray without ceasing" does not mean you spend your whole day kneeling — it means that you are in a state of continuous communication with God throughout your day. Like a phone line that is always open — as you work you thank Him, as you drive you ask His protection, as you face a problem you ask His wisdom, as you see a person in need you pray for him. Prayer is a way of life and not an event you do once and finish.
Third — Seek a Church That Teaches the King James Bible
Do not walk alone in the journey of faith — God did not design you to live in spiritual isolation. You need other believers to encourage you and teach you and pray with you and walk with you in difficult times. Seek a local church with these characteristics: it believes in the whole King James Bible as the inerrant Word of God and does not add to it. It believes that the Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. It believes in salvation by grace through faith alone without works. It believes in the eternal security of the believer. It teaches the King James Bible faithfully from the pulpit and does not replace it with human opinions.
Not every church teaches the truth — so examine what you hear by the standard of the King James Bible. If you hear a teaching that contradicts what you read in the King James Bible — then the King James Bible is the final judge and not the preacher or the priest or the tradition.
Fourth — Be Baptised in Water
Baptism is not a condition for salvation — you were saved by faith alone at the moment you believed. But it is an important step of obedience that the Lord Jesus Christ asks of every believer. Baptism is complete immersion in water — symbolising your death with Christ and the burial of your old life and your resurrection with Him in a new life. It is a public testimony before people that you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and that you belong to Him. Ask your local church to baptise you at the earliest opportunity.
This verse reveals a deep truth from among the truths of God. The King James Bible contains countless treasures of divine wisdom, and every verse is like a precious gem with multiple facets that shine with different meanings the more you meditate on it. Meditate on the words of this verse with patience, read it again and again, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you the truth it contains. The King James Bible is not a book for quick reading but for deep meditation. Every word in it is inspired by God for your benefit and for the growth of your faith. When you read with a humble heart and an open mind, the Holy Ghost opens to you treasures you could never have seen before. Make the meditation of the King James Bible a daily habit in your life, and you will find yourself growing in the knowledge of God more and more.
Fifth — Tell Others What God Has Done in Your Life
Do not keep the good news to yourself alone — God did not save you to live in silence but to be a witness for Him before people. Tell your family and friends and acquaintances and colleagues what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in your life. You do not need to be a scholar in theology or a professional preacher or a memoriser of the whole King James Bible — all you need is to tell them honestly what you were before you believed and how you believed and what changed in your life after faith. Your personal story is the most powerful testimony — because no one can argue with your personal experience.
Do not fear people's reaction — some will accept and some will refuse and some will mock. But your responsibility is to witness — and the results are in the hand of God. And remember that someone witnessed to you one day and because of his witness you heard the truth and believed — and now you can be that person for another human being.
Sixth — Flee from Sin — Motivated by Love, Not Fear
Your salvation is guaranteed and you will never lose it — but this does not mean that sin has no effect on you. Sin does not cancel your salvation but it disrupts your practical fellowship with God and steals your peace and joy and prevents you from spiritual growth. Like a son who angers his father — he remains his son but the relationship is strained and the joy disappears until he apologises and makes things right. When you sin — and you will sin sometimes because you are still in a weak human body — do not despair and do not think you have lost your salvation. But confess to God immediately without delay — and ask for His help to overcome this weakness.
Notice that this confession is to God directly — not to a human priest. And that God is "faithful and just" — meaning that His forgiveness is not arbitrary but built on His faithfulness and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the full price. But the goal is not only to confess after every sin — but to grow gradually in overcoming sin. The Holy Ghost who dwells in you gives you a power you did not have before faith — power to resist temptation and choose what is right. This does not happen overnight — but it is a gradual process that extends throughout your life.
Seventh — Trust in God in All Times — Even the Difficult Ones
The Christian life is not free from problems and difficulties and pain. You may face illness or loss of employment or the death of a dear one or persecution because of your faith or doubts that attack your mind or temptations that press upon you. These are natural things in the life of every believer — the Lord Jesus Christ Himself said to His disciples: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." — John 16:33. He did not say "you will face no tribulation" — but He said "ye shall have tribulation." But He added: "Be of good cheer — I have overcome the world." Meaning that difficulties will come — but the Lord is stronger than every difficulty and He is with you in every one of them. He will not leave you and will not forsake you and will not forget you — even in the darkest and most difficult moments He is by your side carrying you and strengthening you and giving you peace in the midst of the storm.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding" — meaning that in the times when you do not understand what is happening and do not know why God allows this suffering — trust Him despite not understanding. You do not need to understand everything — you need to trust the One who understands everything. God sees the complete picture and you see only a small part of it. Trust Him — and you will see in the end that He was working for your good even in the times when you thought He had forgotten you.
"All things" — not only the good things but all things including the difficult and the painful — "work together for good." God takes even the bad things in your life and uses them for your good. You may not see this now — but you will see it one day and will thank Him for everything He allowed.
The Promise That Carries You From Beginning to End
I close this article with the greatest promise a new believer can hear — a promise that carries him from the very first moment of his faith to the last moment of his life and into eternity.
God is the one who began the work of salvation in you — and not you. And He Himself will complete this work — and not you. You are not responsible for keeping your own salvation — God is the one who keeps you. You are not responsible for completing yourself — God is the one who completes you. Your role is to trust Him and obey Him and follow Him — and He takes care of the rest with His wisdom and power and love that never ends. You will fall sometimes — but He will raise you up. You will be weak sometimes — but He will strengthen you. You will doubt sometimes — but He will establish you. You will stray sometimes — but He will bring you back. Because He who began a good work in you — He is faithful to complete it. God is with you in every step — from the very first day of your faith to the day when you see Him face to face in His glory. He will not leave you and will not forsake you and will not forget you. Trust Him and continue growing — day by day and step by step — and you will see how God transforms you from glory to glory by His Holy Ghost dwelling in you.
Begin today — read the Word of God and pray and seek a church and tell people about the Lord Jesus Christ. The journey is long and beautiful — and God is with you in every moment of it.
Seven Essential Means of Spiritual Growth
Many believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and then remain spiritual infants for years because they do not know how to grow. Spiritual growth is not automatic — it requires the practice of the means of grace that God has provided. Here are seven essential means without which there is no true growth.
The first means — daily feeding on the Word of God. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." — 1 Peter 2:2. The King James Bible is your daily spiritual food. Just as your body cannot live without food for a week, your spirit cannot grow without the Word of God daily. Read daily, even if only a little. Consistency is more important than quantity. A quarter of an hour every day is better than two hours once a week. Begin with the Gospel of John then Romans then the Psalms. Read, meditate, act on what you learn.
The second means — continuous prayer. "Pray without ceasing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Prayer is the breathing of your spirit. You cannot live without breathing, and your spirit cannot grow without regular prayer. "Without ceasing" does not mean you pray for 24 hours without stopping, but that your whole life is in a state of awareness of the presence of God. Speak to Him while driving, while working, while eating. Thank Him for the small blessings. Ask for wisdom before decisions. Share your joys and sorrows with Him.
The third means — joining a biblical local church. The isolated believer does not grow. God designed spiritual growth to happen in the framework of the congregation of believers. Commit to a biblical local church. Attend its meetings regularly. Sit under the teaching of the King James Bible. Build relationships with its members. This framework is necessary for your growth. The coal isolated from the fire cools. And the believer isolated from the congregation of believers cools spiritually.
The fourth means — confessing sin immediately when it occurs. Sin that is accumulated and unconfessed hinders spiritual growth. The King James Bible promises: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." — 1 John 1:9. Make it your habit to confess to God your specific sins immediately when they occur. Do not wait until evening or Sunday. Deferred sin grows and darkens the heart. But immediate confession keeps your heart clear and sensitive to the voice of the Holy Ghost.
The fifth means — memorising verses of the King James Bible. Reading the King James Bible alone is not enough. You need to memorise verses to have them with you everywhere. The King James Bible declares: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." — Psalm 119:11. Memorised verses are a spiritual weapon. In temptation, the Holy Ghost recalls them to your mind and frees you. In fear, He comforts you with a verse. In decision, He guides you with a verse. Begin by memorising one verse per week. In a year, you will have fifty verses in your memory. This is a spiritual treasure beyond price.
The sixth means — serving others. The believer who serves grows faster than the believer who limits himself to spiritual consumption. The Lord Jesus Christ taught a revolutionary principle: "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister." — Matthew 20:26. Serve in your local church in any service. Serve the needy around you. Serve your family with love. Serve your work colleagues with faithfulness. This service shapes your character into the likeness of Christ. You cannot grow spiritually while refusing service. Growth and service are inseparable.
The seventh means — preaching the Gospel. Faith that is not declared weakens. When you witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ, your own faith is strengthened. Practise evangelism regularly. Begin with your close circle — family, friends, colleagues. Do not fear their rejection. Your faithfulness to God is more important than people's acceptance. And every soul you win for Christ is an eternal treasure.
Barriers to Spiritual Growth
If you are practising these means and not seeing growth, perhaps there are barriers in your life. Consider four common barriers. The first barrier: hidden sin. A sin you hide and justify hinders the work of the Holy Ghost in you. Confess it and leave it. The second barrier: bad companions. "Evil communications corrupt good manners." — 1 Corinthians 15:33. Review your relationships. Do they pull you toward God or away from Him? The third barrier: negative media. The films and content you watch shapes your thinking. Do not feed your mind with impurity and expect a pure heart. The fourth barrier: unforgiveness. Bitterness toward a person imprisons your heart. Forgive those who wronged you. You will not grow spiritually while carrying bitterness.
Seven Means of Spiritual Growth — How to Mature as a Believer
The new birth is the beginning, not the end. Just as an infant needs to grow to become an adult, the new believer needs to grow to become mature. And the King James Bible reveals seven essential means of spiritual growth.
The first means — daily feeding on the Word of God. "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." — 1 Peter 2:2. The King James Bible is your daily spiritual food. Just as your body cannot live without food for a week, your spirit cannot grow without the Word of God daily. Read daily, even if only a little. Regularity is more important than quantity. A quarter of an hour every day is better than two hours once a week. Start with the Gospel of John, then Romans, then the Psalms. Read, meditate, act on what you learn.
The second means — continuous prayer. "Pray without ceasing." — 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Prayer is the breathing of your spirit. You cannot live without breathing, and your spirit cannot grow without prayer. "Without ceasing" does not mean you pray for 24 hours, but that your whole life is in a state of awareness of the presence of God. Speak to Him while driving, while working, while eating. Thank Him for small blessings. Ask for wisdom before decisions. Share your joys and sorrows and questions and fears with Him.
The third means — fellowship with believers. Christianity is not an individual sport. God designed us for fellowship. You need mature believers to guide you, peers to walk with you, younger believers to encourage. Isolation dries up the spirit. Fellowship refreshes and nurtures.
The fourth means — practical service. "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another." — 1 Peter 4:10. God gave every believer a spiritual gift to serve the body. Discover your gift. Are you a teacher? A servant? An encourager? A giver? A shepherd? Use your gift. Spiritual growth does not happen through consumption alone but through giving. The more you serve, the more you grow.
The fifth means — corporate worship. Sunday worship is not a social obligation but a spiritual necessity. In corporate worship, you experience the presence of God in a way you cannot experience alone. Praising with other believers, hearing the Word of God proclaimed, participating in the Lord's Supper — all of this feeds your spirit in unique ways.
The sixth means — witnessing for Christ. The Christian who does not witness for the Lord Jesus Christ does not grow. Witnessing forces you to be clear in your faith, to know what you believe, to defend the truth. Every time you witness, God deepens your understanding of the Gospel even further.
The seventh means — suffering borne patiently. This surprises many, but it is a biblical truth: "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." — 1 Peter 4:13. Suffering is God's tool for deepening your faith. In comfort, you forget God. In tribulation, you cling to Him. Every tribulation you pass through teaches you lessons you cannot learn any other way. Do not pray for tribulations, but do not flee from them when they come. Be confident that God uses them for your good.
Barriers to Spiritual Growth — What You Must Avoid
Just as there are means of growth, there are barriers you must avoid. The first barrier — tolerated sin. Any sin you allow to remain in your life hinders your growth. There is no "small" sin you can tolerate. The small tolerated sin opens the door to a larger sin. Confess and repent immediately. The second barrier — bad friends. "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." — 1 Corinthians 15:33. Your environment shapes you. If all your companions are unbelievers, you will descend with them. This does not mean you cut off all relationship with them — you need to be with them to witness to them. But your deepest friendships must be with strong believers who build you up spiritually. The third barrier — self-sufficiency. The feeling that you have "arrived" kills growth. The greatest saints always felt they were at the beginning of the journey. The apostle Paul said near the end of his life: "I count not myself to have apprehended" (Philippians 3:13). If you ever feel you are mature enough, remember that you are still at the beginning. The fourth barrier — excessive busyness. "I have no time" is a common excuse but it is deceptive. You have 24 hours a day like every other person. The question is not whether you have time, but how you order your priorities. If God is your first priority, you will find the time for reading His Word and praying and attending church. If you do not find the time, your problem is not time but priorities.
An Invitation to Receive Divine Salvation — Accept The Lord Jesus Christ as Your Personal Saviour
Dear reader — if these words have touched your heart and you have recognised that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, know that God is calling you to Himself in this very moment. You do not need a priest, or a human mediator, or a holy place, or rituals or works. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price on the cross, and the promise of God is certain and clear:
What saves you is not the words of this prayer — but the faith in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead. But if you want to express your faith in sincere words, read this prayer with a humble heart as though you are speaking to the living God:
The Prayer of Salvation
"O Great, Holy, and Loving True God,
I come to You now with complete humility, confessing that I am a sinner. I have broken Your commandments many times in my thoughts, in my words, and in my deeds. I know that my sin deserves eternal death and eternal separation from You. I have no good work I can offer that is able to redeem my soul, and no righteousness of my own to cover my nakedness before Your holiness.
But I believe with all my heart in the testimony of Your Word that Your only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins — bearing in my place the punishment I deserved. I believe that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, alive and victorious over death and the grave, and that He is alive now unto the ages of ages.
In this blessed moment, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I trust in Him alone — not in my works, not in my religion, not in rituals or any person or angel or saint. On the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and on His precious blood shed on the cross, I build the hope of my eternal salvation.
I thank You, my Father, that You have now received me in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have forgiven all my sins, and have given me eternal life as a free gift by Your grace. I thank You that You have sent Your Holy Ghost to dwell in my heart, bearing witness to me that I have become Your child. Give me grace to know You more day by day, and to live the rest of my life for Your glory alone.
I pray all this in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
After You Have Prayed — What Now?
If you prayed this prayer from a truly believing heart, the greatest miracle in all your history has happened in this moment: you have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God. You have become a child of the living God, and God's own promise guarantees this to you in His trustworthy Word:
Notice the power of this promise: "gave he power" — a settled right, guaranteed, not a wish or a possibility. And notice "them that believe on his name" — not "those who performed great deeds," not "those who completed rituals," but simply "them that believe." You are now one of them — with absolute certainty.
Here are five simple steps to establish you in your new life with the Lord Jesus Christ:
First — Read the King James Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of John, then continue through the rest of the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs. God speaks to you through His Word as a father speaks with his son. Do not read quickly — read with meditation and prayer. "The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Second — Pray every day. Speak to God as a loving Father — not with memorised words, but with words from your heart. Share with Him your joys and sorrows and questions and fears. Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Third — Join a Bible-believing church. Do not walk this road alone. Faith grows in the fellowship of believers, where the Word is preached faithfully and baptism and the Lord's Supper are practised according to the King James Bible. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
Fourth — Be baptised according to the King James Bible. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience after faith. It is a public declaration that you died with the Lord Jesus Christ and were buried with Him and rose with Him to a new life. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its natural fruit.
Fifth — Witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. What you have experienced of salvation and love cannot remain hidden. Begin with your family and friends. Tell them simply and honestly how the Lord Jesus Christ changed your life. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3).
And finally, remember always that your salvation is not built on your feelings or on any work you perform — but on the unchanging promise of God:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
Notice: "that ye may know" — not "that ye may hope," not "that ye may wish," not "that ye may wait in anxious fear." But that ye may know with complete, unshakeable certainty that you have eternal life. This is the difference between all the world's religions and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: religions say "work and perhaps you will be saved" — and the Word of God alone says: "believe and know that you are saved."
✉ Share Your Testimony of Salvation
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." — Luke 15:10