The moment someone I am sharing with receives Christ, I try to affirm and confirm what has just happened. I do this because when someone can testify unashamedly about the gospel, she's taken the first step in her new faith walk. For as Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
Just the other night I happened to call Jerry, a friend of mine. Jerry picked up the phone and said, “Bill! There's someone here I want you to meet. Brenda has some exciting news.”
As he handed Brenda the phone, I had to chuckle because I knew what was coming. I asked, “Brenda, how are you?”
She said, “I can't hear you. There's too much commotion here.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I just gave my life to Jesus!”
“How'd that happen?”
“I felt this emptiness in my life, even though my marriage was going well and my job was great. My girlfriend set up this meeting with Jerry. He had me read some Scriptures out loud, then he kept asking what they meant. That's when I realized how desperately I needed Christ.”
“May I ask you a couple of questions?”
Brenda laughed. “You too?”
“How many of your sins has Christ paid for?”
“All of them.”
“Do you know how many of your sins God remembers?”
“I think I do. None.”
I grinned. “You are absolutely right. Brenda, where does Jesus live?”
Joyfully, she answered, “He lives within my heart!”
What a moment of celebration! Brenda had indeed made a commitment to Christ. But notice, Jerry and I were not about to leave Brenda without following up. To abandon a new believer would be like leaving a baby in a blizzard. We needed to make sure we put Brenda on a path that would lead her to a deeper relationship with the Lord. The first step in helping a new believer start this process is to ask the questions I asked Brenda.
Questions and Directions for a New Believer
As you recall, the first question I asked was:
1. How many sins has Christ paid for?
I asked this because I wanted to make sure she understood, for her sake as well as mine. First John 2:2 says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” It is clear Christ died for all of us and all our sins.
When I heard her answer, “All!” to my question, I proceeded to the next question.
2. How many of your sins does Christ remember?
Her answer should be, “None.” You may want to remind the new believer that the Word, in Hebrews 10:17, says, “‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’”
It is important for the new believer to realize he is a new creation. Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
3. Where does Christ live?
The answer we are looking for is “within me.” Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
This is an important concept, and I want to be sure the new believer understands he or she has a relationship with Christ. I follow this question with another.
4. Let's pray.
I love to teach a new believer how to talk with God. I tell him, “Just say, ‘Heavenly Father,’ then tell him what's on your heart. When you're done say, ‘I ask all this in Jesus' name.’”
I have heard prayers last ten seconds to ten minutes. The length doesn't matter. What matters is that the process of prayer has begun.
5. Who has been praying for you?
I always ask a new believer, “Who has been praying for you?”
I find that 95 percent of the time she knows. She usually tells me it was her mother, father, grandmother, friend, coworker, family member, or schoolmate. I next ask:
6. Do you know where your friend goes to church?
I ask this because I want to affirm that the new believer's praying friend or family member goes to a Bible-based church and is a Bible-based Christian. If I find this to be so, I say:
7. Do you know your friend's phone number? Let's call him now!
If a telephone is convenient, I ask, “Do you have the phone number?”
We dial up that person right then. My friend, usually through tears, says something like, “I just thought I'd call and tell you I've just given my life to Jesus.”
Frequently, there is much rejoicing on the other end of the phone. This, of course, is one of the main reasons I have the new believer call. I'm trying to give joy back to the body of Christ. I want my joy to belong to everyone.
The other reason I have the new believer call is because I want him to share with someone else. I do this because it is important he shares his faith in Jesus Christ with others. For as Romans 10:9 says, “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.”
Also, Jesus himself said in Luke 9:26, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”
For these reasons alone, it is important to tell the good news of your salvation. Plus, I want my friend to become comfortable sharing what God has done in his life.
Alan is a good example of what can happen when a new believer is encouraged to share his faith. The first thing he did when he became a believer was to contact all three of his children. He went through the whole presentation with each one of them. Then, over the course of the next few weeks, he shared the gospel with a dozen different people!
Even what would have been opportunities for potential temptation he used as an opportunity to share the gospel. When a female friend called to tell him she was thinking about divorcing her husband and hinted she needed his comfort, he turned the conversation around and said, “May I ask you a question? Do you have any spiritual beliefs?”
By sharing his faith, he found this woman was a Christian, and he encouraged her to walk in the right way.
8. May I take you to church?
When your friend accepts Christ as his Savior, one of the most important things he needs to do is to become a part of a church fellowship. Not only is this important to the body of Christ; it is important for his own spiritual growth.
I met Holly several years ago. She had received Christ, and I had set her up with a good church under a good pastor. A few months later, she called me sobbing. “I'm in so much trouble; I'm eating out of a dumpster.”
I immediately called her pastor, and we met with Holly. As we talked, she turned her life back to Jesus. Thank goodness Holly had the support of a good pastor and a church that could reach out to her and help her get back on her feet.
A couple of years ago, I saw another example of a church and pastor making a difference in the lives of new believers. One Sunday morning after I preached, Carlton answered the altar call. The pastor and I did not realize he was there to give his life to Christ, because he was lost in a crowd gathered to repent from the sin of silence.
Carlton's new faith walk did not have an easy start. That afternoon his fiancée saw him talking with another woman. She pulled off her engagement ring and left the restaurant in tears. That night, Carlton came back to the seminar, a whipped puppy. He told the pastor, “I want to be committed to my new faith in Christ, but my life is falling apart.”
The first thing the pastor did was to clarify. “Do you really want God's will in your life? If you do, you will have to quit living with your fiancée.”
Carlton agreed to move out of Gail's apartment. The pastor helped him find another place to live and began to disciple him, meeting with him for prayer and Bible study. Gail couldn't help but notice Carlton's change of lifestyle and heart. Impressed, she listened to the pastor present the gospel and also received Christ as her Savior. Soon after, the pastor had the privilege of marrying Carlton and Gail in a simple ceremony. The bride's and groom's faces glowed with wedding day joy, which mingled with the joy of following Christ in obedience. Today, this couple is growing together in the Lord and reaching back to tell others the good news of Jesus Christ.
What a beautiful example of a church and pastor supporting a new believer. Your friend will also need support from the body of Christ. If your friend lives near you, you may ask, “May I take you to church?”
Please follow through with your offer. Pick up your friend for church the very next Sunday. This will help remove his fear of the unknown. Once at church, introduce your friend to the pastor. It is an honor to disciple a new believer in this way. You will be able to watch his joy grow as his faith deepens.
If your friend lives far away or can't attend your church, ask, “Would you feel more comfortable in a small or large church?”
You may have to do some research, but with a few phone calls you can find a Bible-believing church in his area that matches his preference for church size. If he has no preference, give him the name of a Bible-believing church near his home. Also, give your friend the name and number of the pastor.
Because I sometimes introduce a person to Christ when I'm out of town, visiting another city, I'm often not the one who gets to take this new believer to church for the first time. But that's OK because I can still help him start the process of finding a church home. Here's what I do:
So as you can see, even if you live far away from your friend, you can follow this procedure to help your friend find a church home.
9. Read the Gospel of John.
Soon after my friend becomes a believer, I give him an assignment, just as I gave to Brenda that night. I say, “I promise that when you read the Gospel of John tonight, it will seem different to you.”
Rereading the Word will seem different to a new believer because now it has meaning, whereas before it did not.
I want to make sure the new believer follows through with this assignment, so I say something like:
10. I will call you tomorrow to see if the Word became different.
Call back in a day or two to see if your friend has fulfilled your request. When he has, ask, “Did the Bible seem different?”
When he answers yes, say, “It may seem different, but the book didn't change. You did. You will start to notice other changes. For example, in the next day or two, you may find that some of the language from your old life may suddenly seem wrong. These are indicators Christ is living in you. You no longer live for yourself, but you live for Christ.”
Second Corinthians 5:15 says, “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
Why Follow Through to Make Disciples?
Why should we continue to do follow-up with the new believer? After all, her decision for Christ has already been made. Aren't we done? No, of course not. For one thing, Jesus commanded us to make disciples. Matthew 28:19–20 says, “‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
What is a disciple? First, a disciple is a born-again believer. And second, a disciple needs to grow in his relationship with Christ.
Think of it this way, the new believer is much like a baby. She needs a lot of care and feeding. Her growth to adulthood will come from time spent in prayer, reading God's Word, fellowship, worship, and service.
We have a responsibility to provide everything the new believer needs in order to grow.
My friend Jerry understands this principle. That is why he followed up and made sure that Brenda found a good Bible-believing church. Brenda's journey has just started. As she grows in her faith, she will find God's comfort and care as well as his guidance in the midst of life's best and toughest circumstances. What an exciting journey Brenda has ahead of her! And the greatest thing is now she is no longer alone.
In the next chapter, we will review how to respond to the thirty-six most common objections.
Review
After your friend comes to the Lord, ask the following questions. You may want to write these new believer questions and directions in your Bible as well: