Welcome to your new life
'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!' - 2 Corinthians 5:17
The old has gone, the new is here!' - 2 Corinthians 5:17
The Christian life can be likened to a building, whose chief cornerstone (or foundation) is Jesus Christ. As the building is raised up, God has seen fit to support and sustain it by means of four “spiritual pillars”: Bible - Prayer - Church - Witness
Each pillar is essential. If any one of the pillars begins to weaken, the entire structure will be endangered. The critical truth to keep in mind is this: If each of the four pillars of our Christian life remains strong and vibrant, the building will stand. Let’s look at each pillar in greater detail.
Each pillar is essential. If any one of the pillars begins to weaken, the entire structure will be endangered. The critical truth to keep in mind is this: If each of the four pillars of our Christian life remains strong and vibrant, the building will stand. Let’s look at each pillar in greater detail.
The BiblE
The Bible tells us that “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the preaching and reading of the word of God.” Romans 10:17. As you read God’s word “the Bible”, your faith is built up, and you are able to maintain a vital relationship with God. Jesus said: “the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63.
By drinking from His word, daily, we allow God to feed our spirit and reveal Himself to us, giving direction to our lives. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
It is important to put God’s word, what you read and what you hear preached into practice in your daily life. James writes in James 1:22: “But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Obeying in God’s word helps us to stay in right relationship with Him.
By drinking from His word, daily, we allow God to feed our spirit and reveal Himself to us, giving direction to our lives. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105
It is important to put God’s word, what you read and what you hear preached into practice in your daily life. James writes in James 1:22: “But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
Obeying in God’s word helps us to stay in right relationship with Him.
PRAYER
James 4:8 declares: “Draw near to God, and He will draw close to you.” This is a good picture of prayer. Prayer is talking to and listening to God. Proverbs 8:17 says: “I love them that love Me; and those that seek Me early shall find Me.”
It’s incredible that the Creator of the Universe, the One who made heaven and earth, desires to have relationship with us. He is a loving Father, and He wants us to come to Him at all times. We pray because we love Him, we pray because we are totally dependent upon Him.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean [rely] not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 When you pray, pray according to His will, and come to Him in faith, believing that every promise from God can be yours.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
The prayer of faith has the power to influence God, not only for personal needs, but also in the affairs of men and nations.
It’s incredible that the Creator of the Universe, the One who made heaven and earth, desires to have relationship with us. He is a loving Father, and He wants us to come to Him at all times. We pray because we love Him, we pray because we are totally dependent upon Him.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean [rely] not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 When you pray, pray according to His will, and come to Him in faith, believing that every promise from God can be yours.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
The prayer of faith has the power to influence God, not only for personal needs, but also in the affairs of men and nations.
The Church
Just as a new-born baby is birthed into a family, God places a new-born Christian into His church. “But now has God set the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him.” 1 Corinthians 12:18
Most often, the church that God has for you is the one that brought you to Christ. It is here that God provides a pastor to bring direction and accountability to your life, as well as nurturing relationships with fellow believers.
“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
The life-blood of the church is every believer actively involved in personal evangelism. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus instructed His disciples, saying: “...this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness [testimony] to all nations, and then shall the end come.”
The mission of the church is the winning of the lost.
Most often, the church that God has for you is the one that brought you to Christ. It is here that God provides a pastor to bring direction and accountability to your life, as well as nurturing relationships with fellow believers.
“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
The life-blood of the church is every believer actively involved in personal evangelism. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus instructed His disciples, saying: “...this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness [testimony] to all nations, and then shall the end come.”
The mission of the church is the winning of the lost.
The Witness
As He was about to be received up into heaven, Jesus spoke these parting words to His followers: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature [person].” Mark 16:15. This is the “Great Commission”, God’s marching orders to the Church. It is the heartbeat of God, a “holy calling”, to mobilise His people to give themselves fully to the work of evangelism. 2 Timothy 1:9. The apostle Paul, the greatest missionary-warrior of the early church, demonstrated that spirit, when he wrote:
“This one thing I do I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
“But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14
Paul’s passion for lost souls fills most of the New Testament. If we are to win souls to Christ, that same passion must be coupled with Godly wisdom. Proverbs 11:30 states: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.” The best way to learn the art of soul winning is to spend time with a skilful fisherman. The wisdom to win souls is gained in the doing. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19. Salvation (somebody getting saved), is a supernatural work of God, and it requires His supernatural power. Our mere words and reasoning alone will not get the job done.
The power that we need is found in the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”. It is not water baptism, but a baptism of God’s power and anointing for kingdom service. John the Baptist, as he prepared the way for the coming Saviour, prophesied of Jesus, saying: “I indeed baptise [immerse] you with water; but...He shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3:16. This is the supernatural ‘fire-power’ that God provides for every believer. In addition to power, God has also given us the means by which we are to spread the gospel.
THE MEANS IS PREACHING: A faithful witness who will declare the good news of Jesus Christ as often as he can. As we mentioned earlier, in Mark 1:15, when Jesus witnessed, He brought men to repentance and a saving faith in the gospel.
Paul declared the essence of the gospel when he said: “but we preach Christ crucified”, and Him risen from the dead. 1 Corinthians 1:23 & 15:1-4. This must be the focus of our witness, the preaching of the cross. Why? Because the Blood of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for the sins of mankind.
Do you desire to win souls to Christ? Then ask Him to give you a passion for souls. He says that He will make His ministers a “flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:7. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 This is the soul-winners reward!
The life that God has given us is valuable, far beyond all that we can understand or imagine. There is nothing more noble, more worthy, or more needful, that you can do with your life, than to search out and rescue precious souls from the damning fires of hell, and usher them into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ.
“This one thing I do I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
“But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14
Paul’s passion for lost souls fills most of the New Testament. If we are to win souls to Christ, that same passion must be coupled with Godly wisdom. Proverbs 11:30 states: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise.” The best way to learn the art of soul winning is to spend time with a skilful fisherman. The wisdom to win souls is gained in the doing. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19. Salvation (somebody getting saved), is a supernatural work of God, and it requires His supernatural power. Our mere words and reasoning alone will not get the job done.
The power that we need is found in the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”. It is not water baptism, but a baptism of God’s power and anointing for kingdom service. John the Baptist, as he prepared the way for the coming Saviour, prophesied of Jesus, saying: “I indeed baptise [immerse] you with water; but...He shall baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3:16. This is the supernatural ‘fire-power’ that God provides for every believer. In addition to power, God has also given us the means by which we are to spread the gospel.
THE MEANS IS PREACHING: A faithful witness who will declare the good news of Jesus Christ as often as he can. As we mentioned earlier, in Mark 1:15, when Jesus witnessed, He brought men to repentance and a saving faith in the gospel.
Paul declared the essence of the gospel when he said: “but we preach Christ crucified”, and Him risen from the dead. 1 Corinthians 1:23 & 15:1-4. This must be the focus of our witness, the preaching of the cross. Why? Because the Blood of Jesus Christ is the only remedy for the sins of mankind.
Do you desire to win souls to Christ? Then ask Him to give you a passion for souls. He says that He will make His ministers a “flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:7. “And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.” Daniel 12:3 This is the soul-winners reward!
The life that God has given us is valuable, far beyond all that we can understand or imagine. There is nothing more noble, more worthy, or more needful, that you can do with your life, than to search out and rescue precious souls from the damning fires of hell, and usher them into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ.