What Every New Believer Should Understand about God

God is holy. To be holy means to be set apart, and for us that means that we are to be set apart from sin. Sin cannot stand in God’s presence; that’s why whenever you encounter God’s presence, you realize your own sinfulness.

Since God is holy, he wants us to live holy as well. This means we separate ourselves from things in our lives that can lead us into sin. Sometimes these things will be obvious, and sometimes they may be more subtle. As you build your relationship with God, understanding he is holy affects the choices you make and the manner in which you live your life.

Holiness matters. It always has and it always will.

Let’s be honest. Thinking about the holiness of God, trying to live holy, or even God wanting to work through you can feel scary and even intimidating. It would be if you had to do this all on your own, but you don’t.

There is something God knows about you and me, and that is without his help this Christian life becomes impossible to live. That’s why he sent us help.

When God saves you, he places his Spirit inside you. This becomes your source of strength and the well you draw from in order to live how he wants you to live. Not only does the desire to live holy come from the Holy Spirit, but the ability to live holy as well.

God’s desire is to mold your life and character into the image of Christ. His goal is that when people see you, they will see Jesus. But he also knows the only way this will happen is because of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

This should bring you comfort and reassurance because your responsibility is not to figure out how to do this all yourself. Instead, you must learn how to yield to the Holy Spirit so he can do more in you and through you. When you live in this way, you are living exactly the way God wants you to live.

If you are a new believer, congratulations! Or better yet, welcome to the family.

As someone who has walked this journey for many years, it is an amazing journey. There are so many things you will learn about God along the way, but here is the one thing that has characterized my journey with the Lord, and I want to leave this with you. God will be faithful to you. His love, his never giving up on you, even giving you the Holy Spirit, are all emblems that point to his faithfulness.

I have not walked this journey perfectly and have made many poor choices. Yet despite that God has always been faithful to me. I trust as you begin this new journey, he will prove himself faithful to you as well because that is who he is.

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Clarence L. Haynes Jr. is a dynamic speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club, dedicated to helping people live with purpose and clarity. In addition to his ministry work, Clarence has spent the last 13 years as a trusted financial educator, guiding thousands of people across the country—including employees at many Fortune 500 companies—toward lasting financial wellness. His unique ability to blend practical wisdom with spiritual insight equips people to thrive in every area of life.

He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.