9 Essentials Every New Believer Must Know

9 Essentials Every New Believer Must Know

I remember the day I brought home our first-born child from the hospital. While it felt completely natural to hold our daughter in my arms, I was a little overwhelmed that the doctors and nurses trusted my husband and I to know how to care for a tiny baby. After all, parenting is pretty much learned through “on the job” training. No matter how many books you read, blogs you follow, or advice you get, when a new baby arrives, you just have to dive in, even when you know you’re in over your head.

Imagine how the baby feels!

He or she has been rudely uprooted from a cozy environment where their every need was met instantly, sounds were muted, and they were gently rocked to sleep by their mother’s movements and the reassuring sound of her heartbeat. They have been thrust into the bright lights of a delivery room filled with strange noises, sharp smells and what probably feels like the North Pole after the warmth of the womb. Prodded and poked, their lungs fill with air for the first time, and they let out a loud cry to express their discomfort. A newborn infant is instantly called on to adjust to a completely new way of life, and it is the parents’ obligation and responsibility to help them navigate it successfully.

The analogy of a newborn baby is a perfect illustration for what happens when a person comes to know Christ and experiences salvation. They are given a “new life” and they must be nurtured and cared for by mature believers (spiritual parents). They must be taught a new way to think and act, and new ways of responding to their thoughts, feelings, and desires. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in a new believer and leads them into truth, but having a mentor or teacher to walk alongside us in our spiritual journey is vital to a growing faith that will persevere and mature.

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What, Exactly, Does a New Believer Need to Know?

Here are nine basic topics that will help establish and equip a new believer in the faith. Each topic could be expanded on in great detail, but this article will simply introduce the basic concepts of faith in each area of focus. If you are a new believer, studying what God’s Word says about each point listed below will give you a good foundation to start your walk with Christ. If you are a mature believer, a refresher course is always helpful to strengthen your faith; this list is also a good guide for discipling a younger Christ-follower.

1. Assurance of Salvation

1 John 5:11-13 – “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Many Christians spend years wrestling with the assurance of their salvation. This is an issue that must be settled first and foremost with those who would be discipled as a believer. When a baby is born, there is no question that he has arrived. Just as physical birth is a clear event that happens at a moment in time, so, too, salvation happens when a person is born again by the Spirit of God. 

Assurance of salvation comes from a clear presentation and understanding of what salvation really is. As human beings, we respond to God through our intellect, our emotions, and our will. When we are presented with the gospel, the Spirit of God enlightens our mind to understand the facts of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection and our own lost and sinful state before God. Depending on our personalities, we may respond with our emotions, but ultimately it is the surrender of the will to the Lordship of Christ and placing our faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins that results in salvation. The assurance of salvation comes when we hear the gospel, respond by faith, and take God at His word.

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Woman pointing up towards God

2. The Character of God

John 4:24 – “God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God is not like us. New believers must grasp this truth and begin to discover through Scripture the immutable attributes and character of God, so that they can properly worship Him for who He truly is. The study of God’s character undergirds all other topics in this list.

For instance, if we do not know that God is perfectly holy, we will fail to understand the impact of continuing in sin. If we do not believe that He is sovereign and all-powerful, we will spend our lives in fear and worry. We will never exhaust the study of God. Beginning our Christian lives with a pursuit of discovering who He has revealed Himself to be in Scripture is key to our growth.

3. The Bible

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

A firm belief in the authority of God’s Word and an increasing knowledge of its contents is imperative for a new believer. A desire for and an ability to understand the Bible is one key evidence that a person truly has been saved. The Bible is our source of wisdom for life and is far more than just a book of rules or instructions. It is the written revelation of God Himself.

The Bible is comprised of 66 books, written by 40 authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over a period of 1,500 years, and preserved for nearly 2,000 years. A new believer must learn to read it, study it, meditate on it, memorize it, and apply it to every aspect of life.

Want to learn more about how to read the Bible? Click here.

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Group of friends praying together

4. Prayer

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Salvation is the beginning of a relationship between men and God; relationship implies communication. God speaks to us through the Bible; we speak to God in prayer. New believers are often intimidated to pray and must be encouraged and taught to approach God often, in humility and confidence.

When Jesus died on the cross, the temple veil was torn in two from top to bottom, indicating that the way into God’s presence was now open to those who come through Christ. Prayer is both a privilege and a responsibility for believers and essential for spiritual growth. We must teach new believers to pray.

Curious about how to get started praying? Click here.

5. The Spirit-Filled Life

Ephesians 1:13-14 – “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation – having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Learning to walk in the Spirit is perhaps the most challenging of all the spiritual disciplines in this list. When a person is born again, their spirit is brought to life, yet they still live in the unredeemed flesh of a physical body. The indwelling Spirit of God gives us power over sinful choices, yet we are still tempted. We are given the mind of Christ but must learn to set aside our own fallible intellect and decision-making capabilities in deference to His thoughts and wisdom from God’s Word.

A new believer must learn that the power to walk in faith and obedience comes not from their own efforts, but from allowing Christ to live out His life in us through the Spirit-filled life.

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A multi-ethnic group of friends, Am I complicit by being silent

6. Fellowship

Hebrews 10:23-25 – “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

When a person is born again, they are born into the family of God, and the body of Christ. The Bible talks much about God’s plan, that our personal spiritual growth is intimately connected with the growth of other believers. Together, the body of Christ becomes a holy temple, a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:21-22), and each part of the body is dependent on the other parts to become all that God intends us to be.

We would never think to leave an infant alone for very long; in the same way, new believers must learn to spend time with, love, and serve other believers for the spiritual health of all the body.

7. Witnessing

1 Peter 3:15 – “But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.”

Salvation begins a process of spiritual transformation called sanctification. This transformation should be noticeable to others and provides a platform for sharing the gospel. New believers often feel ill-equipped or inadequate to explain the gospel, as they are just learning what it means in their own lives. They need mature believers to teach them how to share what has happened to them and grow confident in explaining the gospel to their lost family and friends.

True disciples make other disciples; we must equip one another to do this well.

Click here for more Bible verses on evangelism.

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Apple held in a hand

8. Temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

A new believer may think that he will never struggle with sin after salvation. Scripture and our own experiences tell us this is not true, and we must help young believers learn to defeat temptation by the power of the Holy Spirit living in them and the supernatural impact of God’s Word. God always provides a way out of temptation; our job is to teach new believers the tools and resources they will need.

9. Obedience

John 14:21 – “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

A desire to obey God’s commands gives clear evidence that a person has been regenerated. Sensitivity to sin and a hunger to please God are given to us by the Holy Spirit, but as new believers we must “un-learn” old habits and ways of doing things in order to live out the principles of our new lives found in Scripture. Obedience is the key to experiencing the joy and peace that God promises His children.

Are you a new believer? Make a commitment to grow in your understanding and practical application of each of these areas, and you will put roots down deep that will sustain your Christian faith in the trials of life. 

Are you a mature believer? Has God brought someone in your life that needs to be discipled as a follower of Christ? Make a commitment to intentionally and prayerfully come alongside them and help them grow. Be a disciple who makes disciples.

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Author Sheila Alewine is a pastor’s wife, mother, and grandmother of five. She and her husband lead Around The Corner Ministries, which serves to equip Christ-followers to share the gospel where they live, work and play. She has written seven devotionals including Just Pray: God’s Not Done With You YetGrace & Glory: 50 Days in the Purpose & Plan of God, and her newest one, Give Me A Faith Like That, as well as Going Around The Corner, a Bible study for small groups who desire to reach their communities for Christ. Their ministry also offers disciple-making resources like One-To-One Disciple-Making in partnership with Multiplication Ministries. Sheila has a passion for God’s Word and shares what God is teaching her on her blog, The Way of The Word. Connect with her on her blogFacebook, and Instagram.