Living the Christian life is a journey. More importantly, it can be considered an individual journey, and along the way, there are many decisions to make. As we travel along life’s path toward living out our God-anointed purposes, we must decide to live as Christ commands. Although our journeys, callings, talents, and struggles may differ, there are five decisions that true Christians make daily. These are daily decisions, and as we stay focused on our goal to live for God, we commit to these decisions.
Table of Contents
These five decisions are simple yet powerful because each determines whether we are indeed a child of God or not. The Bible is clear that we should follow Jesus as our example. In the end, we want God to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21). We do not want to hear, “I never knew you”(Matthew 7:23). Let’s look closely at the five decisions we need to make, and let’s choose to make them today.
- Decide to accept the gift of salvation.
- Decide to turn away from sin.
- Decide to put your faith in Jesus and trust him.
- Decide to love and forgive others.
- Decide to spend time with God.
Decide To Accept The Gift of Salvation
When Jesus walked on the Earth, He trusted the will of the Father. We know it led Him to the cross, which purchased our salvation. To be a child of God, we must accept the work that Jesus did on the cross as payment for our sins, and we must receive salvation as a gift from God through faith.
We receive salvation by confessing Jesus is the son of God, whom God raised from the grave. Next, we get baptized as an outward sign that we are dead to sin and raised with Christ. Salvation is not difficult. It is a decision. We must decide to accept what the Bible says about salvation as truth. Salvation is for everyone. We all make mistakes, and we all need forgiveness for our sins. God offers a way to be forgiven and welcomes us into his family through faith in Jesus. “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).
The Bible states that we must recognize that we have sinned and need forgiveness. We ask for forgiveness by repenting. “Repent, therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19, ESV). Repenting causes the angels to rejoice (Luke 15:10). It means realizing that we have sinned and are ready to change by turning away from our sin and darkness toward the eternal life that Jesus died on the cross to give us.
Decide To Turn Away From Sin
As Christians, we strive to live our lives in a way that represents our love for and obedience to God’s Word. God helps us to turn from sin, and his Spirit helps us to leave the practice of sinning (1 John 3:9), but we choose to do so and ask for His help. Having a new desire to live a life free from sin leads us to our knees, asking God to deliver us and set us free from every chain trying to bind us as we pray in the name of Jesus.
Only Jesus lived this life without sin, and He will help us to turn from sin. When we receive salvation and ask God to forgive us for our sins, we give up a life of sin and turn our lives toward Jesus. Jesus washes our sins away and comes to life in our hearts. He helps us live a life free from sin, and if we fall short, He will help us get it right. Jesus stands ready to forgive us and help us live this life. All we must do is ask Him.
Living this life as a child of God means we begin a journey toward becoming more like Jesus. It will take a lifetime and will require many decisions along the way. First, we surrender our will and old ways by taking steps toward living in a manner that brings glory and honor to God. As we choose, we decide to stop compromising or making excuses for sin, but instead, we begin repenting and praying for God to change us.
Decide To Put Your Faith In Jesus And Trust Him
After we receive salvation, Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). Just as Jesus did the will of his Father, we must decide to trust God with our lives and do the same. Living as children of God means we are like sheep listening to our Shepherd’s voice, Jesus; as He leads, we follow Him.
As sheep, we place our trust in God and His Word. We trust God in everything. Even when we can not see the outcome, we must believe that God is for us and not against us. He has good plans for us (Jeremiah 29:11), and even when we go through the testing of our faith, the purpose is not to harm us but to produce steadfastness (James 1:2-4).
Decide To Love And Forgive Others
As followers of Christ, God commands us to love others as Christ loved us. God is love. God so loved us that He gave his son (John 3:16) for our sins. Jesus Christ loved us enough to lay down His life for us (Ephesians 5:2). The Bible says that whoever loves has been born of God and knows God, and anyone who does not love does not know God (John 4:7-8). We must do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:14) and love all people, even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).
In return for receiving God’s love and forgiveness, we extend the same forgiveness to others. Just as God forgives us, He wants us to forgive others. Jesus is our example. Jesus asked the Father to forgive us even as He died on the cross. The Bible states that if we do not forgive others, our Father will not forgive our trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15).
Decide To Spend Time With God
Spending time with God includes praying, worshipping, and learning more about Him and His Word. Our faith comes when we hear the Word of God (Romans 10:17), and we gain strength when we seek the presence of God (1 Chronicle 16:11). Jesus proclaimed that He did the work of his Father, and he commands us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers only. As we study the Word, we learn God’s character and can better learn to live by Christ’s example.
The Bible says that there were times when Jesus would rise early to go away to pray (Mark 1:35). When we pray, we have the opportunity to pray for ourselves and others. In prayer, God speaks into our lives and gives directions and strength. The Holy Spirit helps us pray. Spending time with God is essential, and we must always rejoice, pray, and give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
A Prayer for the New Christian’s Journey
Whether we are new believers or have been Christians for a long time, we must examine ourselves and judge whether we have truly committed our way to the Lord. If we have fallen short in our decision to live for God, we can pray and ask God to help us. This prayer is for the Christian’s journey who decides to stay committed to living for God.
