When you accept Christ you’re willing to admit that He is the Lord of your life and that He sent His one and only son to die for you so that you could be saved of your sins. Many people, when new to Christianity, don’t know much else of what following Christ entails. So, here’s a few pointers on what it means to be a Christian.
1) It is the greatest decision you will ever make
To start off on a cheerful note, when you first choose God over everything else, your eternity is secured in Heaven forever. Isn’t that amazing!! It’s amazing to know that once you trust the King of kings with your life, He’s got you always. That’s not saying that you won’t have hardships (this will come up later) but it’s saying that when you do, you have God to lean on and he’ll take care of you. That’s not where it ends though. His plan for you is so much better than anyone else’s. Like Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” If that doesn’t give you hope then I don’t know what does.
2) You’re sin doesn’t define you
This is also incredible news! Coming from a sinner myself, I find it difficult sometimes to see anything other than my sin and it's too heavy of a burden for me to carry. The great thing is that we don’t have to! We can give our sins to God and as long as we repent, we will be forgiven. God doesn't see us, His most beautiful creation, as the sins we commit, but as His children. We just need to remember who we are (pick up a shirt now as a great reminder to proudly show your identity in Christ!) in Christ because it’s Him that gives us identity, not our sins.
3) You WILL be persecuted
This one isn’t as joyful as the others, but believe it or not, it is still good. During your walk with the Lord, you’ll notice that many people, just to be straight forward, will not like you because of your faith. They don’t like the idea that there is a God of the universe in charge and that their sins could cost them eternity. People will try to tell you that what you believe in is fake and that it’s not possible. People will even twist the Bible to fit worldly narratives to try and change how you think. But don’t let them take you down because you have God Almighty on your side and when He is for you, who can be against you?
Stay strong in what you believe. That’s why we, here at Joshua1.com, created these shirts. So we can proclaim our faith and be bold in doing so. Be fearless when you go out into the world and shine your light wherever you go!
By: Tyler Dixon
