5 Things I Wish I’d Known When I First Started Following Jesus
These would have made a big, big difference for me,and maybe for you too.
When I reflect back on my own spiritual journey, here are five of the most important truths I wish others had taught me. Your list may be different, but these are the lessons I think would have helped me the most.
1. The #1 Key to Everything is Learning to Abide in Christ
I’m always hesitant to say “this is the most important thing”, because there are usually several “most important things.” But I’m deliberately using the phrase “#1 Key to Everything” because Jesus Himself said it.
In John 15:5,ESV, He said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
From God’s perspective, and that is the only one that really counts, we can do NOTHING apart from abiding in Jesus.
From a human perspective, we can do some pretty amazing things. I’m amazed at the magnificent structures human beings design and build. I’m in awe of the physical and mental exploits of some. I think it’s incredible how brave, strong, and sacrificial some people are.
Yet, according to Jesus, unless what we do flows out of an abiding relationship with Him, it is nothing.
But everything we are and do that flows out of an abiding relationship with him will be fruitful in God’s eyes.
Abiding in Jesus is like so many aspects of our journey; it is incredibly simple, and incredibly deep.
Quickly, here are 3 starters to abide in Jesus.
One: Simply trust that if you believe in Jesus, you are automatically “in Christ” and “He is in you.” Spiritually speaking, you are in union with at Him at conversion.
Two: Internalize the Bible. Read, meditate, and study it as much as you can. John 15:7,ESV, Jesus said, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Three: Take action on what He tells you. Throughout the Bible, God tells us how important it is to do what He says, not just listen to it. Especially James 1 and 2 show us how acting on what we believe helps strengthen our faith, as well as affecting the world.
2. Stay Grounded in God’s Grace and the Gift of Righteousness
The great news of the Gospel is eternal life is a gift, not something we can earn. I receive it only by believing, not in the works I do. (Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV).
It also says that we are made righteous in God’s sight as a gift. Again, that is not something we can earn; it is something God does when we trust in Jesus for our salvation.
Romans 5:17, ESV says, “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who received the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”
Because we are human and the default mechanism, we all have to think we have to work or be good enough for everything we get; it is very easy to think about God and our salvation that way.
But the second we think we come to God based on how good we are instead of how good Jesus is, we’ve lost the battle. (We haven’t lost the war, but the battle for living in the life of Jesus during that time frame.)
There are always some area of our lives that are not yet perfected. You may be the holiest, most faith-filled, loving person the world has ever seen (outside of Jesus), but there are still times when you don’t think, speak, or act in a Christlike way.
Because we have an enemy whose very name is “Accuser” (Revelation 12:10, ESV) and because we have a conscience, there will always be a place to feel condemned or not worthy of coming to a perfectly holy God.
Romans 8:1, ESV tells us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Conviction of sin is a blessing from God to help us grow. Condemnation, feeling hopelessly guilty, feeling like an eternal loser, is never from God.
Receiving God’s abundant grace and the gift of being made righteous through faith in Jesus is essential for “reigning in life”. (Romans 5:17, ESV).
Intentionally remind yourself to live in this grace of God and gift of righteousness zone.
3. You are Becoming Who God Says You Are, and it continues as long as you live.
So many are struggling with identity. “Who am I?” “How can I be true to myself?”
It’s hard to know who we really are without God’s perspective. He’s the One who created us and He’s the One who knows who we really are.
The great news, the Bible tells us the most important things about how God sees us.
When we keep receiving what God says about us in His word, it shapes us into that type of person.
Psychologists have long said that no one can consistently act contrary to how they see themselves. That is so true.
If I see myself as a loser, I’ll act like a loser. If I see myself as victorious, I’ll act like a victor.
God knows us better than anyone, so throughout His word, especially the New Testament it is filled with statements about who we are through our union with Jesus. There are hundreds of them.
Keep filling your mind and heart with those statements and the Holy Spirit will gradually work to help you become who God says you are. This will go on as long as we live, as long as we keep abiding in Jesus.
4. Stay Connected with Like-Minded People
God in the flesh, Jesus, did not try to live His purposes alone.
In Acts 2:46–47, ESV, after 3,000 people were converted to Jesus on the Day of Pentecost, it says, “And day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts (47)praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
1 Corinthians 12 & 14 describe the church as Christ’s body. Each one of us has a function in His body, but those functions are only lived out when joined with others.
Staying in relationships with other believers is one of the most important things we can do. Oh, it’s also a key part of abiding in Jesus.
- The Most Basic Law of Life is Receiving and Giving
Luke 6:38, ESV teaches, “give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed won, shaken together, running over will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it it will be measured back to you.”
This is how God designed life to work.
First, we receive. We cannot give what we do not have. So we learn to Abide in Jesus so there is a consistent flow of His life into us.
Then we give, we share what He has given us. We share His love, joy, care, help, and even finances with others.
If either one of those slows or stops, so does the other.
If we receive from God, only then do we have something to give.
If we share with others, then God can give more.
That is how God set things up: Receive and Give, Receive and Give.
As I said, there are many others lessons to learn as we follow Jesus. But these are five I think would have helped me most; especially at the beginning.
How about you? What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned in following Jesus? Things you wished you’d known from the start?
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