Becoming a Christian is a life changing experience. It makes you a citizen of the Kingdom of God. It started when you put your faith in Jesus Christ. But now, God’s will is for you to press forward in your faith. He wants you to grow and mature in your knowledge and love of His Son. In fact, He wants you to be conformed to the image of His Son—to become Christ-like. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29 NIV).

 

To become Christ-like is a progressive process. It is a matter of climbing the ladder of experience, which takes time. You can speed the process along by practicing “The Four Pillars of Christian Life.” These involve learning and putting your faith into practice. Together, these four pillars are a journey through life in which the Holy Spirit works in you, so that you grow to be more and more like Christ, and that you love Him more and more. For your journey to accomplish this, you will need to involve yourself actively in the four pillars.

 

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV).

 

“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding…” (Hebrews 6:1 NLT).

 

Pillar 1—Exposure to God’s Word

 

God has many attributes, but the one that impacts the world the most is His revelation. He is God who makes Himself known. Although He is spirit, He shows Himself to us. It has always been and still is His intention to make Himself known to mankind. He is God almighty who reveals Himself.

 

There are two ways a believer can know God. One is to know about him, which comes from learning. The other is to know Him personally, which comes from developing a relationship with Him. One follows the other. First learn about Him, then know Him personally. It is impossible to know about God without Him revealing Himself to us. No one can learn about God without His revelation. He makes Himself known in many ways, but the most significant way He revealed Himself was in His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

God also makes Himself known to us by His written word, the “Bible,” also known as “God’s Word.” We know from history that God has acted and manifested himself to the world. The history of ancient Israel is filled with accounts of His divine works and manifestations. And His most complete manifestation was the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Incarnation means God entered the world as a man, who is Jesus Christ. God made certain that His works and manifestations would be known to all generations. He did this by choosing and inspiring more than 40 authors over a period of 1,500 years to record His works and manifestations. Collectively, these writings consist of 66 books, which together comprise the Bible. God was intentional to give us a permanent written record of Himself, in order that we might find Him and His salvation.

 

The Bible records all that God wants us to know about Himself, His creation, and His will. All of it points to Jesus Christ and His atoning death for our sins on the cross, and His glorious resurrection from death three days later. There are thousands of verses in the Bible, all of them are referred to as “scriptures,” meaning the written words of God. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).

 

As a believer, in order to grow in your faith, you need to expose yourself to God’s word, whether you read it for yourself, listen to it read to you, or have someone teach it to you. Just as your body needs physical food, so does your soul need spiritual food. The scriptures are the food your soul needs in order to thrive. Neglect feeding your soul with the word of God and your faith will suffer. Concerning this spiritual food Jesus taught:

 

“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63 NKJV).

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 NIV).

 

And concerning those who would follow Him, He prayed to His Father:

“Sanctify them (make them holy) by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17 NKJV).

 

Our faith comes from hearing the Word of God, as the scripture says, “So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). We are saved by faith after hearing the Word of God—the gospel of salvation, but we still need to continue to grow and mature in our faith. The scriptures say, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV).

 

There are two parts to the Bible, the old and new testaments. The Old Testament records the history of the fall of mankind, due to the problem of sin, and the promise of a coming savior. The New Testament records the history of the life, death, and resurrection of the promised savior, known as the Messiah or Christ. Both testaments, written in their original languages, were written so the ordinary common person could read and understand them. The Bible, which is a miracle, is a Gift from God to every person.

 

If you have never read the Bible before, and now you are interested to start, here are some helpful suggestions: First, find a modern translation that is clear, easy to read, and accurate. You may want to consider the New International Version (NIV), which is year after year the top selling English Bible translation. Don’t start reading in Genesis, which is the first book in the Bible. Start in the New Testament with the gospel of John. Next read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Then go to Acts, and read through to the end of the Bible. After that, you can begin to explore the Old Testament.

 

While you can read the Bible for yourself, it is highly recommended that you find a Bible teacher, or attend a Bible study, or even better attend a Bible teaching church, one that emphasizes salvation by faith through grace.

 

But above all, make reading some amount from the Bible every day a part of your routine. And along with reading from the Bible, include some prayers. Many followers of Jesus do this daily and they refer to it as their “quiet time.”

 

 

Pillar 2—Prayer

 

We can know about God by exposing ourselves to His word, through Bible reading and Bible teaching. But how do we know Him personally, how do we develop a relationship with Him?

 

There are three ways to develop a relationship with Him. Prayer is one of those ways, the other two are fellowship (being with other believers), and outreach (loving and serving other people).

 

Prayer is the believer’s lifeline to God. It is your direct connection to Him. In the simplest terms, talking to God is prayer. And as a believer you want it to become a behavior that is as natural as breathing. Prayer is the way to know God better, and be closer to Him.

 

Prayer is an intimate practice. It is just you and God your Father. It is essential for building a relationship with Him. Jesus taught:

 

“And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:5-6 NASB).

 

Also, when you pray to the Father you are also praying to the Son. Jesus said,

 

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30 NIV).

 

“the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (John 10:38 NIV).

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"Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?" (John 14:9-10 NIV).

 

Prayers may also be directed to Jesus:

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“And I (Jesus) will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14 NIV; see also John 15:16).

 

Jesus taught His disciples how to pray (Matthew 6: 9-13). In this passage He taught them by giving them a model prayer, commonly referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer.” What is important to note about this prayer, is that the first half is focused on God the Father and His will, but not on our needs. The second half addresses us and what we need. Prayer should always begin with a focus on God—praising Him, seeking Him.

 

The first two words of the Lord’s Prayer are, “Our Father.” Jesus was teaching that we can be intimate with God. By invoking Him as our Father creates intimacy between Him and ourselves. When we call Him Father, we are confessing that we belong to Him. When you pray privately, alone by yourself, you may change that to “My Father,” or “My Lord Jesus,” or even “Dear Lord.”

 

The purpose of prayer is to nurture your relationship with God. It brings you close to Him instantly. Make it your desire when you pray to be close to Him, more than asking Him to do things for you. Seek Him first, blessings will follow (Matthew 6:33). Always keep that in mind when you pray.

 

He knows what we need even before we ask Him. So why pray? Pray, because He wants you close to Himself. Pray, because it demonstrates to God that you are dependent on Him. In the second half of the Lord’s prayer, we are dependent on Him for our earthly needs (Matthew 6:11), and for our spiritual needs (Matthew 6:12-13). Lastly, prayer is a demonstration of what He values most in you, which is your trust—your faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

 

Prayer is essential for your relationship with God. It should be a daily practice, and one that you do joyfully. Neglect prayer and you will drift away from Him.

 

When you have a problem that you want God to help you with, talk to Him about it. Explain to Him what you are experiencing or concerned about. Sometimes we will not receive the answer we are looking for. But He has heard us still. As you grow in your faith you will have times when you will hear Him speak to your heart—His silent whisper. Sometimes God answers the way we wish, and sometimes not. And sometimes He makes us wait. Being patient with Him demonstrates our trust. Trust is what He seeks from us (1 Peter 1:6-9). He knows that life in this world can be difficult, but he values when you trust Him despite the hardships that life can bring. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV).

 

If prayer seems difficult to you, like it is an arduous task, then you are not praying the right way. In fact, prayer should be a spontaneous and comforting practice, one you value and look forward to doing on a regular basis. So, what is the right way to pray?

 

Prayer, first of all, should be from your heart. So, if you are reciting a memorized prayer, repeating it over and over, and your heart is not connected to the words you are praying, then you probably are not really praying. This is what Jesus said about that:

 

“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7-8 NLT).

 

Prayer that has a focus predominantly on asking for blessings is the wrong way to pray. The primary focus for prayer is to nurture your relationship with God, to be close to Him. Your attitude when you pray should be to seek God first. By faith make yourself aware of His presence. Praise Him and lavish Him with your gratitude and love. Ask Him to help you to grow in your faith and to be a blessing to others. And when prayers are answered come back to Him and be thankful.

 

When Jesus began His ministry on earth He taught, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Blessings flow after we first seek Him and His will. We are seeking His kingdom when we pray prayers such as these:

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• My Father, help my faith to grow.

• Fill me with your Holy Spirit.

• Make me more like Jesus.

• Encompass me with your love.

• Let me sense Your presence.

• I love you, I’m thankful I belong to You.

• Forgive me for my sin.

• Teach me to love others.

 

Pray as often as possible. Don’t let a day go by without praying. Prayers can be short or long. You may pray in any posture that you feel is comfortable. Keep in mind, that heart felt prayer, along with faith, will grow your relationship with God, and so will keeping in mind that He loves you, even when you have doubtful feelings. He has promised that He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Pray heartfeltly and you will come to know Him intimately. You will grow in faith and become more and more like Christ, and your life will be filled with His blessings.

 

 

Pillar 3—Fellowship

 

What is fellowship? It is the gathering together of believers. It is an interest in being connected with other followers of Christ, and sharing their faith and love for one another. In its purist form it is a local community of like-minded believers known as a church.

 

The church is not a building, it is a gathering of believers. It is the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth, with Jesus Christ being its King, and His followers are its citizens. Wherever Jesus is, that is where the Kingdom is. This means that His Kingdom is in the hearts of His followers. The Bible tells us that Christ lives in their hearts. Jesus said, “On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you” (John 14:20 NIV, see also 1 Corinthian 1:13). The spiritual aspect of the Kingdom is present today in the hearts of His followers and the church. He is enthroned as Lord in our hearts. The greater aspects of the Kingdom are yet in the future. Jesus encouraged us to pray for that when he taught, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10 NIV, see also Luke 22:18).

 

Christ’s love for us goes beyond anything we can imagine. Because God wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son, He expects us to love our fellow believers as Christ loves us. That means we cannot be complacent. We cannot be disengaged from other believers. Jesus commands us to love one another. Our love for one another is a testimony to the world concerning the truth about Jesus Christ. He said, “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 NLT). And He prayed to His Father for us, “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23 NIV).

 

When you participate in fellowship with other believers, you are keeping the will of God. None of us can demonstrate love without making direct contact with others. When you avail yourself to fellowship you are behaving as an active follower of Christ, and you are sharing in the labor of advancing His Kingdom here on earth.

 

It is easier to live the Christian life when you are not alone. As iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), so also does believer sharpen believer. The apostle Paul emphasized fellowship with these words, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). And the writer to the Hebrews wrote, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews10:24-25 NLT).

 

Having friendships with other believers will encourage your growth in Christ and cause you to know Him more. But, keeping friendships with non-believers creates difficult challenges for you. Your values and theirs will clash. They may want you to do things with them that go against your beliefs. So, keep in mind, that non-believers have a different view of the world than you do. They lack an interest in being responsible to God. Consequently, believers need to be alert to the risk of being influenced by the ideas and actions of non-believers. The following Bible verses cautions us about this risk:

 

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (the devil)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever” (2 Corinthians 6:14-15 NIV)?

 

“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV).

 

As a believer you no longer belong to the world, but now you have been made a citizen of the Kingdom of God. As such you were called out of the world and separated from it to Jesus Christ, who said:

 

“The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:19 NLT).

 

“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world” (John 17:14 NIV).

 

The New Testament makes it clear that believers are called to be separate from the world:

 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15 ESV).

 

“…do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4 NASB).

 

So, nurture your relationships with the people you will be spending eternity with. Pray for them, love them, and grow with them. Allow God to use you to bless them, and let them bless you. Jesus said, “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:19-20 NLT).

 

As you experience Christ’s love in other believers, you will grow in your faith and increase in your personal knowledge of Him. We see Christ in one another!

 

Pillar 4—Outreach

 

Outreach is how we share God’s love with other people.

 

Christ’s love in us is a light, which He gave to us to shine brightly in the world. He said, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:15-16 NIV).

 

As the verse clearly states, the purpose of our good deeds is to glorify our Father in heaven. The purpose is not to glorify us. Additionally, the “light” in us is not our own. The light in us belongs to Christ. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 NIV). We are called by God to do good deeds, but not for our glory. God wants us to have a humble attitude about our good deeds, and any boasting for those good deeds belongs to God, and not us. This scripture makes that clear: “It is because of him (God the Father) that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).

 

That no one should boast is especially true concerning how people are saved. No one earns salvation by doing good works, as is made clear in these verses:

 

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV).

 

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-5 NIV).

 

Good works done by believers are the outcome of their salvation, and not the other way around. God’s plan is salvation brings good works; not good works brings salvation. This is one of the main differences between faith in Jesus of the Bible, in contrast with other religions. Religions instruct people that they need to do works to please God and win His favor. Christ’s followers are saved by faith through grace alone. On the part of His followers, their good works is how they show appreciation to God for all He has done for them. Good works are the evidence of saving faith. True believers are motivated by God’s love to do good and obey His will. “He (Christ) gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds” (Titus 2:14 NLT).

 

Don’t think of your good deeds as how you pay God back for His blessings. And don’t do good deeds in order to build up your sense of pride in yourself (Isaiah 64:6). Instead, see the good that you do as your act of worship and demonstration of your love for Him. What He wants from you is your heart. Jesus taught, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV). So then, outreach is about loving God and loving others.

 

How do You love others? Jesus said to love others “as yourself.” Keep in mind that this is Gods will. These two verses make this plain: “…let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8 NIV). “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT).

 

What does our love toward others look like? Inspired by God, the apostle Paul gave the answer: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV).

 

Our ability to love others becomes more effective when others see Christ in us. We should be like walking billboards, reflecting who He is through our behavior. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29 NIV). What were Christ’s main characteristics seen in His life while He was on earth? 

 

• He was interested in people (John 4:7-26)

• He was gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:39)

• He was humble (John 13:2-5)

• He had compassion for people (Matthew 9:36)

• He was patient (John 14: 9; 2 Peter 3:9)

• He was forgiving (Luke 23:34)

• He was a servant (Philippians 2:7)

• He preached the Gospel (Mark 1: 14-15)

• He came to save those who were lost (Luke 19:10)

• He was self-sacrificing (Mark 10:45)

• He was submissive to His Father (Matthew 26:39)

• He was Divine (John 1:1, 18)

 

Our outreach efforts should be toward both fellow believers as well as non-believers.

 

In Matthew 9:10-13 we read that Jesus ate with tax collectors (deemed as dishonest) and sinners. The religious leaders who were there criticized Him for doing so. He responded, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:12-13 NIV). Jesus interacted with sinners in order to save them. That was his burden that brought Him to die on the cross. As His followers we must share His burden, and venture into the world of those who are lost, in order to bring them the message of eternal life. “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” (Romans 10:14 NLT).

 

Every follower of Christ needs to have an interest in seeing those who are lost come to salvation. After all, that was Christ’s primary purpose for coming into the world. He has given us the words of life. We are loving others when we share the good news about salvation.

 

 Approaching strangers and introducing yourself for the purpose of leading them to Christ is very difficult, and most believers cannot do this. They fear the negative and judgmental attitude it would solicit from people. Doing cold personal evangelism is not for every believer. But God does call and equipped some with a personality and skills who can do personal evangelism. If you think you are one of those, pray about it, and really get to know your Bible.

 

However, every believer should be prepared and looking for opportunities to share the Gospel with family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. If your friend was going to drink poison, would you intervene to stop him? If you believe that he is destined to die and go to hell, would you try to lead him to salvation? At least, pray for those you are close to who are lost. Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel, and pray that God gives you the courage to speak up for Him. Love cannot be silent.

 

Keep in mind always, that your Christ-like behavior is also a witness to the Gospel. You make Him known by how you treat others. They may ask you what makes you so peaceful in this crazy world. There’s your opportunity. The scripture says, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).

 

And yet, there are some very simple things you can do to reach out and touch those who are lost with the Gospel:

 

• Send a Bible verse in a text message.

• Ask if there is something they would like you to pray about.

• When they report a personal problem, say, “I’ll pray about that for you.”

• Give them a Bible tract (a Gospel message written on a small single sheet of paper).

• Point them to a website that can explain salvation.

 

Finally, when you use your resources and time to help others, this is also another way of doing the work of outreach. You may not be able to go on the foreign mission field, but you can support those who do with your dollars. When you help people who are needy, you are engaging in demonstrating Christ’s love. There are many ways you can help. You can give a lending hand, help with a chore, give comfort, as well as sharing your resources. “the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35 NIV). “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (Hebrews 13:16 NIV).

 

The Kingdom of God is advanced by the generosity of His followers. This is especially true when they support a local church through giving. Keep in mind, that He only wants what you give willingly and cheerfully, and not by feelings of obligation. Consider this scripture: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: ‘They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever’” (2 Corinthians 9:7-9 NIV). This too is outreach.

 

As you engage in practicing the Four Pillars of Christian Life, you will grow closer to God and mature in your personal union with Him, and your life will overflowingly be filled with His joy and peace.