Okay, I Believe—Now What?
If you now believe that Yeshua is the Messiah and you have accepted Him as your Savior, we want to say, first of all . . .
. . . Praise the Lord and welcome to the Family of God!
Now we would like to help you take the next important steps in your walk with Messiah.
In the story about the early church at Pentecost (recorded for us in Acts 2 in the Bible), we see two definite actions the new believers took:
They were baptized (v. 41); and
They attached themselves to a local fellowship of believers (vv. 41-42).
Baptism in water is the main way we identify ourselves with the believing community. More specifically, it symbolizes our identification with Messiah’s death, burial, and resurrection (see Romans 6:4). We aren’t saved because we get baptized, but we get baptized because we are saved! The practice of immersing new believers in water is, interestingly, based on an ancient Jewish ritual called the mikveh (i.e., self-immersion required of non-Jews who wanted to become part of the community). When a proselyte in biblical times entered the waters of the mikveh, he was announcing to the world his decision to identify with the People of Israel (Am Yisrael). The early church was a messianic (Jewish) movement, so it was perfectly natural for them to adopt immersion in water as a symbolic ritual for new believers in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).
It’s also important to become part of a local, Bible-believing congregation. We all need spiritual oversight (from godly pastors and/or elders), fellowship, admonishing, encouraging, and positive reinforcement from like-minded believers. We also need to participate in the ordinances—like baptism (see above) and the Lord’s Supper (or Communion)—and to support the congregation with our time, talents, and treasure (finances). Remember that there’s no such thing as a perfect church, so don’t come unhinged if you hear or see something that rubs you the wrong way. Communicate your concerns, if any, to the leadership in a spirit of humility. And don’t just be a “pew potato”—get some training so you can become involved!
Write to us at:
P.O. Box 345
San Antonio, TX 78292-0345
Call us at:
(210) 226-0421 - Main Line
(210) 226-2140 - Fax
(210) 226-1075 - 24-hr Voicemail
(800) 926-5397 - Toll Free