This is a very sticky, topic. In the eyes of man, every believer is new, right? Because they have recently accepted, Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. Well, here's the thing. I went out to eat with a bunch of church members a few weeks ago. I was sitting at a table with a few of them. I began talking about my relationship with the Lord, and someone across the table from me, made a comment, about me being a 'new Christian.' I than said, "As long as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are saved through grace and faith. We grow a personal relationship with Him. Because only through Jesus Christ, we can get to the Father, right? Well, I stumbled upon this comment, which discouraged me some. I than had to say it boldly. I said, "I'm not a new believer, so therefore I'm not a new Christian." Once, you accept Jesus Christ, into your heart, you are already saved. This right away, makes you a Christian! It's up to you, and the person who just recently got saved to grow, and have a personal relationship with the Lord, considering all Christians are on different levels. The person sitting next to right of the other person, may have been a Christian, and is walking with God for a shorter amount of time, and know more. It's how we decide to grow with God, and how we put our faith out there. It's also a matter on how we allow the Lord to teach us, and move our spirits. I'm not saying it's 'not a good thing to be taught by others,' that's not the case, what I'm saying is, the Holy Spirit can teach someone spiritual needs, when it comes to growing with God. Not all Christians who say they are Christians know how to grow with God. Some people, use the term, "Christian" as a comfort term, for their lives. But, unfortunately, salvation, doesn't work that way.It's a win-lose situation, because they are constantly being run off track, with certain things going on in their lives. A lot of people carry their burdens for too long. The Lord will take care of all those burdens. This is why we give these things to Him. You will know, if you really have a personal relationship with the Lord, and are walking close with God. You will experience the blessings, and abundant joy! If anybody ever, calls you a new Christian, let them know you are 'not' a new believer, because once you have already accepted Jesus into your heart, it has already been done! Growth is about seeds, being watered my friends! God Bless all of you!
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