It is normal to feel apprehensive when you enter a new relationship. You may already have concerns and fears. Here are the top 10 questions new Christians have asked:
1. “Can I lose my salvation?”
First of all, your relationship with God through Jesus Christ is secure. God promises that absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus assures us: “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand.” (John 10:29)
However, this guarantee is not a license to do as you please. If you think that you can live as you wish because your salvation is secure, you have misunderstood God’s offer (the Gospel), and your decision to make Jesus your Lord is not genuine in the first place.
2. “I’m afraid that my family and friends will judge or reject me.”
Jesus was incredibly honest about the cost of following Him. In Matthew 10:34-36, He warns, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword…and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”
When you trust God and choose Jesus over your family and friends, Jesus promises that no one who leaves his/her family for His sake will fail to “receive in this age a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:30)
Choosing Jesus over your family does not mean disregarding your parents. God clearly commands you to honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12).
3. “I’m worried I’ll be persecuted for my faith.”
Jesus says: “Remember what I told you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:20).
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.” (Matthew 5:11-12).
Persecution—ranging from mockery to severe hardship—has marked Christians since the beginning (2 Timothy 3:12).
That’s because the world is at war between good and evil, and you no longer belong to the domain of darkness but are a member of God’s Kingdom of light.
Take heart. God also promises grace for it (Matthew 10:19-20) and a great reward in heaven. Many believers worldwide face it today and find supernatural courage and strength in the Holy Spirit and even rejoice in sharing Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:13).
4. “I’m worried I can’t live up to this.”
Living a Christian life like Jesus is impossible in our own strength and effort.
Again, Jesus is straightforward:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.” (John 15:5)
We can do nothing that pleases God apart from Jesus.
The good news is that Jesus dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. God has given us, every Christian, the Holy Spirit so that we can do all things through Him who strengthens us.
[Learn more about “The Holy Spirit”]
Whatever you may face in life as a Christian, Jesus is with you, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Rely on Him, and He will give you what you need when you need it.
Many people turn to Jesus because they’re going through tough times and want help or relief. You may be surprised to realize that becoming a Christian doesn’t mean all your problems will disappear. In fact, life can still be hard—and sometimes even harder.
As a Christian, you may face some challenges that non-Christians don’t have, because you’ve chosen to follow Jesus. Once you become friends with God again through Jesus, you make a new enemy: the devil. He hates God and hates the people God loves, so he wants to steal, kill, and destroy the lives of every Christian.
The good news is that you are on the winning team. Jesus has triumphed over sin, death, all evils, and the devil. We are victorious in Christ.
5. “Do I really have to give up everything in my old life?”
Jesus calls us to radical commitment: “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23), and to put off the “old self” corrupted by deceitful desires (Ephesians 4:22). What Jesus wants is your willingness to trust Him enough to obey Him.
You don’t have to give up everything all at once or throw away every part of your old life. But whenever Jesus asks you to let go of something, anything, you can trust Him enough to obey.
There are two important reasons.
First, God wants you to give up something and change because He wants you to grow ever closer to Him. He wants nothing to come between you and Him. God is completely good, He loves you perfectly, and He knows you better than anyone else. He is the source of true light, real life, and deep love. Staying close to Him is what brings the abundant life Jesus promised—the kind of life where you feel truly alive.
Secondly, God wants you to become the person He envisioned you to be in the beginning, so you can live out the good purpose He has planned for your life. He has a master plan, and you play a critical role in it. He wants you to grow mature so you can fully participate in His mission.