How To Be A Follower of Jesus:
Eleven Steps to Salvation
Following Jesus isn’t just a casual decision. It is a life-changing choice that effects everything we are and everything we do. The following eleven steps are the basics to following Jesus. If you want to really commit yourself to him, go through each step, one by one. With each step you go through, you will gain more understanding of who Jesus is and how to follow him.
1. Count the Cost
Jesus said, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'” Luke 14:27-29
Be aware that following Jesus isn’t just adding something good to your life, but it costs you your life. All you are will need to be changed and sacrificed for the Lord.
2. Believe in the truth about Jesus
Paul said, “I told you what was most important that I also was told, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” I Corinthians 15:3-4
Jesus came to earth, and taught the truth of God setting people free from judgment. He claimed to be the King of God’s people and that the current system of submitting to God was corrupt. In order to change the system, God the Father commanded Jesus to suffer shame at the hand of religious and political leaders and to die on the cross and Jesus fully submitted to the Father’s will. Because of Jesus’ faith and obedience, he was raised up from the dead to command the world next to the Father himself. And Jesus will return to earth and raise up his followers and punish those who have hated him.
3. Commit yourself to Jesus
Jesus said, “You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am…For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." John 13:13, 15; 14:21
For the followers of Jesus, Jesus is not just a good person or a teacher, he is their Lord and whatever he says they will do. As our Lord, we want to have our whole life revolve around him, spending time with him, listening to him and obeying him.
4. Get Baptized
Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Mark 16:15
To be baptized is a symbolic act of killing your old life—putting in the water—and receiving a new life from Jesus. Although it is only a symbol, it is an important one—it helps us remember that our old self is dead and that we are only alive in Jesus.
5. Publicly confess your commitment to Jesus
Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:32-33
We cannot just have Jesus “in our heart”—as if it is a private affair—we have to tell others about our commitment to him. No matter how shy we are, we need to tell them of our commitment to Jesus as the subject comes up. And we must never deny Jesus before others but remain faithful to him in word and deed.
6. Take the Lord’s Supper with other believers
And when Jesus had taken some bread and given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. And in the same way Jesus took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Luke 22:19-20
Jesus’ death is how the nation of God was made. Every time that we take the Lord’s supper, we remember his death and keep the nation of God continuing to this day. To take the Lord’s supper is a basic act of being a follower of Jesus.
7. Renounce Satan’s bondages
Jesus said, “How can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” Matthew 12:29
Because we have lived under the control of Satan for years, we have some issues that we need to be released from. We need to get with other believers who are familiar with fighting Satan and we need to pray together with them to be released from our misery.
8. Ask for the Holy Spirit
Jesus said, “If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" Luke 11:13
The Holy Spirit is God’s power within you, guiding you and teaching you. With the Spirit we are able to live the life of Jesus. But we must ask for him, continually.
9. Confess your sins
John said, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9
We don’t always do things right. Often we blow it and disobey Jesus. If we do, then we need to confess our sins to the Lord and, if possible, to another follower of Jesus. In that way, we are acceptable before Jesus again.
10. Do acts of service
Paul said, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Galatians 6:9-10
It is not enough to just have a good relationship with God. We also have to do good to others. Jesus wants us to love others and to help those who are in need around us.
11. Be discipled
Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
We need to listen to other followers of Jesus. We need to work together to listen to Jesus, obey Jesus, get rid of sin out of our lives and to do good together. In order to achieve this, we need to get together with other followers regularly, as often as we can.
