What Every New Christian Should Know

Now That I'm a Christian, What Should I Know?

This work contains a series of teachings designed to help those who are just entering the church and want to learn more about God and the faith they have embraced. Open your heart, study, and meditate on these teachings. Always begin with a sincere prayer to God, asking Him to help and teach you. He will surely hear you and be by your side, guiding you through each lesson in this series: “Now That I'm a Christian, What Should I Know?”

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

Lesson 1

God Cares About Me

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

Many of us have heard this verse countless times. We may have memorized it or quoted it to someone, but there may still be lingering doubts about whether God truly cares for us individually.

Have you felt God’s love for you, or do you feel abandoned? Do you sense His presence, or does He seem so distant that He can’t even hear you? Sometimes life’s hardships can lead us to believe that God has stopped caring, that He’s giving us the cold shoulder, or that He’s upset with something we did in the past. But the Bible is clear: God cares so deeply for you and me that He gave His only Son so that through faith in Him, we could inherit eternal life.

Jesus once told His disciples:

“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

In times of crisis, our faith is tested. Your faith is only as strong as the crisis it overcomes. Crises may come in many forms, but the test of faith will always be there. You must trust fully in God and remember Jesus’ words:

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20b

During these moments, it’s common to ask: “If God truly cares about me, why does He allow so much suffering and anguish in my life?” Questions like this show that the person may not yet truly know the Lord Jesus, because once His loyal love is understood, all doubts fade away. The psalmist wrote:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” — Psalm 34:19

Even the righteous face afflictions. The difference is that we don’t have to go through these hard times alone—we have a Divine Comforter (John 14:16).

In Genesis 2:18, God said it is not good for man to be alone. In Matthew 1:23, Jesus is called Emmanuel, meaning “God with us.” In Matthew 28:20, He promised to always be with us. And in John 14:16, we are given another Comforter—the Holy Spirit of God.

Be assured: you are no longer alone as you once were. Now that you’ve surrendered to Jesus, He will never leave or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:8). He is with you—even right now.

1. Who Is God?

We can only truly know who God is by engaging with the Holy Bible, for it is the Word of God—His special revelation to humanity.

What do you know about God? Knowing He exists and is more real than the ground beneath your feet (since He created the Earth) is not enough. As James wrote:

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” — James 2:19

So, it’s not enough to know He exists—we must know who He is.

1.1 He Is the Creator of Heaven and Earth

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1

He not only created everything, but He also sustains all things (Hebrews 1:3). God is the Original Cause of all existence. Before mountains, seas, or the universe existed, God already was (Proverbs 8:22–26). He is eternal (Psalm 10:16).

1.2 He Is the Creator of Humanity

Human beings are not the result of random chaos, evolutionary processes, or chemical reactions. We are the result of God’s love expressed in creation.

After creating and beautifying the Earth and filling it with animals, God created humans and placed them in the Garden to cultivate and care for it. Humanity was crowned as the pinnacle of creation. God loves us so much that He made us in His image and likeness.

1.3 He Is the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3

Having created all things, set the Earth’s perfect distance from the Sun, its exact tilt, the necessary amount of water, and the water cycle—then sent His own Son to take our place and suffer for us so that we might have life through Him—how could God not care about you? You are precious to Him.

2. The Redemption of Humanity

God loved humanity so much that He chose to create us even knowing we would sin. In His omniscience (a unique attribute of God—He knows everything at all times and declares the end from the beginning), He provided a way of forgiveness (Revelation 13:8). Yes, even before humanity tasted the poison of sin, God had already prepared the cure.

The first couple was created with the power of choice. They chose to sin, and that brought serious consequences. You also have the power to choose whether to obey God and follow His rule.

He loves you and will not force you to follow Him against your will—even if it’s for your own good. God respects our freedom to choose (Deuteronomy 30:19).

2.1 The Fall of Man

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23 “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” — Isaiah 64:6

Romans 3:10–18: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

There are only two supreme motivators: God and the ego. Those who are far from God—even when doing good deeds—do so because their ego desires it. If they obey laws and act as good citizens, it’s because their ego leads them to do so. There is no sincere desire to glorify God. But no one can be saved by works. There is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ.

Our best deeds are like filthy rags because they are driven by ego, not by the Creator. Therefore, we must be born again (John 3:3–6)—born of God, born of His Word. This is not a biological rebirth (Hebrews 9:27).

2.2 The Provision of Salvation

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” — 1 Timothy 2:5–6

As you’ve seen, God cares so deeply about your life that He prepared a plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. He is our mediator—the only one who can unite us with God. In Jesus, we are reconciled with our Creator and find peace with Him:

“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:19

Jesus is our reconciliation with God. Therefore, we must accept this reconciliation by receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

3. The Grace of God

Do you know what “grace” means? Biblically, grace is an undeserved favor we receive from God.

Think seriously: what could you possibly do apart from Jesus to be saved?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

This undeserved favor is the greatest proof that God cares for every human being:

“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

3.2 Jesus, the Greatest Proof That God Cares About You

Jesus is the greatest proof that God cares about you. Being what God held most precious—His very own Son—He gave Him up to die in our place, bearing the punishment for our sins so that through Him we could be reconciled with God.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16

“Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” — John 1:12

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” — 1 John 3:1

4. God Truly Cares About Me

Yes, God cares—not only about your soul, but also about your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

“He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.” — Psalm 103:3 “The Lord will sustain them on their sickbed and restore them from their bed of illness.” — Psalm 41:3

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You.” — Isaiah 26:3

“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.” — Psalm 46:2–4

There is no doubt that God cares about you. But what about you—do you care about God? Now is the time to surrender to this loving God who cares so deeply for you that He gave His Son so you could be saved from eternal condemnation. God is offering you salvation right now through Jesus Christ, but the choice is yours—to accept or reject this undeserved gift. What is your decision?

Let’s Pray

Lord God, I thank You for Your great love for me. I acknowledge that I have sinned and acted out of selfishness. I was focused only on myself, but now I understand that I was wrong. Today, I thank You for Your immense love. Today, I thank You for the forgiveness You offer.

I accept this forgiveness through Jesus Christ! Make me a new creation, transform me according to Your will, enter my life and take full control. I surrender completely to You. Thank You, because now I can call You my Father. Amen.