BRITAIN FOR CHRIST 7 FIRST STEPS IN FOLLOWING CHRIST Version 22 — Faith Journey & Discipleship PURPOSE This guide is a biblical starting pathway for Christian discipleship. The seven steps do not earn salvation. Salvation is God's gift of grace received through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-10). Christian discipleship means learning to follow Jesus Christ in the whole of life. It includes believing His Gospel, receiving His teaching, obeying His commands, walking by the Holy Spirit, belonging to His people and bearing witness to Him. See Matthew 4:19; Luke 9:23; John 8:31-32; Matthew 28:18-20. Use this guide slowly. Read the passages themselves. Do not depend on the summary below as a substitute for Scripture. STEP 1 — KNOW THE TRIUNE GOD Read: - Deuteronomy 6:4 - Matthew 3:16-17 - Matthew 28:19 - John 1:1-18 - John 14:15-27 - John 17:1-5 - 2 Corinthians 13:14 Biblical foundation: Christian faith confesses one God. The New Testament reveals the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit distinctly and together. Jesus teaches His disciples to baptise in the one name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Ask: - What do these passages say about the Father? - What do they say about the Son? - What do they say about the Holy Spirit? - What do they say about the unity of God? - How does Jesus make the Father known? Practice: Read John 1 carefully. Note every statement about the Word, God, creation, life, light and the coming of the Word into the world. Pray that God would make Himself known through His Word rather than merely confirming your assumptions. Guardrail: Do not reduce the Trinity to three gods, three parts of God or one Person simply changing roles. Human analogies can easily distort the doctrine. Let Scripture set the boundaries of what Christians confess. Next: Use the Britain for Christ Father, Son & Holy Spirit page and compare every summary there with the biblical passages listed. STEP 2 — REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL Read: - Mark 1:14-15 - Luke 18:9-14 - Acts 20:21 - Romans 3:21-26 - Romans 5:1-11 - Romans 10:9-13 - Ephesians 2:1-10 - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 Biblical foundation: Jesus announces God's kingdom and calls people to repent and believe the Gospel. The apostles proclaim reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. Salvation is not a reward for moral achievement. Ask: - What problem does the Gospel address? - What has God done through Jesus Christ? - What do the cross and resurrection mean? - What is repentance? - What is faith? - What is the difference between grace and earning? Practice: Confess sin honestly. Thank God for His mercy in Christ. Ask for grace to turn from what is wrong and to trust Christ rather than your own goodness. Guardrail: Faith is not positive thinking, emotional intensity, religious performance or merely agreeing that God exists. Repentance is also more than regret; it is a turning of heart and direction toward God. Next: Read one complete Gospel rather than relying only on short summaries of Jesus. STEP 3 — BAPTISM AND NEW IDENTITY Read: - Matthew 28:18-20 - Acts 2:37-42 - Acts 8:26-39 - Romans 6:1-14 - Galatians 3:26-29 - Colossians 2:6-15 Biblical foundation: Jesus commands baptism as part of disciple-making. Acts repeatedly places baptism within the public response to the Gospel and entry into Christian community. Romans 6 connects baptism with union with Christ in His death and resurrection. Ask: - How is baptism connected to discipleship? - What does Romans 6 say about old and new life? - What happens around baptism in Acts 2? Practice: Discuss baptism with a biblically faithful local church. Ask the church to explain its practice from Scripture, not merely from custom. Guardrail: Christian traditions differ on the subjects, timing and mode of baptism. Britain for Christ should acknowledge those differences while retaining the clear biblical importance and command of baptism. Do not use this guide to bypass the pastoral life and accountability of a local church. STEP 4 — LEARN TO PRAY Read: - Matthew 6:5-13 - Luke 11:1-13 - John 15:7-17 - Romans 8:26-27 - Philippians 4:4-7 - Hebrews 4:14-16 - 1 John 5:14-15 Biblical foundation: Jesus teaches prayer that begins with God's name, kingdom and will. Prayer includes dependence for daily needs, confession, forgiveness and protection from temptation and evil. The Holy Spirit helps believers in weakness. Ask: - What priorities does the Lord's Prayer establish? - What does it mean to pray according to God's will? - How does the Holy Spirit help believers pray? - How does Jesus shape Christian access to God? Practice: Use a simple pattern: ADORATION — praise God for who He is. CONFESSION — bring sin honestly before Him. THANKSGIVING — remember His grace and gifts. SUPPLICATION — ask for your needs and the needs of others. Guardrail: Prayer is not an incantation, bargaining system or method for controlling God. Faithful prayer can be bold and persistent while remaining submitted to God's wisdom and will. STEP 5 — LIVE IN HOLY SCRIPTURE Read: - Psalm 1 - Luke 24:25-27 - Acts 17:10-12 - 2 Timothy 3:14-17 - James 1:19-25 - 2 Peter 3:14-18 Biblical foundation: Scripture is God-breathed and equips God's people. Jesus and the apostles interpret individual passages within the wider purposes of God. James warns against hearing without doing. Use four questions: 1. What does the passage actually say? 2. What did it mean in its literary and historical context? 3. What does it reveal about God, humanity, sin, grace, faith or obedience? 4. What faithful response follows from the text? Also notice: - Genre: narrative, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, Gospel, letter or apocalyptic writing. - Audience: who was originally addressed? - Context: what comes immediately before and after? - Whole-Bible setting: how does the passage relate to the wider biblical story? - Christ: where appropriate, how does the passage connect to the person and work of Christ? Practice: Use the Britain for Christ 30-Day Gospel Foundations plan. Write one sentence about what the text says and one appropriate response. Guardrail: Do not make Scripture say what you want. Do not build major doctrine from one ambiguous sentence when clearer passages and the wider biblical witness provide needed context. Do not turn every promise to a specific biblical person or covenant into an unconditional personal guarantee. STEP 6 — WALK BY THE HOLY SPIRIT Read: - John 14:15-27 - John 16:7-15 - Romans 8:1-17 - 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 - 1 Corinthians 13 - Galatians 5:13-26 - Ephesians 5:15-21 Biblical foundation: The Holy Spirit is divine and personal. He glorifies Christ, gives life, dwells in believers, helps God's people pray, distributes gifts and produces fruit. Ask: - What does Jesus say the Spirit will do? - What character marks the fruit of the Spirit? - Why does 1 Corinthians place teaching about love alongside spiritual gifts? - How does Romans 8 describe life according to the Spirit? Practice: Ask the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ in you, expose sin and form love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Identify one concrete area where obedience needs to grow. Guardrail: Do not measure spirituality only by dramatic experiences, gifts, manifestations or public visibility. The New Testament repeatedly connects life in the Spirit with truth, holiness, love, edification and Christlike character. STEP 7 — BELONG, SERVE AND WITNESS Read: - Acts 1:8 - Acts 2:41-47 - 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 - Ephesians 4:1-16 - Hebrews 10:24-25 - 1 Peter 3:15-16 - 1 Peter 4:10-11 Biblical foundation: The earliest Christians devote themselves to apostolic teaching, fellowship, prayer and shared life. Believers are described as one body with many members. Gifts are given for service, and Christians are called to bear witness to Christ. BELONG: Seek a biblically faithful local church where you can be known, taught, worship, receive pastoral care, participate responsibly and grow with others. SERVE: Use what God has entrusted to you for the good of others. Gifts are stewardship, not spiritual rank. WITNESS: Be ready to speak about Jesus Christ and the hope of the Gospel with courage, gentleness and respect. Depend upon the Holy Spirit rather than manipulation. Guardrail: Online Christian content is not a complete substitute for embodied church life. A website cannot know you personally, baptise you, exercise appropriate pastoral oversight, share the Lord's Supper with you or replace accountable fellowship. A SIMPLE LIFELONG RHYTHM WORD Read Scripture faithfully and in context. References: Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:14-17. PRAYER Depend upon God with thanksgiving and perseverance. References: Philippians 4:6-7; Colossians 4:2. CHURCH Gather with, encourage and serve God's people. References: Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 4:10. OBEDIENCE Put Christ's teaching into practice. References: Matthew 7:24-27; James 1:22. MISSION Bear witness to Jesus Christ. References: Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15-16. WHEN YOU FAIL Christian growth includes repentance. Do not hide sin or imagine that mature Christians no longer need grace. Return to God, confess sin, receive appropriate Christian care and continue in faith. Read: 1 John 1:5-2:2; Galatians 6:1-2; Hebrews 4:14-16. BIBLICAL EVIDENCE STANDARD Scripture first. Interpretation second. Application third. Read whole passages in context. Distinguish biblical teaching from inference, tradition and personal opinion. Do not turn every promise into an individual guarantee. Where Scripture leaves mystery, do not manufacture certainty. Test teaching rather than following personality alone (Acts 17:11). © 2026 Sukhdip Parvez. Britain for Christ. All rights reserved in original site content and compilation, except third-party material.