The Ten Steps of Faith and Obedience
Whoever practices and teaches
these commands will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven (Matthew 5:19)
Introduction
This
Statement of Faith and Obedience is designed to be
used as a discipling and biblical counseling tool.
It is designed to be a resource for Christians who
do not have access to higher education, seminaries
or even Bibles, such as the many who are outside the
Western world. It provides some of the essential teachings
for a faith that is biblical and evangelical. It is
also designed as a Christian alternative to the AA
12 steps.
Please note that this is only a tool.
Knowing Jesus Christ is a spiritual union of the soul
with God. This can never be reduced to a mere set
of beliefs or steps. Nor can using these steps serve
as a substitute for participating in the life of a
local church; they are only supplementary.
Nevertheless, God has ordained means
of grace, such as prayer, fellowship and Bible study.
And these steps are designed to be a tool to encourage
believers in faith, repentance, employing the means
of grace and expressing their faith in obedience.
They are concise statements of some of the essentials
of the Christian faith, and the obedience which flows
from that faith, expressed in the form of "steps."
You may use it in individual and family devotions and
in small group meetings. It is in the context of relationships
that we become doers and not just hearers of the word.
It can be used for both counseling
people with life dominating problems and for discipling
new believers. Why the Ten Steps since we already have
the AA 12 Steps? The 12 steps are designed to help
people achieve sobriety, and they have been wonderfully
effective for many in achieving that end. The Ten Steps
have a different purpose: the bring people into God's
kingdom as well as helping them get sober. The 12 steps
can used to bring people to sobriety. But the Gospel
of Jesus Christ alone can bring them into God's kingdom.
The Ten Steps attempt to help people receive and apply
the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It is often in one-on-one friendships
or in small groups that God works to sanctify us and
bring us to the place of maturity and faithful obedience.
He uses the fellowship, love, prayers, encouragement,
teaching, examples, correction and accountability of
our leaders and brothers and sisters to bring us from
being believers to being disciples. Each step can be
the basis of a small group meeting. The following questions
can be used:
- Which passage(s) teach this step?
- What does it mean?
- Are you applying it? How?
- How can you improve in your faith or faithfulness
in this area?
Ten Steps of Faith and Obedience
1. We believed God so loved us that
he gave Jesus Christ to die for our sins and to rise
again from the dead. We received the forgiveness of
our sins and eternal life as gifts.
2. We confessed, turned from and put
to death anything in our lives we knew to be wrong,
knowing Christ freed us from the power and the penalty
of sin through the cross.
3. We received the fullness of the
Holy Spirit to know God better and have a fruitful life
and ministry. We received the fruit, the gifts, and
the power of the Spirit along with Christ’s authority
over the powers of darkness.
4. We experienced God’s healing
power and grace inwardly, outwardly and in our relationships
with others.
5. We made a covenant to live and serve
in the Body of Christ through active membership in a
local church. We celebrated God's covenant love for
us through Communion and affirmed our covenant love
for Him through Baptism.
6. We loved and worshipped God passionately
and exclusively in response to his great love for us.
We decided to deny ourselves, take up the cross daily
and follow Christ as his disciples.
7. We loved one another as he has loved
us and given himself for us.
8. We served Christ through regular
worship, fellowship, prayer, Bible study and witnessing
for him in word and action.
9. Having received eternal life, we
shared this good news with others from all nations through
evangelism, discipleship and starting new churches.
10. Above all, by God's grace, we sought
to do everything for the glory of God the Father, Son
and Holy Spirit.
The IAM Ten Steps may be freely copied
and distributed provided they are not changed in any
way.
Copyright © 2005
Internet Accessed Ministries www.i-am.org
Scriptural
Sources of the Ten Steps ->
Ten Steps as Resolutions
->
Ten
Steps as Resolutions PDF
Ten
Steps as Resolutions Word
Ten
Steps PDF
Ten
Steps MS Word
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