SUMMARY STEPS TO CHRIST

INTRODUCTION
There is no hope for a perfect union with any other person if we are apart from
Christ. We need God in us if we are to uphold His principles of love, humility,
self-sacrifice and long suffering, all essential criteria to a solid and fulfilling
marriage. We cannot do it alone. Yet many ask, "How do I actually invite Him
in? When I battle with self-daily, how do I incorporate His principles so that I
respond in His will automatically?" This requires a indwelling of the Holy Spirit,
God’s will personified. He alone can bring the fruits of love, humility, self-
sacrifice and long suffering.
Because this encouraging information cannot be presented in any better way
than put, I encourage you to read the little booklet Steps to Christ by Ellen
White. As the name implies, it breaks down our relationship goals with Christ
into easily understood steps like the rungs of a ladder. It begins with God’s love
for man, our need for Christ as sinners, repentance, confession, consecration,
faith and acceptance, test of discipleship, growing up in Christ, the work and
the life, a knowledge of God, the privilege of prayer, what to do with doubt, and
rejoicing in the Lord. It covers the plan for developing an intimate relationship
with Christ from the beginning to the end. It is a God-sent. Though I’d much
prefer you read the actual book by the original author, I have summarized,
with a few quotes, Ellen White's booklet, Steps to Christ as follows.
1. "God’s Love for Man"

The first step of knowing God is to understanding His love for you personally.
God demonstrates His love by providing your needs in ways that steer you
toward salvation. Not a blade of grass, fruit or vegetable can grow without
receiving life from God. All this He does for you. Though He cursed the earth
for man’s sake, God again and again shows He is trustworthy, and that He
desires an intimate relationship with you.
Satan, on the other hand, has done his best to represent God as a vicious
tyrant awaiting His first opportunity to destroy anyone who even slightly strays
from God’s path. Christ came not only to save you and me but to show the
Father’s true character, which exposes Satan’s lies. God's and Jesus'
characters are the same, so loving in nature that children flocked to Jesus.
Satan applies to God his own attributes, and using the Old Testament as proof,
many believe this lie. Yet the Old Testament shows that God would have no
need of using discipline or destruction were it not for Satan's influence.
The Bible says that destruction is God’s "strange" act. God destroys only to
save people from Satan’s tyranny and resulting misery. Without some
restraining of evil by God, every person would be painfully more miserable. It is
because God is protecting us that we take His blessings for granted. We are so
used to His daily tender care that we would be shocked at the difference were
He to withdraw His hand of love and mercy, yet rarely is God given credit for
holding back the tide of evil as He does.
Each person, no matter his or her station in life, is so tenderly regarded by the
Father that He Sacrificed His own Son in his or her behalf. And God’s Son
became even more endeared to His Father for dying for us. There is no greater
love. How can we doubt it? And God demonstrates this love daily if we choose
to see. Herein is the key: to understand and realize God’s love for us, we must
see it, read it, and hear it – daily.

Step one is to view the intensity of God’s immeasurable love for you in the light
of Jesus’ life and death.

2. "The Sinner's Need of Christ"

Perfect man and perfect God communed together before sin. It was part of
Satan’s battle plan to cause man to doubt God, to mistrust Him, separating
God and man for eternity. Satan would then blame God for creating man with
the intention of destroying him, thereby leading others to distrust even more.
Satan won the first battle. After Adam and Eve sinned, man could no longer
stand in the presence of a perfect God.
Sin causes separation from God like adultery causes separation in a marriage.
Now Adam and Eve could not enjoy communion with God unless their hearts
were renewed. In God’s mercy, the unrenewed heart is not invited into heaven,
as it would be torture to anyone in whom sin still resides. Yet it is impossible
for you or I to renew our own hearts or cleanse ourselves in preparation for
that reunion. Only Christ can change us from sinful to holy so we can again
stand in the presence of God. God continues to pursue every soul until that
final judgment day, asking them to accept His renewing. Jesus hands, feet, and
side are inscribed with the name of every man and woman who ever existed.
Any soul who chooses death instead of eternal life will leave an eternally empty
hole in Christ’s heart.
We must see the love of God, we must know the wisdom of His law, which is
the presentation of His character in word, but to truly become changed into His
likeness, we must "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the
world" (John 1:29). "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). The Bible, the sure word of God, illustrates
this point again and again. Jacob could not feel free from his guilt and error
until he beheld Christ – the ladder ascending over the vast abyss between earth
and heaven –and wrestling with the Son of God, prevailing through humility.
New Testament Saul murdered and persecuted Christians while fully believing
he benefited the cause of God. He only saw the error of his way when he met
Christ on the road. Only by beholding Christ did they have hope.
Not even one of the great men of the Bible could do anything to cleanse
themselves beyond looking to Christ – to fall at the foot of the cross. That is all
that He asks of us, and it is He who gives us the power to do so. Even our
desire for an improved life comes from Christ. We need not trust ourselves, for
we can do nothing of ourselves. Though our outward appearance may show
refinement, we have no power within to change our inner desires, our
selfishness. All the hosts of heaven are enlisted to battle together with Christ in
the working of your salvation. What more could we ask? "Every good and
perfect gift is from above" (James 1:17). Christ alone is our true success. His
love for you surpassed death, and He promises you a crown of life if you will
only accept it.
Step two is realizing that we have no power within on which to depend. Our
hope is in Jesus, to Whom we can look and live, because only by beholding do
we become changed.

3. "Repentance"

Once we recognize God’s true love for us and see the need of looking to Christ
to change our hearts rather than trying to do it on our own, we see our need of
repentance, which involves a change of direction, turning our back on previous
intentions and actions, and seeking new direction in life. Instead of making
excuses, blaming circumstances or others, repentance means taking full
responsibility. King David, after committing murder and adultery appealed to
Christ: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me"
(Psalms 51:10). He accepted his guilt and asked for a new direction – from
Christ.
We are so used to seeing, hearing, and partaking in sin that we are unable to
recognize its true character. We become hardened to sin. When we think about
what sin did to Christ, how He was tortured, abused and put to death, and
that it all started with just eating a piece of fruit, we begin to see the enormity
of each sin and violation of God’s law. Adam and Eve’s sin seemed nothing – so
insignificant, but breaking one seemingly insignificant law resulted in Adam
and Eve’s separation from their best Friend. It introduced pain, sorrow, and
death into the world. After realizing the results of what seemed such a little sin,
we see that only God knows the real effect of sin in our lives.
When we trust and believe in Him, we begin to abhor even the slightest thing
that could separate us from Him—from the One who sacrificed for us. When we
invite Christ into our hearts, His love will melt us. We are no longer hardened
by sin, but our sense of separation that comes with each failure is keenly felt.
As we begin to understand His perfection, His sacrifice and love for us, we
desire to emulate Him. We seek to love and obey not from a fear of
consequences, but from fear of hurting Him. The change in our lives comes
from our love for Christ, put there by Christ, and shown through Christ.
Because He gave His life for us, we need never fear that He will shun our
repentance. He loves us too much.
Step three is to see sin in its truly offensive, separating nature, to recognize our
own sinfulness in comparison with Jesus’, and to desire reconciliation with
Him.

4. "Confession"

Repentance is not only feeling sorrow for sin, but it is accepting responsibility
and confessing to God. He promises that if we confess, “He is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Who is the main Actor in this promise? We have but one part to play. We
confess, and God forgives and cleanses (creates purity in us). Jesus knows
what it is like to be tempted. No matter how serious a sin we commit, when we
confess, He opens His arms of mercy while pleading our case against our
adversary (Satan) before the Universal Judge (who is already on our side, by
the way), and He then creates a new heart within. Abide in Christ, accept His
promise for what it is, repeat it frequently, and trust that His promises are sure
(Proverbs 3:5, 6).
We may feel no different, as our cleansing may occur so slowly that we hardly
notice, but others will notice. We will apologize, make restitution, returning
again what was rightfully another’s, be it their good name, paying for material
damages, or simply acknowledging the worth of him or her as a child of God.
Confession is not a light matter or something to be imposed on anyone against
his or her will. It is expressed from heartfelt sorrow for injuring someone rather
than a forced exposure of facts. If prompted by the Holy Spirit rather than by
fear of punishment, it means we’ll humbly put the wronged person first. If we
sin against one or a few, we will confess to the few. If the sin was public, we
confess in public. We will let people know that, though we make mistakes, we
have not taken the name of "Christian" in vain (taking Christ’s name of
Christian without acting like Him).
Step four involves confession both to God and to those we’ve wronged, making
restitution, accepting Jesus’ forgiveness, and letting Him work His cleansing
miracle in our lives.

5. "Consecration"
Consecration to Jesus means submitting our will to Him daily, allowing the
Holy Spirit to do His work in us for God’s glory. Satan would have us believe
that submission is cowardly and foolish, and he has succeeded to the point
that many believe Christianity is just a cop-out for the weak. This could not be
further from the truth. God asks us in Isaiah 1:18 to come and "reason
together" with Him. He says, "Let’s talk about this and see if My way makes
any sense to you" (paraphrase). He explains cause and effect, life and death,
love and hate, selfishness and selflessness, and the lasting results of each—as
exposed in the Bible. He wants us to make educated decisions about Him and
eternal life—to intelligently choose Him.
God has promised to cleanse us and make us fit to enjoy heaven, but He
cannot do so without our permission. In spite of Satan’s accusations, force is
not a part of God’s perfect government. When we submit to being molded into
His image, it means we become willing to give up all that separates us from
Jesus. We can’t be God’s and still belong to the world. Each person has his or
her own unique barriers to oneness with Christ, and if asked, He will expose
each one in His timing.
Consecration, submission, doesn’t mean we fail completely if we are not perfect
from this day forward, but it means that each day we start over beginning with
step one. Begin your day by telling God that in place of using this day for your
gain, it is His to use for His purposes. Those who truly love God will not ask
how little they can do to serve and still get into the kingdom. Instead their love
for God prompts a desire to be fully used by God each day. When so
consecrated, he or she will fully enjoy the richest fruits of His kingdom—that
is, those souls brought to the kingdom through submissive service.
You may ask, "How can I submit to God? I have such a battle with self. I want
to do what I want to do, which isn’t always what I should do. I let God down so
often that it is just easier to stay away from Him than to continue hurting Him
in my weakness." I Corinthians says, "My grace is sufficient for you. My
strength is made perfect in weakness." If we were strong enough to do it on our
own, why would we need God and who would get the glory? Because I am weak
and unable, then any change God brings about only glorifies His name, which
draws others to trust Him as well as strengthens our trust in and consecration
to Him.
God gives people the right to choose, but good choice patterns must be learned
and practiced just like learning to read. Once you learn the alphabet, it
becomes automatic to know the letter when you hear the sound, or know the
sound when you see the letter—association is key. God designed the electrical
connections in the brain to function with this associative pattern, which is how
we develop habits—good or bad. On the other hand, if you never actually pick
up a book, the automatic association between letter and sound cannot exist.
God promises to give necessary strength when we combine a desire with
submission, but desiring is not enough. We must draw on His strength to act,
and that takes a decided choice—daily. Practice makes perfect and God will
reward our faith in Him as we follow the desire with good decisions and
actions, at which time resisting temptation will become easier.
The fifth step, consecration, means complete submission, complete trust in
God, which brings a peace the world cannot offer—it brings oneness with God.

6. "Faith and Acceptance"

"As your conscience has been quickened by the Holy Spirit, you have seen
something of the evil of sin, of its power, its guilt, its woe; and you look upon it
with abhorrence. You feel that sin has separated you from God, that you are in
bondage to the power of evil. The more you struggle to escape, the more you
realize your helplessness. Your motives are impure; your heart is unclean. You
see that your life has been filled with selfishness and sin. You long to be
forgiven, to be cleansed, to be set free. Harmony with God, likeness to Him—
what can you do to obtain it?" (pg 49).
Faith is a demonstration and not a feeling. Now is not the time to live by how
you feel. How do I develop trust in God, you ask? When you ask God to work in
your life, know that He answers that prayer. He wants to work in your life.
Make your decisions according to this knowledge. Doors and windows are of no
use if you hide under your bed. Move forward in faith and if a door closes, look
for the open window and move that direction. If He closes that one, look for
another window or door while praying for His continual intervention. Every
experience, every move forward is contributing to your character and faith in
God as you look back and see His providence. God will not leave you. Over
time, as you see Him working in your life, the gift of faith will become stronger.
The people who were healed by Christ did not first feel healed before they
followed His instruction to rise up and walk, but rather because they moved in
faith, God made it happen.
"Do not wait to feel that you are made whole, but say, "I believe it; it is so, not
because I feel it, but because God has promised" (pg 51). Ignore Satan’s
attempt to make you feel insecure in Christ. You do not need to prove yourself
or be given a trial of sincerity. Step out in faith and live today as though He is
doing what He promised. Since we will take our eyes off Christ and make
mistakes, start over again each and every day. He will fulfill His promises in
you through the Holy Spirit if, day by day, you give yourself again.
Step six is to know that God will fulfill His promises to you. Accept them as
truth in spite of how you feel, and act on that belief.
7. "The Test of Discipleship"

"If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If we invite Christ into our heart every day, though we cannot change a single
desire, there will be a noticeable change. What is our focus now compared to
the past? Where do we find pleasure, how do we treat others, what are our
pursuits, what motivates those pursuits? We don’t suddenly start performing
good acts, but what we do is now motivated by humble appreciation and love
for God and for others. Our extremity is God’s opportunity, and when those
trials and hardships are seen as opportunities to glorify God, our heavy burden
becomes light.
"Those who become new creatures in Christ Jesus will bring forth the fruits of
the Spirit, ‘love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance’ (Galatians 5:22, 23). The things they once hated they
now love, and the things they once loved they hate. The proud and self-
assertive become meek and lowly in heart. The vain and supercilious become
serious and unobtrusive. The drunken become sober, and the profligate pure.
The vain customs and fashions of the world are laid aside. Christians will seek
not the ‘outward adorning,’ but ‘the hidden man of the heart, in that which is
not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.’ 1 Peter 3:3, 4."
(pg 58)
And with Christ in our heart, we cannot help but love the law of God, keeping it
in the way Christ did while here. Keeping all of God’s law is not the end and
means of salvation, but it is the demonstration of the new creature we become
in the strength of Christ.
Step seven bears evidence of a repentant, forgiven, and consecrated heart of
faith in complete, loving submission to His Spirit as He imparts to us the fruits
of the Spirit.

8. "Growing Up Into Christ"

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the
same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me, ye can do nothing" (John
15:5).
From unspiritual, to babe, to disciple, and finally to worker…
As a branch cannot grow without a connection to the vine, so our spiritual life
cannot grow without a daily connection with Christ. Only through Christ can
eternal life be secured, and only through Him can our spiritual life be obtained.
"Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In
constantly beholding Him, we 'are changed into the same image from glory to
glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.' “2 Corinthians 3:18.
"It was thus that the early disciples gained their likeness to the dear Saviour.
When those disciples heard the words of Jesus, they felt their need of Him.
They sought, they found, they followed Him. They were with Him in the house,
at the table, in the closet, in the field. They were with Him as pupils with a
teacher, daily receiving from His lips lessons of holy truth. They looked to Him,
as servants to their master, to learn their duty. Those disciples were men
‘subject to like passions as we are.’ James 5:17. They had the same battle with
sin to fight. They needed the same grace, in order to live a holy life.
"Even John, the beloved disciple, the one who most fully reflected the likeness
of the Saviour, did not naturally possess that loveliness of character. He was
not only self-assertive and ambitious for honor, but impetuous, and resentful
under injuries. But as the character of the Divine One was manifested to him,
he saw his own deficiency and was humbled by the knowledge. The power of
the love of Christ wrought a transformation of character. This is the sure result
of union with Jesus. When Christ abides in the heart, the whole nature is
transformed. Christ's Spirit, His love, softens the heart, subdues the soul, and
raises the thoughts and desires toward God and heaven" (Pg 73-74).

Step eight is beholding Christ daily, constantly observing His love for us, so
that we mature into His character from babe, to disciple, to worker for Him.

9. "The Work and the Life"

"God is the source of life and light and joy to the universe. Like rays of light
from the sun, like the streams of water bursting from a living spring, blessings
flow out from Him to all His creatures. And wherever the life of God is in the
hearts of men, it will flow out to others in love and blessing" (pg 77).
When we have been blessed by God, have been saved from death to eternal life,
it is very difficult to keep quiet. As with a new earthly relationship, though we
may not do so, we want to shout it to the world. As we bless others by sharing
our new found love of Christ, we are blessed in return.
"The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others.
They may not realize that they are doing any special good, but by their
unconscious influence they may start waves of blessing that will widen and
deepen, and the blessed results they may never know until the day of final
reward. They do not feel or know that they are doing anything great. They are
not required to weary themselves with anxiety about success. They have only to
go forward quietly, doing faithfully the work that God's providence assigns, and
their life will not be in vain. Their own souls will be growing more and more
into the likeness of Christ; they are workers together with God in this life and
are thus fitting for the higher work and the unshadowed joy of the life to come"
(pg 83).
In step nine, your blessed influence will cause others to want to know Him.

10. "A Knowledge of God"

The Bible and His creation are full of God. If we just look, we will see the
wonderful revelation of our Maker and Redeemer. As we note the way He cares
for a rebellious, sin-sick world, we would never have anxiety or worry. If we full
realize that the beauty surrounding us in sea and sky, the solar systems
moving in perfect harmony, and the heart beating in our own chest are all
orchestrated by His own hand, then a perfect peace in spite of the storm would
be ours.
Too often we spend our time simply surviving – accomplishing all the tasks
with which we are obliged. We are in a cosmic conflict, and Satan tries to busy
our lives to keep us from using our time to get to know God. When we have a
little down-time, Satan would have us resource idle and brainless
entertainment of which is not beneficial to our salvation or health. All this
meaningless entertainment minimizes our mind’s capacity to absorb. The brain
must be exercised like a muscle, or it will fail to perform. If we put aside all
things that are not pure, we’d be amazed how much time we could spend in
God’s Word and His nature learning about and then reflecting Him.
But it takes more than a simple look. If you are new to the Bible, you may want
to begin with an easy-read translation such as the New International. Begin
reading Matthew through John and then moving back to Genesis. Study
should always begin with a prayer for the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the
truth. Then if you don’t understand a text, compare it with other scripture
until you understand.

This brief chapter in the book Steps to Christ is so precious and powerful that
my paraphrase cannot even come close to the original author’s presentation. It
is well worth the read, as is the entire book.
Step ten involves getting into God’s Word, the bio of His character, every day. It
means faithfully reading the B – I – B – L – E: God's "Basic Instructions Before
Leaving Earth", and getting to know our Creator.
11. "The Privilege of Prayer"
Enoch walked with God. How can we do that when we are so busy surviving
that it’s difficult to find time to read the Bible more than a few minutes each
day? Just as you can’t have a relationship with a spouse without
communicating, you cannot walk with God unless you talk with God.
Nurturing a spiritual life in Christ means you are talking, thinking, walking,
and working with Him day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, and
second by second while all those crazy, busy things are happening. This is
walking with God, but how does one actually do that?
As you meet the challenges of your day, ask God to go with you. Speak to Him
as to a friend when struggling with issues, when happy with results, or when
challenges seem too much to accomplish. Think of how you would
communicate with your best friend were he or she with you all day. God is your
best friend, and you can talk with Him in just the same way. He is with you all
day, and He wants to commune with you. You can speak to Him in any way
you’d like—in your mind, and even out loud if it helps keep you focused. If you
have something pop up that bothers you, it’s good to be so used to communing
with God that telling Him about it is an automatic first-thought. This doesn’t
happen in the first month, but as you learn to commune with Him, moment by
moment, it will soon become quite natural.
It may be natural to fear asking God for help with daily issues, but if we need
help, will we not ask our best friend? Mine just stopped by, asking me to
deposit a check for her while she was out of town. Of course, I didn’t even
hesitate. If our best friend is willing, why would our loving God refuse to help?
Ask Him. You can rest in peace that He knows your eternal needs and He will
supply those as needed. Sometimes He has to say “no” if we ask for something
that will harm us or for that which we aren’t yet ready. Giving and helping is
what makes Christians different. That means Christ is the biggest Giver and
Helper of all. It is God’s delight to meet with believers who praise, worship, and
commune with Him, and as with any true friend, God is pleased to hear your
petitions.
Step eleven is to converse with Him on a personal level, depend on Him, and
make His day by including Him in yours.

12. "What to Do with Doubt"

God wants us to "reason together" with Him. As mentioned before, He doesn’t

want us to blindly follow along. Yet, He gives us ample reason to follow. The
Bible is meant to be understood – even Revelation – but if you find one or two
things that you just can’t account for, leave it in God’s hands. Take Him at face
value – what He literally says as you compare scripture with scripture. Bible
truths are clear enough to understand, and He promises that all we need for
salvation is within those pages, but if we could figure out and understand every
detail about God Himself, we would be God. Understanding every mystery of
God with our sin ridden, finite minds just isn’t possible. And God chooses to
leave some things to study in heaven, a place of tangible fellowship, activity,
and learning.
We simply can’t know it all right now, yet many give up what they do know
because of what they don’t.
"The apostle Peter says that there are in Scripture ‘things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest . . . unto their
own destruction.’ 2 Peter 3:16." (Pg 107). Many will give up their salvation
because they can’t or don’t want to put forth effort, or because they have not
read a clear answer for everything, but only God is all-knowing. We are in a
cosmic battle, and Satan will create doubts to cause you to lose faith. Giving
him that option gives him the victory. God will not remove all doubt. He gives
us the truths we need, and we must live by what we know is true, by the
knowledge of His love—by faith. He trusts us to use what we do know, and we
must trust Him with what He doesn’t tell us.
Step twelve means that if we are so busy searching out what God reveals about
Himself and His ways, there is no time to stew over the things God holds
secret. Trust that you are in His capable hands no matter what happens
(Proverbs 3:5, 6), and keep moving forward.

13. "Rejoicing in the Lord"

We are pilgrims here on earth whose primary purpose is to win as many to the
side of Christ as we can, to create a heavenly population explosion. The only
"things" we can take to heaven are people, those we know and love. Even if we
were able to take our most beautiful gem, it would be considered waste. God
has much more in store for us.
Since we have a right and the privilege to rejoice, Christians can be happy
people, and they can share that happiness with all those around them: family,
neighbors, clerks, cashiers, coworkers, and Christ. How might you feel if you
gave your loved one the key to a brand new car? Would you feel more loved if
he or she jumped up and down shouting their pleasure to the world so that all
the neighbors wondered what was causing such elation, or if they hung their
head because they might have to put gas in the tank? Our focus can be on the
negative—our mistakes, our failures, our misfortunes—or we can focus on the
beautiful and bountiful things God does for us in spite of the cosmic conflict. If
Christ gives us eternal life, we want to praise His name until the neighbor’s
wonder.
Step thirteen is choosing to see that our greatest happiness is in the hope of a
new, perfect world and dwelling in the presence of God and Jesus forever.
Amen and Amen!

SUMMARY OF STEPS TO CHRIST:

Step 1 is to view the intensity of God’s immeasurable love for each of us, for
you, in the light of Jesus’ life and death.
Step 2 is to realize that we have no power within on which to depend. Our
hope is in Jesus, to whom we can look and live, because only by beholding do
we become changed.
Step 3 is to see sin in its truly offensive, separating nature, to recognize our
own sinfulness in comparison with Jesus’, and to desire reconciliation with
Him.
Step 4 involves confession both to God and to those we’ve wronged, making
restitution, accepting Jesus’ forgiveness, and letting Him work His cleansing
miracle in our lives.
Step 5, consecration, means complete submission, complete trust in God,
which brings a peace the world cannot offer—it brings oneness with God.
Step 6 is to know that God will fulfill His promises to you. Accept them as
truth in spite of how you feel, and act on that belief.
Step 7 bears evidence of a repentant, forgiven, and consecrated heart of faith
in complete, loving submission to His Spirit as He imparts to us the fruits of
the Spirit.
Step 8 is beholding Christ daily, constantly observing His love for us, so that
we mature into His character from babe, to disciple, to worker for Him.
Step 9, your blessed will influence will cause others to want to know Him.
Step 10 involves getting into God’s Word, the bio of His character, every day. It
means faithfully reading the B – I – B – L – E: God's "Basic Instructions Before
Leaving Earth", and getting to know our Creator.
Step 11 is to converse with Him on a personal level, depend on Him, and make
His day by including Him in yours.
Step 12 means that if we are so busy searching out what God reveals about
Himself and His ways, there is no time to stew over the things God holds
secret. Trust that you are in His capable hands no matter what happens
(Proverbs 3:5, 6), and keep moving forward.
Step 13 is choosing to see that our greatest happiness is in the hope of a new,
perfect world and dwelling in the presence of God and Jesus forever.