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
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