I Am Saved! What Next?

When we have received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we begin to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is important to emphasize here that we do not work FOR salvation, but do need to work it OUT once saved.  The Holy Spirit enables us do this with our cooperation.  

Some believe that receiving Jesus is all that is required to make it to Heaven and have eternal life, regardless of the lifestyle one chooses to live; but the truth is that all does not end with the short prayer of salvation. Making a decision to surrender your life is the starting point of your blissful relationship with God.  While it is true that Jesus will never turn His back on those who believe in, and receive Him, it is possible to lose our salvation, when we do the 'turning back' ourselves and reject Him altogether.  This is why He said not all who call on Him will make it to Heaven, unless they do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-24).  This should tell us clearly that a believer can lose his/her salvation. 


It takes some time to get to a point where we deny Jesus Christ one more time and directly or indirectly decide not to be part of Him any longer, but it is possible.  The Bible speaks about it as, "a dog turning back to its vomit" (2 Peter 2:20-22).  Gladly, the Lord is always waiting to have us back in His loving arms when we repent and find our way back to Him like the prodigal son (See Luke 15:11-32).


Certain things are required to work out your salvation.  What are they?


(i)   Forgive yourself - You are now a new creature in Christ. Believe that God loves you; He has shown this by giving up His only son to die in lieu of punishment for your sins, as sacrifice for all you have done wrong.


Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things passed away, and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

'Old things' here are the sinful passions and desires that we had. Our enslavement to them is broken when we are born again. Once we are born again, we are no longer our own; the Holy Spirit dwells within us.

(ii)  Commit to a Lifestyle of Total Repentance - Repentance is the decision to turn away from sin, live right, and fully obey God. Once you are determined to do this, all things start falling into place. If you still have a hard time with this concept, trust Jesus Christ as Lord over your life, and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. Commitment is what the Lord is looking for (the Holy Spirit will help you run the Christian race with zeal if you are determined to live in obedience).

(iii)  Get a Bible and Spend Time with God - Spend time with God each day. Initially, it may not  be for a long period of time.  As you grow spiritually, you will find that the time you spend with Him becomes longer. Develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask Him to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible. If you don’t have a bible, here are links to online bibles. You can make use of them in the meantime:

http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://biblecc.com/
http://bible.org/

(iv)  Find a Bible-Believing Church - It is imperative that you are fed with spiritual food (Word and doctrine), so you can grow in the Lord. Find a local church where you can worship God and grow spiritually.

(v)  Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus  - Develop a group of believing friends to answer questions you may have and support you on your Christian journey.

(vi)  Get baptized in accordance with the New Testament - Get baptized by immersion in water, as commanded by Jesus Christ. Through baptism, we identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism also signifies the death and burial of our sinful nature, and our resurrection as a forgiven Christian through faith in Jesus Christ (Colossians. 2:12-13).

Water Baptism is a public testimony which should be preceded by repentance.  When being baptized, we stand before witnesses confessing our identification with the Lord.  It also means we are placing our selfishness, pride, past and all of our possessions before the Lord, and giving the control of our lives over to Him. Your Pastor/Spiritual Leader will touch more on this.

(vii)  Be a Faithful Witness for the Lord - Be a Witness. Tell others about your new faith in Christ. Share your faith story with them, and tell them about His saving grace.

There is a note titled 'Evangelism Styles' on our webpage. Feel free to refer to it.



ONE MORE THING!

Beginning Bible Reading Guide for New Believers

It is important that you read your bible at least once a day to be grounded in the teachings of Christ.  Reading your Bible also helps you live a victorious life as a Christian.  In it also, you will find the promises of God to you, and so much more. The Bible helps you stand firm when the devil tries to whisper his lies to you and lure you into sin and a life of misery that you have just escaped. You will also find out that the Bible is a powerful weapon that every victorious believer holds on to, which is why it is called 'the Sword of the Spirit' (Ephesians 6:17).


Here is a suggested order of reading for a new believer who needs to start to read and understand the Bible. There are 66 Books in the Holy Bible to be covered, but this plan will get you started:

·         The Gospel of John

·         The Gospel of Matthew 
·         The Gospel of Mark
·         I John
·         II John
·         III John
·         Genesis
·         Ephesians
·         Galatians
·         The Gospel of Luke
·         I Corinthians
·         II Corinthians
·         Romans
·         Proverbs
·         Psalms

A
n important point about studying the Bible, is not to be in a hurry.  It is God the Father who reveals spiritual knowledge through the Holy Spirit.  Meditate on what you have read, and pray for the Holy Spirit to give you knowledge and understanding. Biblical Knowledge is not gained by memorization or academic knowledge.  Remember, when you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit began to dwell within you.  Ask Him to give you knowledge and understanding. He will grant your request.


Yours Firmly in His Grip,


Deborah Toyin O'longe (ReachingSouls ForChrist)

http://www.divineliterature.org 

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