If you recently accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, please read this...
Congratulations on accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! We want to make sure you understand not only what has happened to you, and within you, but also some things you will want to do next to grow in your faith. Our prayer is that you read and study this message and then ask us if you have any questions. If you do not attend our church already, we invite you to come visit us on Sunday mornings at 10 am. Please be sure to introduce yourself to Pastor Kevin Becker.
So you’ve invited Jesus into your life. What does that mean and what has happened?
Who is God?
It is very important to first understand that God is the creator of the universe. There is great design and precision in creation, making it obvious that there was a creator. The bible teaches that God is a trinity, which is three persons in one: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere at all times. God is also loving, holy, merciful, and just. He is eternally consistent and unchanging, making Him trustworthy.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
Also called “The Helper”, the Holy Spirit is something God has given us the moment we trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He took up permanent residence within you. The Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity-not simply a power or force—and He, along with the other two members of the Trinity, was involved in creation. We know this because when God created mankind, He said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”, shown in the bible in Genesis 1:26. The plural pronouns in this passage refer to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. He helps you reproduce Christ-like character. The Holy Spirit convicts us to keep us clean, and to be sensitive of the things that are not of God. Through the Holy Spirit, we live the Christian life and carry out the work that God has called us to do.
Who is Jesus Christ?
That one question is the most important question in life. Jesus claimed to be God and proved it. He was the incarnate Son of God, which means He was God in the flesh. He lived 33 years on earth teaching, performing miracles, and healing the sick. He was then scourged, crucified, and buried, but then rose again on the third day, defeating death, just like He said He would. He came to take the punishment for us, to pay our sin debt in full. By our very nature, we entered this world as sinners. God dealt with our sin problem at the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, He made it possible for every person who is willing to accept Him as their personal savior to be accepted by Him and become a child of God.
The most famous verse in the bible is John 3:16-17:
For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Then there’s Romans 5:8:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Philippians 2: 5-13:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
To help us better understand it, Charles Stanley puts it this way:
“God the Father, seeing the helpless, sinful condition of all mankind, chose, motivated by His love for us, to come into this world in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s what we call the “incarnation.” He took upon Himself human flesh, grew up as a child, born of the virgin Mary. He came into this world for the primary reason of dying. John the Baptist said “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” He came into this world as a lamb to die for your sin and mine. He’s the only one who could do it because it had to be a sinless person…”
The following will help further illustrate what happened at that cross. Jesus’ last three words on the cross were “It is finished.” That’s a very strange thing for someone to say right before they die. What that means is that the debt has been paid.
Think of it this way: The ten commandments, which, nearly everyone has heard of, are called the moral law. You’ve probably heard it said “Thou shall not lie”, “Thou shall not steal”, etc. You and I broke the law (by sinning), Jesus paid the fine. If you were in a court of law, and you had a stack of speeding fines there, the judge says “you’re guilty, this is your wages, you’ve earned this sentence.” However, he could legally let you go if someone pays the fine. It’s legal to do so. God can legally take death of you all because Jesus paid the fine at the cross.
In the bible in Romans 6:23 it says:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There’s a very powerful story in the bible in the book of Luke about the two criminals that were crucified beside Jesus.
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
The purpose for including this is this particular passage of scripture here for you, a new believer, is to illustrate what salvation is. While the one criminal was simply asking Jesus to save him, the other criminal acknowledged his guilt, was remorseful, and asked Jesus to remember him when He “comes into His kingdom.” That means that the second criminal did two things. He was sorry for his crimes, and he trusted Jesus to be who He said He was. What was the result? Jesus telling him that he would go to heaven. What we have to do for salvation is no different. We have to repent and trust in Jesus. Let’s first define what “repent” means. It means to recognize your sin, with godly sorrow (to be genuinely sorry for doing things that displease God) and make a commitment to change direction. Then we must trust Jesus as your savior, like you would trust a parachute. It’s that simple.
If you were on a plane and you knew you had to jump, you would put on a parachute. You wouldn't jump out without the parachute and then flap your arms. That wouldn't save you. So don’t put your faith in yourself, thinking you’re a good person. The bible says no one is good but God. So it's the same here, you don't want to go into eternity without putting on Jesus. You can’t afford to die in your sins. Again, the moment you trust Jesus as your savior, you are born again, eternally secure in your salvation, and you can have the confidence knowing that when you die, you will go to heaven.
In John 3: 1-3 the bible states:
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
The bible teaches that once you trust Jesus as your savior, you are a new creation (hence “born again”). God’s promise of forgiveness and eternal life is imputed to you as a free gift of grace in that instant. Before you were born again, you were spiritually dead, but through faith in Jesus Christ, God washes away our sin and the Holy Spirit imparts new life that extends for eternity. Titus 3:5 states:
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
Look at this beautiful verse in Ephesians 2:8-9:
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Now that you are a new creation, God calls us to love and honor Him in our daily lives. We have to surrender all areas of our life to Him. That means if you were doing things that were displeasing to Him before, you should not do them anymore. The Holy Spirit will begin to convict and reveal to you that these things are not pleasing to God, helping you to not slip into your old ways. Over time, God works in our life to sanctify us. It’s a lifelong journey where the Holy Spirit transforms the believer’s habits, attitudes, and character to reflect Christ. It doesn’t mean that you will never make mistakes, but now you have the power to overcome your sin through the work of Holy Spirit. When you slip up, pray for forgiveness, knowing that God will forgive you as it states in the bible in 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
What is actually trusting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?
Charles Stanley puts it this way:
“When you and I come to the Lord Jesus Christ and receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior, what we are in essence saying is not only do I believe, and I, if I really believe the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior, what do I want to do? I want to give my life to him. Just surrender my life to Him. I want Him to be the Lord and Master of my life….”
Billy Graham puts it this way:
“When we repent of our sins and by faith receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we receive Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:22–24). God now sees Christ’s righteousness in us rather than our sinfulness. Our sins are forgiven, and we are made right with God (John 1:12). Now God calls us to love and honor Him as Lord of our daily lives. To do this, we must surrender every area of our lives to His control, allowing God to make us more like His Son (Galatians 2:20). After receiving Christ, there is a real danger of slipping back into old sinful ways. The solution is to commit each day to the Lord and share our problems with Him. We must give Him authority over our lives, confess any known sin to Him, and receive His forgiveness as promised in 1 John 1:9.
Our victory has already been won for us by Christ’s death and resurrection; see 1 Corinthians 15:57–58. It is now our responsibility, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to live in that victory by practicing Biblical standards of behavior as noted in Ephesians 4:22–32.
It is tremendously important that we daily meditate on the Word of God, obey His instructions, continue regularly in prayer, and fellowship with other believers in a gospel-preaching church. As we do this, we will become mature Christians, established and strengthened in Christ; see Romans 5:1.”
Will you all the sudden have perfect behavior after receiving Christ? Will it always be easy? Of course not. God does not promise us an easy life without any problems. We don’t come to Jesus to get a better life. We come to Him because we need His forgiveness. We cannot afford to die in our sins. Jesus Himself says:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
When you accept Christ, God gives you a new heart with new desires. You are given the Holy Spirit and His job is to transform you over time (sanctification) and lead you into the things that are pleasing in God’s sight. God indwells us with the Holy Spirit as our personal helper. That means that He is personally involved in whatever God has us doing. You’re now accepting God to lead your life. You have a direct line to the creator of the universe to whom you can talk to for guidance and fellowship. What an awesome privilege!
The Bible
Most people have heard of the bible, but really don’t fully understand what it is, or what its purpose is. Did you know that it’s the best-selling book of all time? The bible is God’s word, His message of love and forgiveness to us, or as it is commonly called “God’s instruction book”. God has preserved His Word even through attempts to eradicate it off the face of the earth. It is credible and can be fully trusted as God’s Word. Many prophecies, especially when it pertains to Jesus, have already come true, proving divine inspiration. It guides and instructs us on what to do and how to live a godly life, one that is pleasing to Him. Many people have started out reading the bible to try to disprove it, or simply out of curiosity, but after they read it, the spirit of God spoke to their heart and showed them the truth.
Your next step should be start reading the bible so that you get to know it’s contents, and ultimately, grow your faith and your relationship to God.
Billy Graham’s organization states that you should read the bible in this order if you’re a new believer:
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First, read one chapter from the gospel of John each day. This will help you understand the basics of the Gospel. (Books of the Bible are typically listed in the front of the Bible.)
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Second, read Acts, the exciting story of how Jesus Christ’s first disciples told others about how He died and rose again.
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Third, read the letters that Christ’s apostles wrote to His first followers—all who were new in their faith. These letters are the book of Romans through the book of 3 John.
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Fourth, go back and read one of the other three gospels: Matthew, Mark, or Luke.
Baptism
It is an outward sign of an inward change in our life. Baptism is a public declaration that the person being baptized has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior through faith in Him and His death at Calvary as atonement for their sins. It is an outward sign of an inward spiritual change that has taken place in their life.
Although not required for salvation, it is commanded in the bible.
As Charles Stanley so effectively puts it:
“Well, let's look at what happened to Jesus. What did He do? He died, He was crucified, He was buried, and He rose again. Now, this is why I want you to see it's so important to be immersed.
Death, burial, resurrection. Death, burial, resurrection. Baptizing, what happens? We walk into the water.
We are buried in Christ Jesus that is underwater. We come back up to walk in newness of life. Now, why do we baptize by immersion?
Because it is the most accurate picture of what's going on.
Why did He want us to be baptized? Because it was a public, listen, it was a public picture. It is a portrayal of what happened to you and me when we were saved. What happened when we were saved? Here's what happened.
Being convicted of our sins, we accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, which said, I die to my old lifestyle. I place my life in Christ, I'm buried in Him, and I arise to walk in newness of life. You have a reason and a right to expect a different lifestyle of me because I'm not the person I used to be.
I've been born again by the grace of God. I died to my old way, and I've been buried in Christ, and now I'm walking in newness of life. Immersion is the only form of baptism that pictures death, burial, and resurrection.
That's why He gave it. So, what happens when you and I are baptized? We are portraying to the world. We are portraying to the world what's happened to us.
I'm not what I used to be. I've died to my old way. I may sometimes not act like it, but I have a new spirit.
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. So, He says, I'm going to give you a new heart and a new spirit.”
If you’d like to get baptized, please see Pastor Kevin and he’d be happy to discuss this with you.
Conclusion
In closing, welcome to the family! You’re now a child of God. Be at peace knowing that you are eternally secure in your salvation. In John 5:13 it states:
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
If you ever need help or understanding, remember that God is there and will hear your prayers. Wait upon Him to answer you. Talk to Him daily and try to read your bible daily too, in order to grow in your faith and learn to obey God. Wait upon Him for His timing. He desires to hear from you.
Don’t neglect spending quiet time with Him to give you strength and power. You’ll need it to resist the devil. Satan doesn’t want you to spend time with God and get closer to Him. He wants you to go back to your old habits. He wants to cause doubt and confusion. Your best defense of his schemes is to put on the armor of God daily, as described in Ephesians 6: 10-17:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We invite you to visit our church on Sunday mornings at 10 am.
God bless you.