Get Saved
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Salvation Begins With Repentence
If you haven't read "Need Jesus", please do to understand why you need Him first!
The reason for Jesus coming to earth, repentence, and the Holy Spirit authoring the Bible is because of sin that separates you and I from God. In all our evils and selfishness, God wants to restore you to himself because He loves you. If you are not confronted and convicted with your sin you will not change. This is not about what church denomination you are, or why people are starving around the world, put away all the bad things happening for a minute. This all has to do with the sin and evil men love to do, that is you and I. We are the problem and we always have been.
Luke 18:17 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
The call to salvation is not a light thing. I used to think I could pray a prayer and go to heaven when I died and that was it -- but those are not the Words of the Master. There is also a life down here to stay in the faith and a deep walk with God. Jesus Christ is not an accessory to life, so that I can get something for nothing.
I can't get "saved" and live like the world, because friends with the world are enemies of God, and it says, Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. 2 Corinthians 6:17
Life through Death
Living for the Lord is far from a bed of roses. Do not be deceived, as lovely as it sounds when a church preaches how God will boost your self-esteem, how He wants to bless you with wealth, how happy God is with your life, and how it's your time for a reward. They are lies, Jesus is Holy and He did not die for vanity. In 2 Timothy 4:3, For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. Many churches are telling you what you want to hear and this does not lead to Repentence, Salvation, Holy Living, or Love for the Lord. Titus 1:16 Such people claim they know God, but they deny Him by the way they live.
If you have not felt overwhelming conviction of your sins, please first ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you because you have to know what you are repenting of. If you do not feel the burden, guilt, and shame of your sins you will miss the greatest revelation that will keep you on solid foundation of how great God's grace is.
The way of the Lord is through death, a seed does not grow unless it dies. Submission to the will of God, Surrender to the will of God, becoming a slave to righteousness, and obeying the Lord with all your heart, mind, and strength. The call is to sell out and give your life to the Lord. "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me (Mark 8:34). The truth about Jesus Christ is that you will be hated by all men for bearing His name, you will be mocked and excluded, you will face persecution, you will suffer and be tempted, You will be broken over and over, and you will face things that are impossible to overcome only to see God do the impossible.
2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Why Would I Want to Get Saved?
With all these things, why would anyone want to get saved? You will be free from being a slave to sin, you are being saved from the Wrath of God, You are being saved from eternal torment where there is no rest, you are having all of your sins forgiven, you have peace with God and become His child and friend, and greatest of all is that you get to fellowship with the lover of your soul everyday with unlimited access to boldly approach the throne of Grace. What else? He is the only way, He will never leave or forsake you, He will be with you even until the end of the age, He will carry you through your suffering, His strength will be made perfect in your weaknesses, you will see miracles, your name is written in the Book of Life, Your father is now the Living God, He reveals the hidden things by His Spirit that no man knows, he will lavish his love on you that is greater than what any man can give, you get to dwell in His real presence..
Psalm 103:2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
What is God Like?
Consider this; I can read an auto-biography about someone in great detail, but I'm limited on knowing their personality. The best way to get to know the author is to hangout with them in person. To have a coffee with them, see how they respond to my conversation, and see all the little things they like. In the same way you get to know God, by spending time with Him! The Bible is great to read, but it will not fulfill your relationship with God. You can't just read the Bible to know what God is really like, words do not do justice compared the presence. Since God is invisible this seems difficult, but there is a real presence and voice unlike anything you've experienced on earth.
So what is God like? There is nothing better I could have possible dreamed up like having Jesus in my life. He has given me change that I could not have dreamed of. He totally loves me, He is deeply comitted to me, He delights in helping me. It is the most happiest feeling to totally trust the best, most honourable, most powerful, most integrous, committed and most faithful covenant maker who is also the most decent person that ever lived, Jesus. His character and integrity is the source of my great happiness. He is the kindest person I have ever known in my entire life, relentlessly kind, more kind than I ever deserved. He is the happiest person I have ever known. He is the most consistent person I have ever known. Gods Glory is in His nature, God is just so good. He is unfailingly good. He will always be good, yesterday he was good, today he will be good, and tomorrow he will be good. He never changes his heart towards me, he can not be anything other than what He is. I always know what God is going to be like but I never know what He will do next.
When you live in the presence of God you will learn more about Him than you could by sitting in church for 5 years. When you walk with God and see His ways you will learn what draws Him near, the things on His heart, the kindness He loves to show you. You will also learn what drives Gods presence away, and you will change so that you can walk in His goodness and continually be more like Him. He is so exceedingly good, I could not write this about any other person on earth.
Come to the Lord
What you are reading is not too good to be true, this is who God is! Narrow is the way friend, be glad you are finding it! Coming to the Lord is a life commitment, it requires obedience to His Word. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith it is impossible to please God. And in Romans 10:17, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. You see, For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3) [NASB]. Gods commandments are not burdensome, He wants you to walk in His goodness. John 8:32-33 says, [..] "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." [NASB].
Everything doesn't happen over night, but when you fellowship and walk with the Lord these are some of the good things God and promises that you are bound to see. The following promises go beyond two or three words, you will get to live them out with Jesus -- His promises for His children, here are a few: A New Heart, Everlasting Life, Forgiveness, Love, Peace, Safety, New Things, Protection, Miracles, Fellowship with You, Suppy all your needs, Be your Companion, Your Brother, Give you strength, Show you Great and Mighty things, Give you Rest, Always be with you, Fulfillment and Satisfaction, Authority through His Word, To Guide and Teach you, Healing, Authority over Satan, Salvation. (b)
But do not forget the suffering for His Name! [..] I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ (Philippians 3:8) [NASB]
A New Creation
2 Chronicles 7:14 says, if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. And Godly Sorrow leads to repentence (2 Corinthians 7:10).
I suggest you make a list for a special purpose. Write the date, and then on this list write down your all of your sins that you can remember. It may get a bit long but that's okay, even though it's not possible to list all of them just list some of them and your biggest hurts. This is not a pity party, it is to give you time to reflect on what you are repenting from and to see what the Lord Jesus is going to wash away by His Blood. Now save this list for later, and read on!
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. (John 9:31)
You have to repent first by confessing your sins (With your mouth): If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Confessing your sins and repenting requires that you turning away from your sin, because you have to really mean what your mouth is saying! Repentance is a change of thought, a change of thought creates a change of actions.
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You have to confess Jesus as the Lord, Savior, and Master of your life, that you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved [KJV]. Ask the Lord Jesus to become a new creation, born-again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3). |
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Ask the Lord Jesus for the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), and for the Holy Spirit to teach you new things and reveal God to you.
Then thank Him for becoming the Lord of your life, you can close prayer by saying 'In Jesus Name, Amen'.
To respond to God and interact you have to walk in faith with your thoughts and actions: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). Continue to talk to God about all your thoughts and ask Him to get to know Him -- You may not realize the way God speaks to you, but you will soon enough. You will notice that you are going to start having new desires and changes are going to happen in your heart, the sinful things will start becoming less satisfying because you are a new creation and the old has passed away.
Luke 15:7 [..] there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The devil is going to try and lie to you and tell you that you were never forgiven, especially at a weak moment. Just take out that list you wrote and look at the date you received Jesus Christ and tell the devil he is a liar.
Growing
It would be a good idea to listen to some good teaching on the Bible, because the Word of God is food for your spirit. If you decide to go to a church, please be careful not to join one that is dead. A church to stay in is a church that challenges you, where you get conviction for your sin -- because the Holy Spirit came to convict the world of sin. In God you are to move Glory to Glory, not sit under a dead church that doesn't preach against sin.
Please try to avoid the people who are "self-righteous", which is a form of pride. The legalists, who boast about "their works", and a church that tries to quickly get you into "street evangelism". A new believer in Jesus Christ needs to be discipled first. After you experience the miracles of God in your life don't be bothered by people who will want to argue and debate with you, nothing good comes out of it. Just start simple, living and loving the Lord, start thanking Him for a good meal!
Do not worry! The Holy Spirit will teach you all things. You may stumble and get in a bad spot, but the Holy Spirit will convict you and let you know it isn't right. You'll see what I am talking about because He has to correct us a lot!
God will never leave you or forsake you. You don't have to do anything to make God love you more, love Him!
(b) Some of the Promise verses: Ezekiel 36:25, John 6:47, 1 John 1:9, John 14:21, Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 4:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:2, Mark 16:17, John 14:21, Philippians 4:19, Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 27:1, Jeremiah 33:3, Matthew 11:28, Matthew 28:20, John 6:35, Mark 13:11, John 16:3, Mark 16:17-18, Ephesians 6:18-19, Romans 10:8-10).