Once Saved, then what...?
The following building blocks will help you to receive all the benefits of a new believer.
1. Build a Relationship with Jesus:
Get to know the Lord and His Voice!
The first thing we need to do is build a relationship with the Lord; that will produce a “Christ like” atmosphere and that atmosphere radiates out of us into a needy world (and church). The world needs to see an atmosphere that produces hope and possibility. The world doesn't need to hear what we have to say, as much as they need to be drawn into the radiated glory (the atmosphere) that comes out of the relationship you've built with the Lord and His Word. We can then say as the Apostle Paul said “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor. 2: 4) To produce this atmosphere we need to know His voice. Jesus said in John 10: 27-30 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. I and My Father are one." Jesus is saying that they HEAR His voice.
We have the ability to hear from the beginning, but accuracy comes from maturing in God's Word and developing an intimate relationship with the Lord. You need to believe from the beginning that it is your right and responsibility to hear the voice of the Lord. This comes from spending time building a relationship with Him and His Word (the Bible). As you build a relationship with Him your love for Him will grow. Your trust in Him will also grow. Yes, at first you may miss it now and then, but God wants you to keep trying. Many are afraid of hearing a wrong voice, well, that's what the Word of God is for, and also the witness of the Holy Spirit. Fred Price says “That if you have a high Word level you have a low deception level; but if you have a low Word level you will have a high deception level.” They work together, the Holy Spirit and the Word develop you in relationship with the Lord, out of that relationship, and an atmosphere of ministry comes to the world.
2. Be diligent in God's Word
There is a reason Satan is so determined to steal the Word before it takes root in your heart. "And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4: 15) Satan is going to do anything he can to disrupt, distort, discourage, and dishearten you as you read and develop. But, the Word of God says: “ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you”. (James 4:7) That Word will cause you to grow in power, faith and authority.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow by it.
(I Peter 2:2)In 1 Peter 2:1-3 it says “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” In this respect, a brand new Christian isn't any different than a newborn baby. Both must eat in order to grow and gain strength. Once your spiritual growth and development begins, the new life that is yours in Christ through faith will begin to open to you. Before long the memory of your old life will begin to seem to fade away. You'll wonder how you could've lived without the joy that is available to you through this new birth in Jesus. Just be sure to be diligent in your study of God's Word and then spend lots of time listening to the Lord. He's your source of nourishment and joy. Get around people that believe that whatever the Word says, it is your Covenant right to have.
3. Getting to know who you are in Christ!
You are what you allow in (Matt. 12:34 and Luke 6:45). If you don't study scripture and spend Quality time with Jesus, then the old things that once had you will start taking over again. The Word of God says, 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” The issue here is that the hardest job God has is to get you to renew your mind so you start to think and act like Him. Many will say that's not possible, but is it read Eph.5:1, 1 John 2:20 and Eph. 5:17. There is a principle in the scriptures called “In Christ realities” and “the past tenses of God”. These teach that if you get into your heart, who you are in Christ and what He has already paid for at Calvary, your whole perspective on who you are and who God is will change.
They will have terms such as “in Him”, “in Whom”, “by Whom”, “who has” or anything that shows what Christ already did for you through His blood on Calvary. You see, He sealed a better covenant (Heb.7:22 and Heb.8:6).
Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians are especially filled with your identity in Christ and the past tenses of God. Study these; pay attention to them, as they show you what and who you are by His blood. If you can get a person to understand who they are in Christ they will become victorious. If they don't, they will wallow around in their problem for years, until they receive in their hearts “who they are in Christ”.
4. Don't live beneath your privileges & responsibilities
Most Christians are "living far beneath their privileges & responsibilities." What do I mean by that? I'm referring to the fact that as born-again believers we have inherited enormous rights and privileges. We're joint heirs with the King of Kings! If you're an heir to a King then you're royalty, right? Read in Galatians 4: 7 “Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Also read 1 Peter 2: 9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” So many believers are content to barely go through life like lowly beggars, consoling themselves in the knowledge that they'll go to heaven eventually and then everything will be better. You don't have to live that lie. Jesus said He came to bring you abundant life in John 10:10. Jesus said that if you received Him into your heart, you'd have Eternal Life.
My question is when does “Eternal” start? It started at time you received Jesus into your heart (Matt. 6: 10 “Your (the Lord's) kingdom come. Your (the Lord's) will be done on earth as it is in heaven”). As you find out what Jesus paid for, for you on the Cross-of Calvary; like redemption, health, prosperity, deliverance, and peace. You need to believe what the Word of God says about you, we are believers, which means we believe what God's Word says.
5. Does this mean there will be no more problems?
Don't make the mistake of thinking all your problems will instantly vanish the moment you accept Jesus into your heart. Read James 1: 2-4 it says “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing”. Scripture clearly shows here that God's ultimate goal is maturity. The Lord said to me one day “many of my children are going around wanting to be blessed, but if they would submit to Me and learn from Me, they would see as they mature, blessings naturally come.
Many new Christians see God's promises in the Bible and assume they can simply float around on a "faith cloud." The Bible makes it very clear that we have a real enemy to contend with in this life. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8) It is vital that new believers recognize that they have an enemy who is out to steal the Word from their hearts. Jesus died to redeem you from sickness, oppression and poverty; but satan will try to come against you to steal the Word in your heart. But if you'll refuse to listen to the devil's lies and stand firm on God's Word, you'll rise above every circumstance. This is the most important fact a new believer needs to be aware of; that satan's favorite and most insidious tactic is to steal the Word from your heart. Jesus exposed this method in the parable of the sower and the seed. "And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4: 15, also read Matthew 13:18,19)
6. Find a good Bible believing Church Family!
It is vitally important for your growth that you start right. Seek God 1st and find a Church that will not train you up in its religious doctrines, but in the Word of God and His love and acceptance for you. Also, in Hebrews 10: 24-25 it says “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” In the TLV (The Living Version) it says it like this-“24 In response to all he has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind to each other and in doing good. 25 Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” God is building families that truly believe and pray for one another, strengthen one another, and support each other. A family, that as you are maturing, if you make a mistake, they will strengthen and believe for you, not criticize you.
Find a church that will teach, train and impart into you whatever the Word of God says.
©Copyright - Layman Christian
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