Salvation
Born Again
What does it mean to be born again?
Genesis 1:26 – “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”
John 3:3 – “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 4:24 – “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Saved?
- Why do I need to be saved?
John 3:16-18 – “16-For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17-For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18-He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
1st Peter 5:8 – “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Matthew 25:41 – “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (The unsaved, & those that work iniquity).”
John 20:31 – “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Romans 3:4 – “God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.”
Romans 6:6 – “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
There are two forces that seek to have you. One wants to devour and destroy you. The other loves you so much that he suffered a demeaning public persecution and subsequent long and painful death to pay for your redemption (Mark Chapter 15). You need to be saved so you can come to the Father, the one that loves you. You cannot come under the covering of God by any other way but by belief in the Son. When you receive the adoption of Christ, you receive his covering and take his yoke upon you. His covering shields you against the devices and attacks of Satan. When your time of judgment comes, your obedience to his word is the proof that you are his child and not the child of Satan. Without God’s covering, you are left uncovered and vulnerable to the one that will happily destroy you, Satan.
How do I get saved?
Faith and belief are necessary components to receive the salvation the word of God speaks of. If you do not believe the truth of Gods word, and do not have the faith to take the first step by saying the sinners prayer, we pray in Jesus name that the Lord will give you the necessary vision so you can make a heart led choice to believe in Him. If you have made the choice to say the sinners prayer after you’re finished reading, praise God – for the angels are now rejoicing in heaven over your decision to come into the kingdom.
All that have come to God have said a sinners prayer. If you are not saved, we offer you the opportunity now to come to Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10 – “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. 10- For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
We confess with our mouth what we believe in our heart, through prayer, a spiritual medium for communication to God. Saying the sinner’s prayer is an act of faith, and an act of belief in him that has been chosen as our savior.
The Sinners Prayer: Lord I confess with my mouth what I believe in my heart. I am a sinner. I ask for your covering to surround me. I believe your word that Jesus Christ is your son who was manifested in the flesh. I believe that he rose from the dead on the third day and paid the price through his crucifixion for the redemption of my sins. I ask for you to be Lord of my life through the adoption of your son Jesus. I believe on him and come to you in his name. Come into my heart, be the Lord of my life. I turn my life over to you now. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Expectations
What should I expect once I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior?
Luke 22:31 – “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat.”
2 Timothy 3:12 – “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Job 5:17 – “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:”
Proverbs 3:12 – “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Romans 12:1 – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Romans 12:2 – “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
John 5:24 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
You have made your choice to accept Jesus as your Lord and savior. Because you have made the choice to accept Jesus as your Lord and not Satan, it now becomes Satan’s mission to frustrate you to rebel against God. He’ll use any means possible to sift you as wheat from the promises of God.
Satan’s judgment in Hell still awaits him. He wants to take as many souls into hell with him as possible. He will try, with slyness deceit, and cunning, through life situations, family members, relationships, or by use of any other vessels he can use, to try and get you out from under God’s covering. Satan knows he cannot penetrate God’s hedge that’s around you. Knowing he could not tempt Adam directly because of God’s hedge, Satan tempted Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. Eve in turn tempted Adam with the fruit. Once Adam ate of the fruit, it put him in a place of disfavor before God. Adam was disobedient to God’s order to abstain from eating the forbidden fruit. Once in disobedience and rebellion, this opened Adam and his house up to the attacks of Satan.
Understand that there is a great deal for us as human beings to learn about the spiritual world. It’s an entirely different realm above and beyond what we can understand without the spiritual guidance of the Holy Ghost. Without the guidance of the Lord, how can one understand the spiritual if we need him in order to understand it? Simply put, you can’t, and you won’t. You will encounter people that don’t understand. Most people believe only what they can see, hear, smell, taste, and physically feel. It’s going to be difficult for them to accept your new commitment to Christ because they can’t grasp it based on what they know. In many cases, a separation is likely to occur from them because they do not have the spiritual freedom necessary to accept the spiritual, nor are they willing to put forth the effort necessary to understand it. You must be ready to put forth the effort to seek him. This means regularly going to church, fellowshipping with believers, daily prayer, abstaining from sin, and being obedience to his word.
2 Chronicles 15:12 – “And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;”
Like any good father, when his child makes a mistake, punishment comes afterward to alter the behavior from unacceptable to acceptable. At GWM, we believe that you can either live by tribulation, or learn by revelation. We prefer the latter. We believe that the revelation of God is contained within his word. We therefore try to live our lives as close to the letter of his word as humanly possible. In those times when we do fall short, our heavenly father is there to bring us back in line through his correction. Sometimes his chastisement is soft and quiet, other times it’s undeniably obvious that he’s putting his foot down for us to stop and desist what we’re doing. For this reason, be prepared for the correction of God within your life when you walk a path contrary to the one that he has set for you. His may come through tribulations, spiritual revelation, or through life trials.
This question cannot be concluded without mentioning the spiritual gifts that will befall you. You will experience true freedom in all aspects of your life. You will experience completeness, meaning, and belonging that you never thought possible. You will experience joy, love, adoration, and a genuine desire to be in His presence. When you leave this world, you will have life everlasting in his presence, living a more abundant life.
Maintenance
How do I maintain my faith once I accept Jesus as Lord of my life?
2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”
2 Corinthians 6:17 – “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
James 1:8 – “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Proverbs 4:5 – “Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.”
2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Hebrews 12:4 – “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”
Luke 11:36 – “If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”
Isaiah 55:8 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
Galatians 5:16 – “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Proverbs 3:6 – “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
A separation from ungodly contact is necessary. You cannot be double minded by serving two masters, Satan and God. If you do, it’s an open door for Satan to use confusion, corruption, and torment to hinder your walk.
You must understand that God’s ways are not your ways. Therefore you must study to show yourself approved. Learn of his ways, be obedient to them, and His peace will fill your life.
Your understanding dictates your actions. For you to maintain a straight and strong walk, you must rely on the spirit of God to direct your paths. This means that you realize his way is the truth despite what your situation may be telling you. Base your decisions on his knowledge and his word, rather than what is convenient for you.