Questions you need to consider

Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?  Would you consider yourself a born-again Christian? How would you consider your standing before God? Do you know what true saving faith really is?

These are very important questions and each one of us needs to be able to answer them correctly and honestly.  The good news is that we can go to the Bible, God’s Word, and find the answer to these and the following questions to help us understand what it means to have TRUE SAVING FAITH.

Question #1

Do we understand who God is?

God is the creator of all things – Gen. 1:1 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (He is our creator, so therefore all creation is accountable to Him.)

God is holy and just and deserves our praise and obedience – Rev. 4:8 – And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

God gives eternal life as a gift to those who truly believe – John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This new life is for now. – John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Living life abundantly… new, purposefully, and joyfully)

This new life is for all eternity – John 14:3 – And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Question #2

Do we understand what man’s problem is?

Have you noticed that no matter how hard we try to live in this world that there is this void that is never fulfilled? As hard as we try, we just cannot seem to live this life where we have real purpose, direction, and joy. The reason is that we are dead in our transgressions and separated from God because of sin.

We are all sinners by nature and by choice. – Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We cannot save ourselves. – Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

We deserve God’s judgment. – Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We must remember that this rebellion is not against man or the church, but rather this rebellion is against God.  We are rebelling against the Creator God of the universe.  There is nothing on our own that can be done to make right this relationship.  That is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ.

Question #3

Do we understand what Jesus Christ came to accomplish?

God is holy and just and must punish sin. Yet He loves us and provides forgiveness for our sin.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6.

Jesus is God and became man – John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus died for us on the cross – 1 Peter 3:18 – For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,

Jesus was resurrected (arose) from the dead and is alive today – Romans 4:25 – who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. – Romans 6:9–10 – We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to Himself – John 6:44 – No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Question #4

Do you understand what you need to do?

The only way Jesus can affect your life is for you to receive Him. – John 1:12 – But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

You must turn from your sin. – Acts 3:19 – Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.

• Repentance is realizing that a change needs to take place.
• Repentance is realizing your sin before a holy God is the problem.
• Repentance is realizing only God can change us.
• Repentance is turning away from your sin and turning to God through Jesus.

You must place your faith in Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

• Faith is not just believing facts about Jesus.
• Faith is trusting in Jesus.

You must confess and follow after Him as Savior and Lord. You must surrender to His Lordship and begin to daily live for Him. – Romans 10:9-10 – That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

• Being a Christian is more than just saying you believe in Jesus – Matthew 7:21–23 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
• True Christians follow after and live for Jesus. This involves the daily giving of yourself to the Lord and His will for your life. You must stop trusting in yourself and start living in total dependence upon Him.
• This involves striving to be more like Christ each and every day of your life. A life of growing and changing.

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The What Next:

God knows that we will not be perfect, but He does expect us to be growing.

As a new believer in Christ you must begin to grow daily in your knowledge and understanding of the Lord.  You can start with understanding that the Bible is the Word of God.  It is absolutely true and has all the means to help you grow in your understanding of Him and how it is you can live an obedient and joyful Christian life.  As you read, study, and meditate on the Word, you must develop Godly disciplines in your life that will allow you to put off the old life and put on the new life in Christ.  You can experience this new life as you begin to live out these disciplines:

Prayer:  Pray daily. Speak to God in a real and personal way throughout the day.

Bible Study:  Love the Bible, read the Bible and meditate upon the Bible. Begin living out the truths of Scripture. Read it daily. The book of Luke (in the New Testament) is a great place to start.

Worship and Fellowship:  Make Church a really big deal. Meet regularly with other Christians who will help you grow in your new life. Find a God-Glorifying, Bible-Centered, and Disciple-Making Church and attend faithfully. Our church is a faithful church that believes the Bible and glorifies Jesus in all it does. Join us and begin to develop Christian relationships and worship as the body of Christ.

Service:  Serve Christ and serve one another. Realize that life is not just about you. Look for ways to help and encourage others.

Witnessing: Tell others about what Christ has done in your life. Share the good news of God’s saving grace with all who will listen.

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Please reach out so that I can help you with your new life in Christ!

Scripture Quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway