I am writing explicitly here to those people who are presently moved to ask this very question: What do I need to do to be saved? Or, ‘I believe’, now what?
If you’re asking these questions, then it’s likely you have heard the Gospel or read the Bible, and you need to know what happens next.
Why can you trust what I tell you? In summary, I have been a Christian for a very long time. The Gospel is truth, and the Bible in its entirety is without error and without contradiction, every single word being inspired by God – is my faithful position. I have worshipped in several circles, including Charismatic, Anglican, and Independent Baptist, though I consider myself none of them, except Christian. The Bible contains everything we need in it “for life and Godliness”. I assert that at the heart of the believer should be an authentic desire to live a life Coram Deo – a life lived faithfully, moment by moment, before the face of God.
The Decision For Christ is Eternal
It is important to recognise that this decision should not be made by coercion nor out of carelessness. The decision is not for today but for eternity, and likewise, not making that decision for Christ also has eternal consequences.
“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life”.
Matthew 25:46
Choosing to not only acknowledge your sin, disobedience to God’s nature and will, but to be utterly disgusted and ashamed by it is a primary part of repentance. If your sin does not reduce you in a certain sense to nothing, you may not yet know of the Holiness of God.
The separation of the sinful self from the Holiness of God is exactly why Jesus, truly God and truly man, came. For those who choose to believe in His name, He made them eternally right with God. We are joined together in union with Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father.
“that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:15
Jesus tells us repeatedly in His Word- if you love Me, you will obey Me. If you obey Me, you love Me. The Gospel message is one of love. An unconditional love made available to you through a simple faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You cannot earn salvation; it is a gift from God – Ephesians 2:8-9. We cannot profess to have a faith in Jesus Christ and then rely on our good works for salvation – that is not the Gospel. This love is not one we are accustomed to, but it is one that as believers MUST pursue in faith, at all costs.
Please read my link to the Gospel and watch the video of Pastor Paul Washer.
How do I live my life now?
In faith. The Bible teaches us that anything apart from faith is sin and that without faith it is impossible to please god. This will apply to your vocation and relationships. When I say “in faith,” I mean by trusting in Jesus, the Word of God, under the authority of God, to the glory of God.
Furthermore, Peter tells us;
“as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”.
2 Peter 1:3
Jesus says;
“but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
John 4:14
If indeed you have truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you have been born-again. This means you have been regenerated; it is, in fact, why you believe.
You have a new life in Jesus Christ, and God now abides in you by the Holy Spirit.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
John 14:26
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
The Power of the Holy Spirit
The power of the Holy Spirit is there to teach us all things, convict us, and lead us into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is what we call sanctification.
Bear in mind, we do not get to choose how sanctification is worked out in our lives. Many non-believers think and have said Christianity is a “crutch”, yet little do they know of the process of sanctification.
There can be a temptation (be mindful of a tempter) to live out the free Grace we have, however we want, even in disobedience to what the government asks of us. However, to live for Christ is to obey our country’s laws.
Scripture tells us that God has put in place government and that we should submit ourselves to it, Romans 13:1. The exception would be where it attempts to force us to sin, either by commission or omission.
“In its simplest definition, “government IS force, and it exists under God as a force to restrain evil”.
–RC Sproul (Government: Christian Worldview with R.C. Sproul – Youtube Ligonier Ministries)
Which Bible Should I Get?
The answer to this question is vitally important. It is important because;
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
God tells us that He has preserved His word, that is to say, there is ultimately a standard for His word, and we cannot rely on the many translations that exist today, nor should we consider them the (preserved) ’Word of God’.
“The words of the LORD are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
You shall keep them, O LORD,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.”
Everybody should have the King James Version of the bible, and read it.
Once you start reading the King James Version, you will understand why I say that, especially if you have read other versions.
By many in Christianity, the KJV is considered ‘THE’ Word of God – i.e. there is no other version which is considered reliable. I agree except for the New King James Version (NKJV), which is the other version which uses the Textus Receptus as its biblical source, it merely updates olde English language with new.
There are some versions that I will use from time to time, such as the NASB or the ESV which are very similar to the NKJV. Quite seriously, in my opinion, many other modern-day versions, i.e., NIV, NLT, Message, Amplified, etc., should be seen as a commentary at best and cannot be regarded as the inerrant and infallible Word of God.
If you are in any doubt, simply compare all the verses I have laid out here between the KJV and NIV – they ARE different. One is a literal translation (KJV), and the other is a thought-for-thought. Simply put, you can live without the NIV, but not the KJV.
There is much talk of the knowledge of God in the Bible. Jesus talks about “abiding in me”. How can we know God and abide in Jesus without reading His Word – we cannot.
Start your day with reading scripture. I promise you, not only will you never regret it, you won’t want to start your day any other way once you start. The Bible tells us, draw near to God and He will draw near to you, James 4:8.
Which Church Should I attend?
One that preaches repentance and the Word of God. Unfortunately, many do not. There are plenty that will cite a scripture verse and then give a TED talk on how to live a good life, maybe even a faithful one. However, one of the means of grace given through the church is the public reading of scripture to believers.
A true church will read scripture, ideally from the KJV. If they are using the NIV – or similar- the ideal would be to find another church.
My recommendation would be to find an independent Baptist church or a Presbyterian church; they are most likely to use the KJV and preach the Word of God. As far is the East is from the West is the difference between churches that ‘teach’ from the Bible, one from the NIV and the other from the KJV.
Another helpful indication will be the songs they sing. If it is quite loud, or the music is excessive, or you get a sense of an atmosphere of emotional music being created, it’s likely the wrong church. On the other hand, if the church sings hymns, that’s a good indication of a Bible-preaching church.
That’s a fairly coarse assessment, but a direction I am happy to point a new believer in.
If you post a message regarding where you live, I can help guide you in the right direction.
In Summary
God calls the Christian to live a humble life of faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, fully committed to a mission of love.
The next best thing you can do when you find a good church is to find some good friends, at least one. If necessary, go out of your way to get involved in church and make a friend. It does take time and effort, but a true (Christian) friend is more precious than gold.
