Understanding Salvation and Steps After!
1. Salvation Package from God
2. Steps to take after Salvation
INTRODUCTION:
It gives me great pleasure to bring you good news from the word of God.
We should understand that knowing God is not an optional part of the Christian life; it is the Christian life. Jesus said, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This relationship begins when we return to God in repentance, that is, when we receive the eternal life Jesus offers those who believe in Him.
As John says, “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).
There is no requirement to begin this journey besides accepting and receiving the promises mentioned above. Jesus came to breathe life into us by offering Himself as a sacrifice so our sins will not prevent us from knowing God. Once we have received this truth, we can begin the journey of knowing God in a personal way. One of the key ingredients in this journey is understanding that the Bible is God's Word and it contains the revelation of who God is, His ways, His promises, and His will.
Just as human beings are physically born into the world and move through a developmental cycle from infant to adult, so a child of God is born spiritually and he is expected to grow spiritually into a mature Christian, one that can truly represent Christ as an Ambassador.
It is always a joy to encounter an infant in the Lord, a new convert because they are very eager and zealous for the things of God. At the same time, when you meet a father or mother in Christ, a mature believer who has faithfully walked with God for years and whose life is characterized by a degree of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, the difference is usually clear. You will notice the difference in the way they relate with others, the choices they make and their opinion and commitment to the things of God. Their zeal, is backed with experience and knowledge of who God is. They are not moved by any trouble and they are as bold as a lion in the face of a challenging situation.
The Salvation and its Benefits:
When man fell to sin and became separated from his creator, God then had to devise a salvation plan to reconcile man back to his original position of dominion on earth. He sent His only son Jesus Christ and put His Spirit in Him to come to the earth in the form of a man, to experience man's world in its fullness and redeem man from sin and death.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to wrestle the 'Dominion mandate' from the devil so that whosoever believes in Christ is separated from the grip of the devil back to the kingdom of God, from where he can exercise authority over Satan and his agents.
When man fell to sin and became separated from his creator, God then had to devise a salvation plan to reconcile man back to his original position of dominion on earth. He sent His only son Jesus Christ and put His Spirit in Him to come to the earth in the form of a man, to experience man's world in its fullness and redeem man from sin and death.
God loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to wrestle the 'Dominion mandate' from the devil so that whosoever believes in Christ is separated from the grip of the devil back to the kingdom of God, from where he can exercise authority over Satan and his agents.
Whoever is coming to Christ should know what He did for us on the cross. Healing is part of the salvation Jesus purchased with His blood and so a believer who is sick or falls sick is required to do one thing...REJECT THE SICKNESS AND COMMAND THE SICKNESS TO GO AWAY.
A believer is not expected to tolerate sickness, neither manage it - if you do so, you risk deeper trouble. Drop the sickness at the feet of the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus took away our sickness, disease, and poverty, all you need to do is to believe in God, His words and His son Jesus Christ.
Life after salvation is expected to witness personal spiritual growth through studying the world and exercising your faith in Christ. This is why faith is important. You are not just to study and meditate on the word of God, you are expected to obey the word and exercise faith in every area of life. It is in exercising faith that His glory appears. That was the Lord's response to Martha, He says, if you will believe, you will see the glory of God.
Seeking to know God
Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jer. 9:23–24)
God delights when His people truly know Him, love Him, and enjoy the blessings of His faithful love, justice, and righteousness. A notable New Testament example of hunger for God is the apostle Paul. Near the end of his life, Paul said that his greatest passion was “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). Paul had had a dramatic encounter with Christ thirty years earlier on the road to Damascus, and he had several other experiences with Him afterwards, but he longed to know Him more deeply. His example shows us that no matter how long or how well we have known the Lord, there is always a higher place in Christ to achieve.
Paul’s longing to know Christ points the way for us as we seek to know God today. We see God most clearly and know Him most nearly through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), and Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God,” and “in him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:15, 19).
Seek to know God through:
1. The Word of God
2. Holy Ghost
3. Jesus Christ
4. Intimate One-on-one relationship - Quite Time
Getting to know God more deeply doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time, but you have to deliberately seek the Lord, to know Him closely. For if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you have known the Father. God the Father created you for companionship and He is your Father and always around you to help. You know God the Father through His word in the bible. If you make it a duty to study the bible daily at a quiet time and place, the Spirit of God will help you understand the scriptures better and know the Lord deeper.
As noted above, Paul had known Christ for many years when he said his passion was to know Christ better. He went on to say, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own” (Phil. 3:12). Nor is getting to know Christ better an automatic process; it takes real effort. Is effort contrary to grace? No. Grace is opposed to earning (law) but not to effort. The effort is a vital part of how grace operates in sanctification.
How do we press on? God offers everything we need in order to grow into a deeper fellowship with Him and His Son, but we must embrace it. He gives the milk, but we must drink it. This is what Peter meant when he said, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet. 2:2–3).
You need to develop a wonderful friendship with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, that knows all things. It is the Holy Spirit, who enables the new life in Christ in the first place. But that is only the beginning. When Jesus returned to heaven, He handed over to the Holy Spirit His role of teaching, nurturing, strengthening, guiding, and encouraging His followers; the Holy Spirit brings us into union with Christ and is thus called the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9–10).
The Spirit now dwells in us and the Lord is able to do so much in our lives, through the works of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that God is able to do great things in our lives through the Spirit that dwells in us - The Holy Spirit. A Christian who does not have the Holy Ghost working in his life will be short-changed in life. He would not receive the blessings of the cross and be blessed as much as he should be.
When the Holy Spirit is leading you, you cannot miss your way. The Comforter is waiting for your friendship and love. He is the only Godhead in the earth right now, God the Father and God the Son are both in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the head of God's operation on earth and no one can serve God and please Him without the help of the Holy Spirit.
God delights when His people truly know Him, love Him, and enjoy the blessings of His faithful love, justice, and righteousness. A notable New Testament example of hunger for God is the apostle Paul. Near the end of his life, Paul said that his greatest passion was “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings” (Phil. 3:10). Paul had had a dramatic encounter with Christ thirty years earlier on the road to Damascus, and he had several other experiences with Him afterwards, but he longed to know Him more deeply. His example shows us that no matter how long or how well we have known the Lord, there is always a higher place in Christ to achieve.
Paul’s longing to know Christ points the way for us as we seek to know God today. We see God most clearly and know Him most nearly through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9), and Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God,” and “in him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col. 1:15, 19).
Seek to know God through:
1. The Word of God
2. Holy Ghost
3. Jesus Christ
4. Intimate One-on-one relationship - Quite Time
Getting to know God more deeply doesn’t happen overnight; it takes time, but you have to deliberately seek the Lord, to know Him closely. For if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, you have known the Father. God the Father created you for companionship and He is your Father and always around you to help. You know God the Father through His word in the bible. If you make it a duty to study the bible daily at a quiet time and place, the Spirit of God will help you understand the scriptures better and know the Lord deeper.
As noted above, Paul had known Christ for many years when he said his passion was to know Christ better. He went on to say, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own” (Phil. 3:12). Nor is getting to know Christ better an automatic process; it takes real effort. Is effort contrary to grace? No. Grace is opposed to earning (law) but not to effort. The effort is a vital part of how grace operates in sanctification.
How do we press on? God offers everything we need in order to grow into a deeper fellowship with Him and His Son, but we must embrace it. He gives the milk, but we must drink it. This is what Peter meant when he said, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Pet. 2:2–3).
Studying and meditating on the word.
The Word of God is God Himself speaking to us, and so studying and meditating on the word is like a visitation to heaven, to hear the Lord. This is the reason why it is important to study and meditate on the word in a quiet place, free from distraction.
Meditation brings revelation about scriptures and a deeper knowledge of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Scriptures are reliable sources of knowing God, what He is like, what His will is concerning any matter as well as His plans and purposes for us. ; what His plans and purposes are; what He has done in the past; what He will do in the future; who we are; what life is all about; how we can know, love, and serve Him; what are the many promises He gives us; and how we can fulfil His purposes in the world.
Meditation brings revelation about scriptures and a deeper knowledge of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Scriptures are reliable sources of knowing God, what He is like, what His will is concerning any matter as well as His plans and purposes for us. ; what His plans and purposes are; what He has done in the past; what He will do in the future; who we are; what life is all about; how we can know, love, and serve Him; what are the many promises He gives us; and how we can fulfil His purposes in the world.
Holy Spirit
You need to develop a wonderful friendship with the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, that knows all things. It is the Holy Spirit, who enables the new life in Christ in the first place. But that is only the beginning. When Jesus returned to heaven, He handed over to the Holy Spirit His role of teaching, nurturing, strengthening, guiding, and encouraging His followers; the Holy Spirit brings us into union with Christ and is thus called the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9–10).
The Spirit now dwells in us and the Lord is able to do so much in our lives, through the works of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that God is able to do great things in our lives through the Spirit that dwells in us - The Holy Spirit. A Christian who does not have the Holy Ghost working in his life will be short-changed in life. He would not receive the blessings of the cross and be blessed as much as he should be.
When the Holy Spirit is leading you, you cannot miss your way. The Comforter is waiting for your friendship and love. He is the only Godhead in the earth right now, God the Father and God the Son are both in heaven. The Holy Spirit is the head of God's operation on earth and no one can serve God and please Him without the help of the Holy Spirit.
Have faith in God. Have an abiding faith in Christ Jesus despite all the challenges and troubles of life.
Pray Everyday
Prayer is an essential part of our daily walk with the Lord. Prayer allows us to know His power to save, deliver and restore us. We also pray to thank His for al His goodness towards us and our family, our nation and the world. Prayer is a gift to us to have access to God Almighty and to discuss whatever needs we have with the Heavenly Father.
Demonstrate and Practice love - We must be willing to love those who don't love us back. We have to move from just loving people who agree with us to loving people even when their faith and styles do not agree with us.
Be apt to preach the gospel - which is good news in a dark world. The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people! We need to be sharing our faith and our testimony of His goodness, especially what Christ did for us at the cross. People need to hear about Jesus! Jesus is love, Jesus is hope, and Jesus is peace!
Knowing His Ways
God does not dictate His will to us, we learn them through obedience to His words and instructions. Knowing the ways of God is almost like a walk with Him. You know His ways through obedience to every word and instruction from the Lord. Some of His commands may look foolish to your human mind, but they are loaded with the wisdom of the creator. If God tells you to do something that looks risky, it is because He has made provision for your protection. So do what He has asked you to do, and by so doing, you learn His ways.
You cannot know His ways through human reasoning. In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,” Watch this...“neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking God’s ways are like your ways or God’s thoughts like your thoughts. Your thoughts are never going to reveal to you God’s ways. His ways are always mysterious.
“Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known” (Psalms 77:19). God walks on the water, but you will never see His footprints there.
When we learn to seek God’s face and not His hand, we will know His ways and find rest for our souls. Frankly, that’s what quiet time is all about. You can’t know someone if you don’t spend time with them. As you spend time with Him, He begins to manifest Himself to you, and you begin to know His ways.
When you know God intimately, there is serenity. You know His will and do them, your life is transformed to know that you are a victor, with God on your side.
Conclusion
Conclusion
To know the Will of God is not a big deal. The challenge lies in accepting the plan of God for our lives. Many people would have made up their minds, so when the Will of God is made known to them and it is different from their personal dreams and aspiration, they find it hard to adjust.
So, people should seek the will of God early in life willing to do the will of God. Once the heart is ready, it becomes possible. Ding the will of God brings rest, it will bring peace and inner joy to you, in a troubled world.
FIRE...
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