WHAT'S NEXT? Chapter 1 - Salvation

                                           Chapter 1 - Salvation

       If you are reading this you have probably already "prayed the sinner's prayer" which goes something like this;

                      "Dear God, I realize I'm a sinner and separated from You.
                       I understand that there is no good thing that I can do to get rid of that sin.
                      I believe that Jesus died for my sins on the cross
                       By faith I gladly receive His forgiveness of my sins and trust
                             in Him alone for my salvation.
                       Thank You for forgiving my sins and sending Your Holy Spirit into
                           my heart to give me new life
                        I give my life to you now in gratitude for all You've done for me
                          and help me to follow You and grow to become more like Your
                          Son Jesus Christ, all the days of my life until you take me to Heaven
                             to be with You forever!  Amen"

       If you prayed that and meant it, you are saved. The term saved is used, and Jesus used it, because it represents a rescue. You were headed away from God living a life opposed to God's great plan for your life that leads to a destination of eternal separation from God in a place the Bible calls "Hell". You have been rescued from that!

      1Peter 3:21 states that it is the pledge of a clear conscience before the Lord that saves you. So it isn't so much the words you say that saves you - you actually don't have to say anything - but in your heart you are pledging your life to Christ.

    Let's go through all that just happened when you made that pledge;

    1. Your sins are forgiven - Jeremiah 31:34 the Lord says, "I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more." Your slate has been washed clean before the Lord. He looks at you and says, "Clean." There will still be earthly repercussions for your sins but no Heavenly ones.

    2. The Holy Spirit entered your life. - The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity. In effect the life of God enters your inner being. What does that do?

        A. Regenerates you. Makes you alive. Makes you "born again" - God told Adam and Eve that the day they ate from the tree, they would die. What they experienced was spiritual death. From then on, everyone is born spiritually dead. We don't know God, want God or have a relationship with Him. Now all that has changed. Now you can talk with God and He will talk to you. Probably not in a voice but you feel His guidance and presence. You will desire His presence rather than run from it

       B. Gives you assurance of your salvation

       C. Changes you from the inside out - When God is inside of you, eventually His actions and behaviors and goodness will start showing up in your life.

       D. He is the downpayment of Heaven - When you stand before God and He sees the Holy Spirit in you, He will say, "Come on in." (that's probably not exactly how it works but that's how I like to think of it)

    3. You have become a child of God. You are adopted into His family

        A. God is your Father - Just like your earthly parents can never say, "That's not my child", you can never lose your status as a Child of God. Our parents may be ashamed of us, disappointed in us, discipline us for bad behavior, but genetically we are always theirs. Same with our Heavenly Father

        B. We are heirs - All that God has will be ours

        C. Jesus is our brother - What that means to me is that as much as the Father loves the Son, He loves me that much

        D. We have a new family - All believers no matter what color, race, church denomination, social status  are our family. There should be no fighting but rather a love and common bond that unites us all.

     4. You have been given a gift to serve the family of believers. - You will start to develop passions for helping out the church and abilities that you never had before. God equips us to perform a job He has for us here on Earth.

     5. Eternal life begins now - You will never experience death. Yes, your body may die, but the inner you, the born again soul, will just keep on living for all eternity.

     6. You have become a citizen of Heaven - Since your family changed, you are currently experiencing eternal life, and you are a child of God, your homeland changed to Heaven and you are a citizen of there. Yes, you live on the planet earth but your new mindset should be that you are an ambassador here to represent Heaven.


      I bet you didn't know all that! It took me years to figure that all out because most people tend to present it as, if you pray this prayer, when you die you won't go to Hell you'll go to Heaven instead. That's great but it is so much more and SO much better than just that!!