SALVATION
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
- You are loved!
- God sent His son for you!
- Believe in Him!
- You will not perish! When you believe, you receive eternal life!
Romans 10:9
“…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.”
Pray this…
Father, in Heaven… I am a sinner in need of a savior! You sent your son, Jesus, to pay the price for my sins. Forgive me for my sins! I confess that Jesus is Lord, Master, and Savior! I believe that Jesus has redeemed my soul! I believe that I am saved!
Thank you for salvation, thank you for eternal life!
I pray this in the name of your son, Jesus!
AMEN
WHAT NOW?
1. Make sure you understand salvation!
1 John 5:13 tells us, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” God wants us to understand salvation. God wants us to have the confidence to know for sure that we are saved. Briefly, let’s go over the key points of salvation:
(a) We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God (Romans 3:23).
(b) Because of our sins, we deserve to be punished with eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).
(c) Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins (Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus died in our place, taking the punishment that we deserved. Jesus’ resurrection proved that His death was sufficient to pay for our sins.
(d) God grants forgiveness and salvation to all those who place their faith in Jesus—trusting His death as the payment for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:1; Romans 8:1).
That is the message of salvation! If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are saved! All of your sins are forgiven, and God promises to never leave or forsake you (Romans 8:38–39; Matthew 28:20). If you are trusting in Jesus alone as your Savior, you can have confidence that you will spend eternity with God in heaven!
2. Make Church a Priority
Don’t think of the church as a building. It is very important that believers in Jesus Christ fellowship with one another. That is one of the primary purposes of the church. Now that you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, we strongly encourage you to make church a priority for you and your family. Let the Pastor and others know about your new faith in Jesus Christ.
A second purpose of the church is to teach the Bible. You can learn how to apply God’s instructions to your life. Understanding the Bible is vital to living a successful and powerful Christian life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
A third purpose of the church is worship. Worship is thanking God for all He has done! God has saved us. God loves us. God provides for us. God guides and directs us. How could we not thank Him? God is holy, righteous, loving, merciful, and full of grace. Revelation 4:11 declares, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will, they were created and have their being.”
3. Set aside time each day to focus on God!
It is very important for us to spend time each day focusing on God. Some people call this a “quiet time.” Others call it “devotions,” because it is a time when we devote ourselves to God. Some prefer to set aside time in the mornings, while others prefer the evenings. It does not matter what you call this time or when you do it. What matters is that you regularly spend time with God. What events make up our time with God?
(a) Prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God. Talk to God about your concerns and problems. Ask God to give you wisdom and guidance. Ask God to provide for your needs. Tell God how much you love Him and how much you appreciate all He does for you. That is what prayer is all about.
(b) Bible Reading. In addition to being taught the Bible in church, Connect Groups, and/or Bible studies – you need to be reading the Bible for yourself. The Bible contains everything you need to know in order to live a victorious Christian life. It contains God’s guidance for how to make wise decisions, how to know God’s will, how to minister to others, and how to grow spiritually. The Bible is God’s Word to us. The Bible is essentially God’s instruction manual for how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him and satisfying to us.
(c) Christian Resources. As a new believer, you will want to explore more about what a life of faith means for you. There are great Christian resources available to assist in this process, though they are not a substitute for Prayer and Bible Reading. Through our church, everyone can have FREE access to video Bible studies from the RightNow Media service. You can sign up for it, HERE. In particular, there are three studies that will be great at this stage in your faith journey: Holy Habits with Derwin Gray, The Power of Knowing God with Tony Evans, and Faith Foundations with David Platt. There is also an entire library devoted to how to live out your faith called Christian Living. We are available to help you as you navigate through these resources as well.
4. Develop relationships with people who can help you spiritually!
Proverbs 13:20 tells us, “He who walks with wise men will be wise. We are influenced by those we hang around. That is why it is so important to surround ourselves with other people who love the Lord and are committed to Him.
Your Kempsville Church family is a great place to look for godly friends. Ask your friends to keep you accountable in regard to your quiet time, your activities, and your walk with God. Ask if you can do the same for them. This does not mean you have to give up all your friends who do not know Jesus as their Savior. Continue to be their friend and love them. Simply let them know that Jesus has changed your life and you cannot do all the same things you used to do. Ask God to give you opportunities to share Jesus with your friends.
One of the best ways to develop relationships with people who can help you spiritually is to join a small group bible study. Our weekly small group bible studies give you a chance to study the Word of God with fellow believers. You get the chance to grow your faith and find friends to help you in your new walk with Jesus Christ. You can find a listing of our small groups at https://kempsvillechurch.churchcenter.com/groups. Find a group and get involved today.
5. Be Baptized!
Many people have a misunderstanding of baptism. The word baptize means “to immerse in water.” Baptism is the biblical way of publicly proclaiming your new faith in Christ and your commitment to follow Him. The action of being immersed in the water illustrates being buried with Christ. The action of coming out of the water pictures Christ’s resurrection. Being baptized is identifying yourself with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4).
Baptism is not what saves you. Baptism does not wash away your sins. Baptism is simply a step of obedience, a public proclamation of your faith in Christ alone for salvation. Baptism is necessary because it is a step of obedience – publicly declaring faith in Christ and your commitment to Him. If you are ready to be baptized, we offer it at our church typically once a quarter. You can even sign up now and be contacted the next time we are offering baptism with our Baptism Sign Up.
