I accepted Jesus…

What now?

Congratulations! You’ve made the greatest decision of your life. You asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord. You repented of sin and received forgiveness by putting your belief and trust in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Holy Bible says in Romans 10:9-10, 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

If at any point in your reading this document, you conclude that you have not done what is described above, skip to the Salvation Prayer at the end of this document, ask Jesus into your life, and return here.

You are saved! You are Born-Again! 

What does this mean? 

When you accepted Jesus, many things happened even if you couldn’t see it or feel it.

• You became brand new. 

People look for Jesus for many various reasons. Maybe they are facing a crisis, desperate, broken, angry, fearful, or a list of other things. Whether it be circumstances that surround their life or something in turmoil on the inside; They need a change. They need rescue. They need help. 

When you found Jesus, you met Truth, Life, Love, Tender Mercies, Healing, Hope, and Strength. You found the author of life itself who forgives, heals, liberates, protects, and gives peace. When you called on the name of Jesus, Salvation came. When you took yourself out of your own keeping and placed yourself in his keeping, you became what the Bible calls “Born-again” (John 3:1-21).

The greatest change is what has happened on the inside of you. You became brand new. Not your mind or your body but your spirit, the real you, was reborn.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person.
The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

II Corinthians 5:17

• You were redeemed from the penalty of sin.

The reason why a person needs to be “Born-Again” is because of the nature of sin that is inherent in every person. No one had to teach us how to be selfish, it came naturally. We are all naturally born with an instinct to sin. You had the nature of sin and it wasn’t even your fault. Adam was the first man and when he chose sin over obedience to God, sin became the instinct of every person born afterward.

The big problem is that sin carries with it a major penalty, Death. Not just death as in when someone grows old and their body dies, but rather this “death” is what happens to your spirit, the real you. 

The big solution is that Jesus Christ came to Earth as a human being just like you and me so that he, himself, would pay the penalty of sin through his own death on the cross. 

The Bible says in Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. This perfect and innocent man, Jesus Christ, paid the price of sin for everyone. II Corinthian 5:21, For God made Christ who never sinned to be the offering for our sin; so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us,
but all who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness
will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. 

Romans 5:17

• You became a child of God by faith.

It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your solution. And it wasn’t automatic. You had to extend your faith, your trust, and dependence, in the work that Jesus Christ did for you. It was a gift given by God, but you had to reach out and receive that gift. You had to believe in Him (and continue to believe).

He did all the work and you get the benefit. Ephesians 2:8-9 8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 

This is all a response to His inviting you into His family. This great salvation through Jesus Christ is much more than an escape plan from the horror of Hell. It is an all-access pass into the Kingdom of God, Heaven, and the Family of God with all of its privileges, benefits, and blessings.

11We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Colossians 1:11-14

It’s only the beginning.

These three things are just a drop in the vast oceans of what God has prepared for you. It’s not possible to explore it all here and now. It will take a lifetime of joyful exploration through a relationship with God by the wonderful comfort and guidance of The Holy Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 2:9-12  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared for those who love him.” 10But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

Jesus said in John 14:15-17 and in John 15:26-27 that The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and the He would lead us and guide us in all truth, and reveal things about Jesus to us. Now that you have become Born-Again, God’s Spirit has entered into you and as it says in Philippians 1:6 …I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Salvation is not a destination but a journey. You have begun a lifelong adventure with Jesus Christ. You are not the same person that you once were, even if you only accepted Jesus Christ a few minutes ago. You were headed in one direction but now you are headed in another entirely different direction.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

Ephesians 2

What do you do now?

1. Read, pray, and grow. 

There’s an old Christian children’s song that sings, “If you read your Bible and you pray every day, you will grow, grow, grow.” Just like a fruit tree, when it is planted in the ground, its nature is to grow up strong and produce fruit, you are just the same. If that tree gets water and sunshine then it will grow. There may be a little more to it than that but that’s pretty good. Reading the Bible and praying is like water and sunshine.

Read the Bible. Believe it like it is God having written instructions to you.

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.
21Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

Proverbs 4:20-22

Pray. Talk to God with honesty. He’s not as religious as people make Him out to be. He already knows your heart and mind so there is no need to try to impress Him.

For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

John 4:24

• Get connected in a local church. 

God did not create anything to be alone. He, Himself, did not want to be alone so He created all of us. We need Him and we need each other. Find a church that believes God’s Word, The Bible, with passion. A church that does not explain away what the Bible says but rather a church that encourages and inspires you to view God’s Book as a life-giving, miraculous covenant and to believe everything that it says.  

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 
25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. 

Hebrews 10:24-25

• Don’t Quit!

Every new adventure comes with challenges, but you are a brand-new person now. So similar to learning how to walk or talk, there may be some mishaps but you get back up and keep going. Proverbs 24:16 The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.  

There are enemies to your faith but you are well able to overcome all of them. (John16:33, 1 John 5:4, Ephesians 6:16)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.[a] Because of the joy[b] awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people;[c] then you won’t become weary and give up.

Hebrews 12:1-3

Welcome to the Family!

Additional Scriptural Resources:

YOUR RIGHTS & PRIVILEGES IN CHRIST JESUS!

The following verses focus on WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST.  Read these passages with the intention of learning more about who Christ says you are! 

Look for the words… IN CHRIST

Romans 3:22-24   This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 8: 1-2   Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 12:4-9   Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good

I Corinthians 1:2  To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ–their Lord and ours: 

I Corinthians 1:30  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

I Corinthians 15:22  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive

II Corinthians 1:21   For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

II Corinthians 2:14  But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

II Corinthians 3:14  We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

II Corinthians 5:17-19  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

Galatians 2:4  This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.

Galatians 3:26,28, 29  You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Ephesians 1:3-10  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ for he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

Ephesians 2:6-10  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Look for the phrase…IN HIM:

Acts 17:28   For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

John 1:4  in him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 3:15-16  that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

 II Corinthians 1:20  For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

II Corinthians 5:21  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Philippians 3:9   and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

I John 2:5-6, 8, 27, 28   But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit–just as it has taught you, remain in him. And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

Ephesians 1:7.11-13   In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 2:21-22   In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 3:12    In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

I Peter 1:8   Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

In summary…

• You are a new creature.
• God is for you…not against you. 
• His plan for your success in Him is simple to follow:
• Study His word to find out what He is like.
• Renew your mind by connecting with God through prayer. 
• Fellowship with His family (attend a Bible believing church). 
• Always remember that He loves you…more than you will ever know…He loves you.  

One final thought…

Now that you are a part of the Family of God, you have the privilege of sharing your new relationship with others. Even though you might not know a lot of scripture or be able to preach a sermon, you have a very powerful tool to help bring others into the family. You have your story…the story of how God’s love brought you into His family. Tell someone else about Him. Use your story. Allow God’s love to flow through you to someone today!