This is a simple manual written to help you answer questions you will probably encounter as you begin your new walk with Christ. It is not to bombard or overwhelm you with a lot of information. It is to be used as a quick reference tool to help make your transition as smooth as possible. As you read it along with your bible daily, my prayer is that the Word of God will come alive to you and cause you to grow strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might!

I'm Saved, Now What?

A Must Have Manual for Every New ConvertBy Dr. Barbara D. Eason

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Dr. Barbara Eason
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4520-2734-0

Contents

Foreword............................................................................................xiChapter I: The New Birth Experience.................................................................1Chapter II: What Comes Next?........................................................................11Chapter III: Maintaining a Personal and Intimate Relationship with Jesus Christ.....................19Chapter IV: Holiness-It's What God Requires.........................................................29Chapter V: Questions Frequently Asked by New Converts...............................................35Definitions.........................................................................................43Closing Remarks.....................................................................................47

Chapter One

The New Birth Experience

Generate Man -Created in the image of God and placed in a perfect environment. God said in Genesis 1:26 (KJV), "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Degenerate Man -Fallen from grace, sin entered and a spiritual death took place. "The Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die'" (Genesis 2:16-17 KJV). Regenerate Man -Sinful man needed a way back to God. By accepting Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sin, asking Him to come into your heart and reign over your life, He became the bridge that connected you back to God the Father. "But this one man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down on the right hand of God: From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are sanctified (Hebrews 10:12-14 KJV). "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9 KJV).

The Holy Spirit inspired me to write this manual to assist you in making the transition from your old way of life into your new walk with Jesus Christ. Those of you who read this manual will find that the answers to our questions are simple and easy to understand, and they can be found in your King James Version of the Holy Bible. You are encouraged to search the Holy Scriptures daily, because in them, you have life.

How Did I Become a Sinner?

That is one of the first questions asked by most new converts. They believe that they are morally good if they don't use vile language, smoke, use drugs, drink alcohol, commit fornication or adultery, or lie, among other things, and that they are not in danger of going to hell. That is one of the biggest misconceptions dispatched by Satan. And if the truth is not made known, they die and go to an everlasting, ever-burning lake of fire (Revelation 21:14).

The good news is that sin did not start with you. It started with Adam and Eve. Man was created perfect in the image of God. Unlike nature and the universe, which was created to obey God's every command, man was given the seed of choice, thus a free will. This is known as generate man. Along with the free will that was given to man came some specific instructions. Genesis 2:16-17, "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.'" Sin brought separation (spiritual death) between a holy God and His creation.

Genesis 3:6-7 reads, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked." This is known as degenerate man. He had deliberately chosen to disobey the direct command from God, and thus, fellowship with God was broken.

Because of this act of disobedience by Adam and Eve, we were all born into sin. "Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). So no matter how earthly good we were, "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6 KJV). Because of this, we were all in desperate need of redemption. We needed a savior to put us back in right standing with God, to repair the broken breach, or pay the sin debt created by Adam and Eve. Jesus would bridge the gap between the Holy God and unholy humanity. We needed salvation.

What Is Salvation, and Why Do I Need It?

Salvation is the saving of a person from sin or its consequences in the life after death; saving from danger or evil (Webster's New World College Dictionary, 5th ed., p. 463). In Hebrew, it is deliverance, victory, help, health, liberty, prosperity, and safety (Strong's, Strongest Concordance, p. 38). In Greek, it is translated to mean defender or defense, rescuer or safety; Christ or God (Strong's, p. 88).

You need salvation because Satan is deceiving people into believing that they can have salvation apart from Jesus Christ. His method is to make them think that as long as they have good moral values, they are okay. His concept is this: "I'm a relatively good person. I don't hurt nobody. I live a better life than some of the people going to church. I don't drink or smoke. I don't have sex outside of marriage. Like I say, I'm a good person." Wrong! It does not matter how good you think you are living. There is absolutely no salvation without Jesus Christ. The Bible clearly tells us in Hebrews 9:22 (KJV), "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin." Good morals and values do not get you into heaven; Jesus Christ is the only ticket to heaven. In John 14:6 (KJV), it says, "Jesus said unto them, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.'" Therefore, contrary to anything else that is taught, there is no other way to heaven except through the Man, Jesus Christ!

Because we were born into sin, and no matter how earthly good we are, without the blood atonement of Jesus Christ and His imputed righteousness, our righteousness just doesn't measure up. The Bible is very clear about that, "Our righteousness is a filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Romans 3:23 tells us, "We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God." But don't feel bad; it had nothing to do with you. Remember, it started with Adam and Eve, back in the Garden of Eden. That is why we need salvation to restore us into a right relationship with God. And the only way to do that is to confess the Lord Jesus Christ with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. There is no other way to get back to God. Remember what you just read: Jesus said, "'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and no man cometh unto the Father but by Me'" (John 14:6).

How Do I Get Saved or Accept Jesus Christ as My Personal Lord and Savior?

It's simple. The Bible tells us in Romans 10:9, "If thou shall...