Before You Become A Christian You:
1-Live in Satan’s kingdom – in fact you were born into it (Ephesians 2: v 1-3).
2-Live a sinful life separated from God, deserving his punishment.
3-Are unable, by yourself, to please God in any way (Romans 8: v 7-8).
4-Are spiritually dead.
5-Are totally unaware of 1-4 above!
Becoming A Christian Requires Repentance
Repentance is expressed in WORDS and DEEDS. Repentance means “turning around” and requires us to confess our sins to God. Confessing our sins means specific sins, not just “general sins”. Your sins were committed one by one, not all at the same time! Repentance is something we do toward God, because he is the person we have hurt the most with our sins. You also need, as far as possible, to put right your sins against others.
John the Baptist preached repentance (Luke 3: v 3-14) and the practice of it.
Jesus preached repentance (Luke 15:v 10).
Jesus expected his followers to do the same (Luke 24: v 45-49).
Becoming a Christian Also Requires Faith in Jesus
Faith is FACTUAL – that Jesus lived, died, was buried and rose from the dead 1Cor 15: v 1-8.
Faith in Jesus means putting your trust in a LIVING PERSON. Mohammed, Buddha, and Confucius are all dead and their tombs still contain their bodily remains. Jesus’ tomb is EMPTY!
Faith is VERBAL. “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved” (Romans 10: v9). Faith is verbal in two ways. (a) If you believe Jesus is alive you will talk TO him. Which is why Romans 10: v 13 says “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (b) We also need to talk ABOUT Jesus to others. A believer’s faith is strengthened when they talk to a non-Christian about Jesus.
Faith is PRACTICAL. The only faith the New Testament recognises is the faith that ACTS (James 2: v14-26). We need to practice exercising our faith in small ways at first, so that when a major emergency comes up our faith will be able to cope. Plenty of people accept the truth of God’s word (even Satan does), but faith in Jesus means acting on the truth of God’s word. (See Hebrews 11 – every example of faith tells of what that person DID).
We need to PERSEVERE in our faith and one day we will receive our reward. This perseverance also includes encouraging fellow-Christians (Read Hebrews 10: v 19-39).
As Christians We Are Also Commanded To Be Baptised
It began with John the Baptist (Luke 3) . Jesus also was baptised, not because he needed to repent, but because he wanted to identify with humanity (Matthew 3: v13-17). On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter told the people to “repent and be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins”.
Satan hates people getting baptised because he knows that is the burial of the “old life”.
Baptism brings our repentance and our faith to a climax.
Finally, We Are To Go On Receiving The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The promise of the outpouring of God’s spirit was promised in the Old Testament (Joel 2: v28-29).
John the Baptist spoke of Jesus baptising us with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1: v 7-8).
Jesus tells us to ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11: v5-13).
On the Day of Pentecost, Peter said the filling of the disciples by the Holy Spirit was the fulfilment of the prophesy in Joel (Acts 2: v14-18). The Holy Spirit is given because Jesus has been exalted to God’s right hand (Acts 2: v 32-33)
After Saul of Tarsus had received a vision of Jesus on the Damascus road, Ananaias was sent to him to restore his sight and to lay hands on him to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 9: v 10-19).
Baptism in water deals with your past (burial of the old life). The filling by the Holy Spirit is given, not for our benefit, but that we might serve Jesus and his kingdom.
Receiving the Holy Spirit is not a “once only” occurrence, but is something that we are to seek on an ongoing basis. If we go on asking, we will go on receiving.
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SET FREE IN JESUS CHRIST
1. I recognise that there is only one true and living God (Exodus 20: 2 and 3), who exists as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and that He is worthy of all honour, praise and worship as Creator, Sustainer and Beginning and End of all things. (Revelation 4:11; 5:9 and 10; Isaiah 43: 1, 7, 21).
2. I recognise Jesus Christ as the Messiah, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14). I believe that He came to destroy the works of Satan (1 John3: 8), that He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public display of them, having triumphed over them (Colossians 2:15).
3. I believe that God has proved His love for me, because when I was still a sinner Christ died for me (Romans 5:8). I believe that he delivered me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to His Kingdom, and in Him I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13,14). I believe that I am now a child of God (1 John3: 1-3) and that I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6). I believe that I was saved by the grace of God through faith, that it was a gift and not the result of any works on my part. (Ephesians 2:8).
4. I choose to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Ephesians 6:10). I put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3), for the weapons of my warfare are not of the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:4). I put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-17), and I resolve to stand firm in my faith and resist the evil one.
****5. I believe that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18) and that He is the head over all rule and authority (Colossians 2:10). I announce to Satan that Jesus Christ is my Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3) and I reject any counterfeit gifts or works of Satan in my life. I believe that Satan and his demons are subject to me in Christ because I am a member of Christ’s body (Ephesians 1:19-23).
****6. I therefore obey the command to resist the devil (James 4:7) and I command him and all his demons, in the name of Christ, to leave my presence. I here and now reject and disown all the sins of my ancestors. I also cancel out all demonic working that has been passed on to me from my ancestors. I reject and turn from all and every involvement that I personally have had in the works of Satan and his domain of darkness. I cancel all ground that evil spirits have gained through my wilful involvement in sin. Instead, I rely on Jesus Christ alone.
7. I believe that apart from Christ I can do nothing (John 15:5), so I declare my dependence on Him. I choose to abide in Christ in order to bear much fruit and to glorify the Lord (John 15:8). I believe that the truth will set me free (John 8:32) and that walking in the light is the only path of fellowship (1 John1: 7). Therefore, I stand against Satan’s deception by taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I declare that the Bible is the only authoritative standard (2 Timothy 3: 15-17). I choose to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).
8. I choose to present my body as an instrument of righteousness, a living and holy sacrifice, and I renew my mind by the living Word of God in order that I may prove that the will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 6:13; 12:1-2). I ask my heavenly Father to lead me into all truth (John 16:13), and to empower my life so that I may live above sin and not carry out the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16). I crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24) and choose to walk by the Spirit. I renounce all selfish goals and choose the ultimate goal of love (1 Timothy 1:5). I choose to obey the greatest commandment, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul and mind, and to love my neighbour as myself (Matthew 22:37-39).
**** Note on paragraphs 5 and 6 above. If you are suffering from oppression due to past involvement in any aspect of the occult, print out this page and meet up with a strong Christian believer. If you want to be set free, read paragraphs 5 and 6 aloud. When you do this, Jesus will set you free. After this, be sensitive to anything Jesus may point out to you.