Sometimes we need to stop and marvel at what happened to us when we gave our lives to the Lord and asked Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior. Our inner man (our spirit, conscience or spiritual heart) was recreated or born again (2 Cor 5:17; John 3:3-8; Ezek 11:19).

Our sins were forgiven: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7; KJV). We were redeemed from the curse of the law, (poverty, sickness and death; Gal 3:13-14). We were sanctified (1 Cor 1:30) or set apart for God, justified or made as if we had never sinned (Rom 3:23-24) and made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:21). Righteousness means to be made in right standing with God.

Christ came to live in us as the Holy Spirit (Gal 2:20; 1 Cor 6:19). We became God’s children (Rom 8:15), joint heirs with Jesus (Rom 8:17), and were taken out of satan’s control and placed in God’s kingdom of light (Col 1:13-14).

The bible tells us that the Holy Spirit in us is greater than any satanic force in the world (1 John 4:4). “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Phil 4:13; KJV). In fact, we are more than conquerors (Rom 8:37). Are you getting the picture? We are family, Jesus our brother (Rom 8:29); we have the same Father as Jesus. The same power (the Holy Spirit) that anointed Jesus for ministry on this earth lives in us.

We can do anything with Jesus. Let’s do it, let’s be salt and light, let’s turn our world right side up.

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We all get excited about Mark 11:24, where we are told that if we believe when we pray, we will receive. In other words, faith is believing you have something when you pray, not just when you actually physically receive it.

However, the 15th chapter of John always catches my attention when we think of using our faith to receive from God. In verses 7 and 16 God puts some conditions on our getting our prayers answered. We need to abide in Christ and let his words abide in us and we need to bear fruit, then God can answer our prayers. Abide is to tarry or remain continuously. Fruit is the life changed by God and the godly works that result.  

In other words, a casual relationship with God doesn’t cut it, we need to have genuinely asked Christ into our lives as savior and Lord (Rom 10:9-10). We need to have a genuine desire to press in to him, to allow him to change us, grow us and use us. The life surrendered to God and sold out to his will and purpose will be blessed (Matt 6:33).  

How do we press in? Well, how do you grow any relationship? You spend time, you communicate and you get to know the other person. With God, you spend time in the bible, you pray, you praise him, worship him, and give him thanks, you just spend time in his presence; there are no short cuts. God’s greatest joy is to bless his children (Ps 115:13). Walk and talk with him today

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“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou have sent” (John 17:3; KJV).

What do you think of when you think of eternal life? I think most people would say it means life in heaven with God when we die and which even starts right here and now as we daily walk with Jesus. According to this verse eternal life means getting to know God. I assume that if we are going to spend eternity with God then we need to start getting to know him right now.

Obviously, that is not something we do just like that; we will spend the rest of our lives getting to know God. The Greek word for "know" is ginosko, which is coming to know God and his son in a personal way and experiencing Christ as our savior. We get to know God through his word, through prayer, worship and fellowship with him. No wonder Paul said in Philippians 3:10 that his major purpose in life was to get to know Jesus Christ more deeply and intimately, to share in his sufferings and to experience his life transforming power: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Phil 3:10).  As Christians that should be our goal too.

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We each of us are spiritual beings, living in a body and having a soul which is our mind, will and emotions (1 Thess 5:23). In the first letter of Peter chapter one, the apostle Peter talks about salvation. Salvation means to be spiritually reborn, born again or saved (John 3:3-8). We are saved from the spiritual death (Rom 6:23) that resulted from our sinful life prior to us becoming a Christian. We are spiritually saved or born again by repenting of sin and asking Jesus into our life as Lord and Savior (Acts 3:19; Rom 10:9-10). Salvation encompasses forgiveness, restoration, prosperity, protection, safety, healing, preservation, joy, eternal life and so much more. This is all available to us when we are saved and is referred to in 1 Peter 1:3.

However, verses 4,5 and 9, of the first chapter of the apostle Peter’s first letter, also refer to the promise of the completion of our salvation, or final salvation as we meet our Lord and savior in heaven at the end of our life on this earth. This is the continuation in heaven of our eternal life, which started when we asked Christ into our lives here on this earth.

The Apostle Peter also talks about how God by his power (Greek word dunamis, from which we get the English word, dynamite) keeps us in this present life (v 5). He works in us to grow and change us to be more like him (Phil 1:6) and to protect us and keep us for our final reward of eternal life in heaven (Ps 91:17a). Wow, what an awesome journey!

God has us covered; all we have to do is submit (James 4:7,8,10) and cooperate with him. How do we cooperate as Christians? Start with prayer and immersing yourself in the Bible.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others. 

In Acts 2:21 (KJV) we read: “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” To become a Christian you must be born again or saved (John 3:1-6). Sin in our life causes our spirit to die and breaks our fellowship with God (Rom 6:23; Rom 3:23). Christ died as a sacrifice for our sins (Rom 5:8), he paid the price, we are washed by his blood (Heb 9:14). The way through the veil into fellowship with God has been restored. If we ask Jesus into our lives as Lord and Savior God gives us a new spirit (heart; Rom 10:9-10); this is salvation, the new birth or being born again.

If you study out the word salvation; however, it means so much more than spiritual rebirth, restored fellowship and forgiveness. The Greek word for salvation is an all-encompassing word and includes healing, preservation, safety, rescue, liberation, deliverance, soundness, restoration, prosperity, happiness and general well-being. Our God is a good God who loves us and wants to walk and talk with us (Gen 3:8). 

Long ago there lived a lady servant of a wealthy family. She became too old to work and had to retire. Her employers gave her a home and a beautiful document that she had framed and put away safely in a drawer. She then lived out her days in abject poverty as she had no money to live on. When she died, her friends found the framed document, it indicated that her employers had set aside a pension fund for her to meet all her needs the rest of her days. The old lady could not read and never took advantage of her ex-master’s love and generosity.

We can read, lets press into God’s word and enjoy salvation, be all he wants us to be, do all he has for us to do.

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Check out our web site ( www.onthewayinlove.com ) for information on our book: “On the Way: Basic Christian Training”, including how to purchase it and also to see more encouraging Bible based blogs. Please recommend our book to others.