Receiving Christ

 RECEIVED HIM

to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." John 1:12

Receiving Christ | Growing in Christ | Living for Christ

Receiving Christ

How does one become a Christian?

What happens when someone receives Christ?

Can someone know for sure that he is saved?

Growing in Christ

Prayer

The Word of God

Fellowship with believers

Living for Christ

How do we live for Christ?

How do we witness?

RECEIVING CHRIST

What does receiving Christ mean? This phrase is extracted from the gospel of John chapter 1 verse 12. Starting from verse 11, it says "He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. But as many as RECEIVED HIM, to them gave he right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name."

How does one become a Christian?

1. Admit that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God." Romans 3: 23

2. Believe that Jesus Christ paid the penalty for your sins by dying on the cross for you so that you don’t have to pay for your sins yourself. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. " Romans 6:23

"Even while we were yet sinner Christ died for us." Romans 5: 8

3. Ask God to forgive you from all of your sins and invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart.

"The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin." 1John 1:7

"If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door (of his heart), I will come in" (Rev. 3:20).

1. He becomes a child of God.  John 1: 12

2. He becomes born again.

Even though the word "Born Again" has been abused, it nevertheless came from the lips of Jesus while he was talking to an old religious leader. Jesus was telling him that being religious was not enough. "Verily, verily I say unto you unless a man is born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." John 3:3

Being born again simply means that our spirit, which was dead to God because of our sin, becomes alive once we repent of all our sins and receive God’s forgiveness through Faith in Jesus Christ.

"And you he made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin. ...But, God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loves us even when we were dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ." Ephesians 2:1-5

3. He becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus.

" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things have become new." II Corinthians 5: 17

Can someone know for sure that he will be going to Heaven when he dies?

The Bible in 1 John 5:13 tells us, "These thing I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life."  We can tell from this verse that one of the reasons the Bible was written is, like a road map, to show us how to get to Heaven and have assurance of eternal life. God doesn’t just want us to hope but to know that we have Eternal life. There are other verses that also give us assurance of eternal life.

" He who has the son (Jesus Christ in his heart) has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:12

"Verily, Verily I say unto you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement but has passed from death into life." John 5:24

" The spirit (Holy Spirit) himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Romans 8:16

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GROWING IN CHRIST

"As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." Col. 2: 6-7

Just like a newborn baby has a lot of growing up to do, so does someone who is born into the Kingdom of God. What the above verse tells us is that receiving Christ is just the beginning of a long spiritual journey. Just as someone said Christianity is not a 100-meter dash but a lifetime marathon.

The verse also tells us to walk in him, which means walk in obedience to his word and Spirit. By walking in him we get rooted and built up in him. Just like a tree sends its root down and its branches up we are supposed to be rooted in Christ and grow up in him so that we would bear fruit that is pleasing to him.

The Bible tells us that we should grow from childhood to manhood. "When I was a child I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things." 1Cor. 13

Growth is a slow process. The only things that grow fast are grass and weeds. A tree doesn't grow overnight, it takes a long time to grow. It grows slowly but surely and it bears fruit as it grows.

Just like a tree needs;

1. Prayer

2. The word of God and

3. Fellowship with believers

What is Prayer?

Different kinds of prayer

This prayer is the prayer that brought us into the family of God and made us the recipient of his mercy. It is also the kind of prayer that keeps the channel open between God and us because sin acts like a wall between God and man. Repentance is what cleanses us from any sin that has disconnected us from having a heart to heart fellowship with God.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But, your iniquities have separated you from you God; and your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." Isaiah 59:1-2

The only solution for this problem is a heart felt repentance "If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" 1John 1:9.

" My little children, these thing I write to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous "1 John 2:1

" The blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all our sins." 1 John 1:7

But, if our conscious is clear and our heart doesn't condemn us, we shouldn't pray the prayer of repentance all the time.

"Behold, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence with God." 1 John 3:21

Even though our conscience is clear there might be time when we might want to pray as David prayed.

" Search me oh God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: And see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting". Psalm 139:23

2. Prayer of Supplication

"Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you." 1 Peter 5: 6-7

"Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:1

3. He can say NO to our request, because sometimes we just don't know what we are asking. No earthly father or mother would say yes to everything a child asks. If what the child asked is not to the child's best interest the parents have the obligation to say no. So does God say no to some of our requests?

This prayer is the prayer we pray on behalf of others. Even though all the prayers are important, intercession is a more noble prayer than just praying for ourselves, because it shows we are thinking beyond ourselves to the need of others. This prayer also indicates that we are growing in our prayer life. This prayer is so important that the Holy Spirit himself helps us to intercede for others.

"Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he make intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27.

4. Prayer of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is giving thanks to God for everything he has done for us.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgives all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases;
Who redeemes thy life from destruction; who crownes thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalms 103:1-5.

5. Worship

Worship is a form of payer where we praise and exalt God not for what he has done for us, but for who he is, just because he is worthy to be praised and exalted.

"I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies." Psalms 18:3

"Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain." 48:1

 

6. Prayer of Agreement

This is a prayer where two or more believers agree and pray concerning a specific need or request. "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 18:19

 

7. Prayer of Authority

The NAME of JESUS

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth" (Phil 2:9-10).

"All the nations surrounded me, butin the name of the LORDI cut them off.
They surrounded me on every side, butin the name of the LORD I cut them off.
They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.   I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation"  (Psalms 118: 10-12).

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe" (Proverbs 18:10).

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm" (Psalms 20:7-8).

The BLOOD of JESUS

The power in the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sins so that the devil cannot get any foothold in our lives.

"the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). 

"How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" ( Hebrew 9:14).

GOD’S WORD

When Jesus was tempted by the devil He used the word of God to defeat the devil. Three times Jesus said. "It is written… It is written… It is written" Matt.4:1-11.

The Bible tells us to "submit yourselves therefore to God resist the devil and he will flee from you" James 4:7-8.

Notice the sequence of events:

1. Submit yourself to God.

2. Resist the devil.

3. He (the devil) WILL flee from you.

If we follow this command, the devil has no choice but to flee from us. The way we submit to God is by obeying His words. When we fail to obey, we have to repent and ask him to give us his grace to help us overcome our weakness.

The Word of God

1. It is our light. Ps.119:105

2. It cleanses us. Ps.119:9

3. It gives us our spiritual inheritance. Acts 20:32

4. It is our spiritual sword to fight our enemy. Eph. 6:17

5. It is our spiritual food. Peter 2:1-3

6. It teaches us the truth. Prov. 22:20-21

7. It delivers us from bondage. John 8:32

8. It gives us understanding and wisdom. Ps 114:98-100.

9. It keeps us from error. Matt. 22:29

10. It searches our heart like an x-ray. Heb. 4:12

1. Because God pours out his blessing when believers come together in UNITY.          "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
   It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." Psalms. 133

2. Because the Lord is PRESENT among such gatherings. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matt 18:20

3. To give and receive Love. John 13:3,35, Heb. 10:24

4. To exalt and encourage one another. Heb. 10:25

5. Because we are ONE family and members of the same body. 1 Cor.12:12-31, 14:26)

 Living for Christ

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain". Phil 1:4

1. To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul and with all our strength.

If we love God with all our being we will not do something that is not pleasing to him.

"If you love me keep my commandments." John 14:15

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1-2

2. To love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we love others as ourselves we will wish them the best and not harm them in any way. If they are not saved, we will pray for their salvation. We will also witness to them about the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

How do we witness?

Receiving Christ | Growing in Christ | Living for Christ

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