Now that you love Jesus...

Now that you love Jesus, what should you do next?

Dear Friend:

For people who love Jesus, like you, the church is a place for you to receive power to be an alive, growing Christian.

Some people say that you can be a Christian without going to church. However, this is just like saying that you can be a farmer without ever going into a field!

When you follow Jesus, you are a Christian. It was Jesus’ own pattern to worship God in a special place with other believers. So you will want to imitate Him. Christians are people who love Jesus, who love other Christians, who love His special place of worship, and who love the Bible. God’s Word does not say anything about being a Christian on your own.

If you think about it, you would not want to be a Christian all alone anyway, would you?

Jesus says in Luke 15:17 that there is "Bread to spare in the Father’s house", meaning the church. It is in the church that you receive spiritual feeding from the Bible. In fact, the whole Bible can only be fully experienced when you are with others who love Jesus.

Certainly when you get married, you are not single anymore! Marriage involves more than one person; it involves your spouse and extended family. Neither can you be born by yourself! Likewise, when you are born again, you belong to a new family, what the Bible calls the "Household of faith" in Galatians 6:10. All these blessings of a new family who love Jesus are now yours! There is really only one type of Christian--a member of Jesus’ Body.

You too are now a member of Jesus’ Body here on Earth. God made His Church for the world, for people who are alive today. He has given people in churches special gifts so that everyone can get stronger by being with each other, enjoying the love they have for each other. That is why the Bible tells us not to abandon the blessing of meeting together as believers.

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How can you grow into a strong follower of Jesus?

Spiritual strength comes in the same way that physical strength does...By eating, wonderful, healthy "food", like the Bible! By drinking pure, clean water, like the Holy Ghost. By working out your "muscles", through doing just what Jesus did. By breathing clean, unpolluted air, through praising the Lord with prayer and singing. By resting with friends, other people who love Jesus in a special church.

Do you know that a church is the only location where you will get all these blessings? The Holy Spirit is very strong when believers meet together to worship the Lord. Not everyone is the same; neither are all churches the same. However, if you start looking now, you will certainly find a church close to you that you will love, and where you and your family can grow as believers. Since you have just given your heart, life and future to Jesus, you truly need the love and encouragement that only fellow believers in a church can give you.

Please do not doubt that Jesus has saved you by forgiving your sins. Do not attend a church that doubts the Bible or the wonderful power of the Holy Spirit. Attend a church where all the blessings of Jesus are preached! Learn more about Jesus in a church where salvation is always preached, not where worldly issues are discussed. Seek out other Christians who are excited and eager about Jesus, and who expect Him to move in their lives, saving them from sin, healing their bodies, delivering them from the Devil and demons, pouring out the gift of tongues, and helping them live a life where they can say "no" to sin!

Friend, you need other believers as much as they need you! Jesus’ church is that special place where He spreads His love and blessing around to others who desperately need it. Now that you are saved, you will want to serve others too. You will want to help others get to know Jesus., Let the Holy Spirit fill you, and get involved with the greatest move of God this world has ever known--bringing Jesus’ love to all the people in our world!

I urge you to read all these words carefully. As you do, the Lord will grow you into a mighty man or woman of God! And remember, I keep on praying for you too!

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How to know you're saved

When Jesus has saved you, you should know it, for certain. If you do not, then you can not be an effective witness for Jesus. The Bible speaks with certainty about your salvation, so that you can also be sure. Martin Luther said "The Holy Ghost is not a skeptic!" The Lord truly has no doubts! 2 Corinthians 1:20 says that all of God’s promises are "Yes" and "Amen", not "Perhaps". The trumpet of the Gospel is shrill and certain.

The Jailer in Philippi shouted as the earthquake was rumbling "What must I do to be saved?" At that point, the Apostle Paul did not say "Well, I am not too sure; do you have any thoughts on the matter?" Rather, he spoke with confidence and boldness in Acts 16:31, saying "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved!" The Gospel is the truth of God, not the mere opinion of men!

Some say it is arrogant to say that you are saved, but that is a false humility, not based on what the Bible has to say. When Jesus asks you what you need, you should not say "I need all my questions answered first." What you should say is "Lord, I repent and believe in You!" Having Jesus save you is not merely a regular experience, something you may or may not remember. Rather, when you come to Jesus, He takes you in and forgives you by His Blood. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 19:10 and John 6:37..."The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost" and "He who comes to me I will not cast out."

Being saved by Jesus is final. It would be foolish to think that Jesus would make you right with God, but not want you to be certain of this. There is no way He would keep this blessed fact from you, just as Romans 8:16 says "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

But friend, there is even better news than this! Romans 3:24 says that you are "Justified freely by His grace." Is that not awesome! This could never happen to a criminal in our courts. Think of it...Here is the courtroom, with the police, the lawyers and the judge. There is the jury, which has just pronounced the criminal guilty. There he stands, a condemned man. Now he must pay for his crime. If the man then asked the judge to be let off free, the whole courtroom would begin to laugh!

But now imagine another picture...A man who has sinned is standing before God, the Judge. Of course, the Enemy is there, accusing him, and the angels and demons fill the room. Oh, the man knows that he deserves punishment for his sin. God must hand down the guilty verdict. But then Jesus comes and asks Satan "What evidence do you have against this man?" Well that sets the courtroom ablaze! Satan is ashamed, because he can not give any evidence at all! None of this man’s sins can be found--where did the evidence go? Here is where it went--it has been forever lost! Jesus took all the evidence of our sin on Himself when He died for our sins. On that dreadful day, our sins were forever blotted out, as if they had never existed, just as Colossians 2:13-14 says: "He forgave us all our sins, having blotted out the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." And when the Bible says "Blotted out", it means removed forever!

In God’s courtroom, Jesus is our defender, and He tells those gathered that there is no record of our sins that can be found. At that point, God’s mercy triumphs over judgment! The Devil storms out, defeated. God asks the sinner to step forward and gives him a title deed. He reads it, and sees that the blood-red seals of Jesus mark that deed. It is a message from the King of Heaven saying "No record of your sin has been found. You are innocent and free!" This is just as Romans 8:1 says..."There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." God has signed this deed with His words from Hebrews 10:17..."Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

So the accused man is now completely free, made right with God, through the grace and mercy of the Lord! The whole courtroom stands to their feet and shouts a shout of joy, as Luke 15:7 says that there is abundant joy over every sinner who repents! When God makes you right with Him by His grace, He wants you to know it. You have it all wrong if you think that you have to wait until after you die to know if you will go to Heaven or Hell. Jesus said in John 5:24 that the believer "Shall not come into judgment." He wants to take that fear away from you when He saves you.

In the Bible, the Greek word for "Judgment" is "Krisis", and we get the English word "Crisis" from it. As such, a believer in Jesus will be delivered from the CRISIS of judgment, never having to nervously wait in God’s courtroom, wondering if Heaven or Hell await him. This issue of his salvation is settled on Earth, and is also settled in Heaven.

Since this is true, it is a marvel that even some people who attend church are not sure about their eternal destiny. They say "I hope I am saved." Friend, 1 John 5:10 and 13 say "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in Himself...These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life."

This wonderful verse says that you already have eternal life NOW--The wait is over! What powerful promises! They remind you that your assurance of salvation is found in the Word of God’s promises, which means that you must read the Bible.

The Bible also teaches that all things must be testified to by 2 or 3 witnesses in order to be believed. Since the assurance of your salvation is so important, the Lord has given 2 secure witnesses--The Bible and the Holy Spirit.

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God’s first witness--The Bible!

A lot of people want to feel assurance. This mistake is commonly made, with often horrible results. The Lord never said that you should test your salvation with your emotions! Being assured of your salvation does not depend on how you feel, but on what God has said about it in the Bible. Our emotions were made to change due to what we experience, feeling high or low, happy or sad, even after you get to know Jesus. Christians do not always smile, like foolish clowns! But since they are now walking with God, they know their salvation does not rest on how they feel from day to day.

So your salvation is rooted in the foundation of the Bible. In Matthew 24:35, Jesus says that "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." Friend, this is the foundation to where you must run each time the Devil sends doubts your way! The reason you know you are saved is because the Bible says you are! No matter how you may feel, your confident belief never gives in to those doubts.

The earliest followers of Jesus were very certain. The Bible says that these people were "Abounding in hope", possessing "Abundance of grace" (Romans 5:17) and "Abundance of joy" (2 Corinthians 8:2). That word "Abounding" means having so much that there are leftovers, just like after Jesus fed the 5000 in Matthew14:15-21...There were 12 baskets of food left over after everyone had finished eating! Knowing you are saved is not arrogance, but a solid peace that comes over you at any time when Satan tries to plant seeds of doubt.

In Colossians 2:2, Paul says that believers have "All riches of full assurance." The Greek word for riches is "Ploutos", from where we get our English word "Plutocrat", meaning a person who rules by his wealth. Personally, I am happy being a spiritual plutocrat--Someone who is rich in the assurance of God! In Hebrews 6:11 and 10:22, the Bible talks about "Full assurance", and 1 Thessalonians 1:5 says that the believers there had "Much assurance" or fullness. Friend, being wealthy in your trust in God, that is the truest abundance in life!

Confidence fills the whole New Testament! In Acts 2:36, from Jerusalem Peter preached confidently "Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus...both Lord and Christ." Ephesians 1:13-14 and 4:30 make reference to the "Guarantee" of our spiritual inheritance, and that we are "Sealed" with the Holy Spirit. This is the exact opposite of anxiety and doubt! 1 Corinthians 2:12 says that "We have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God."

Friend, any teaching that makes you worried or concerned about your salvation is not teaching from the New Testament! In Acts 17:31, the unbelievers in Athens were told by Paul that "God has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead." Or look at John’s letters. In one of his letters, he uses the verb "To know" 42 different times!

This does not mean that believers know everything. In fact, being saved does not depend on your level of intelligence at all! Rather, in Matthew 11:25, Jesus is glad before the Father as He says "You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes."

You do not have to know everything to be saved, you need only know that God "Is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9)." And of this God, Hebrews 10:23 says "He who promised is faithful."

Perhaps this example will help. I am Kevin Wagner, even if I do not feel like it one day. When I am sleeping, I am not thinking about the fact that I am Kevin Wagner, yet I certainly still am! Even if I contracted amnesia, I would still be the same man! I am who I am, my birth certificate says this, and my identity is settled.

What the Bible says about you is the very same thing. If you have invited Jesus Christ to be your personal Lord and Savior, then you have been "Born again" as the Bible says! Friend, the Word of God is your divine birth certificate! If you can simply believe that, you will know who you are. 1 John 3:2 says "Now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be."

We do not yet know what we shall be, but we certainly know who we are now...We are none other than God’s children! In John 5:24, Jesus said "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

Is that not incredible! The Bible says that if you have repented of your sins, and have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then you have eternal life, and you have now crossed over from death to life--Hallelujah!

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Jesus’ Crucifixion

As Paul preached in Corinth, he did not feel courageous or strong. In fact, 1 Corinthians 2:3 says that he felt weak and was trembling. 2 Corinthians 1:8 says that sometimes he even wished his life was over! But when Paul preached, he got straight to the point and spoke in a way that everyone could understand. He did not trust in his intellect or fancy words to impress the people, rather 1 Corinthians 2:4 says that he spoke "In demonstration of the Spirit and of power." This type of preaching was powerful, and multitudes were saved! So just what did Paul speak about that produced such great fruit? Simply this...In 1 Corinthians 2:2, Paul says "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Peter said that the Bible is full of Good News, and this Good News centers around Jesus’ Crucifixion. Being saved is not just head knowledge, fancy words or powerful feelings. You being saved is rather based on an action that happened 2000 years ago, as 1 Corinthians 15:3 says, when "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures."

Friend, today the Lord wants you to know that He loves you dearly, and that He wants the absolute best for your life. He also wants you to know that because you have accepted Jesus, when He calls you home, you will spend forever with Him in Heaven! Here is how your salvation happens:

1. You discover through the Bible, or another Christian telling you, that Jesus was crucified for your wrongdoings.

2. Then you trust this Good News and ask Jesus to forgive you your sins. As you do this, The Father gives you Jesus’ blessings which He purchased for you on the Cross.

3. At this point an amazing thing happens...God’s Word breathes life into your dead spirit, and the Lord begins to live in you! You are forgiven, washed clean and made complete! Truly, the Holy Spirit has now blessed you with all that Jesus purchased for you on the Cross.

Look at it this way...Maybe your home has electricity in it. It is connected to a power generator far away. As you arrive home late at night, your house is dark and cold, yet you do not despair; you simply turn on the light switch and electricity starts to light and warm your home instantly!

When you trust Jesus with your life and your sins, it is like when you turn on the light switch. The Bible’s truth about Jesus is like the electrical wires attached to the power generator, which is the Cross where Jesus died for you. The power of the Holy Spirit is waiting, and when you believe, this same power enters you, giving you spiritual light, just like your home receives its power. Then friend, you are truly saved!

Many people make it appear that they are aware of what Jesus did at Calvary. Perhaps they have a Cross necklace, or even a crucifix. But this is just dead religion which does not help them at all! You may know that a power generator exists somewhere, but if you never turn on the switch you still remain in the dark and cold. You may even live next door to this generator, yet still be without its benefits! But when you choose to believe the truth about what Jesus did for you, then you begin to drink from the bottomless well of God’s mercy, love and power. Then you become certain that you have Jesus’ salvation!

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The Victor, pierced for you!

Some people actually watched Jesus die, yet they did not receive salvation! Matthew 27:36 even says that some people were "Sitting down, watching Him there." Can you imagine someone watching everything that happened, and even then not asking Jesus into their life?

Yet, multitudes do the very same thing today. They are mere spectators, asking questions, maybe even feeling badly about the death of Jesus, but never giving their lives to Him and receiving the forgiveness of sins that only He can offer. When you believe in Jesus, His confidence follows. These are inseparable, and sometimes the Bible even uses the same word to describe them. For example, in Mark 15:29 and 32, the Bible says that "Those who passed by hurled insults at Him, shaking their heads and saying...’Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down from the cross, that we may see and believe." They truly saw Christ crucified, yet they did not trust Him and hence did not receive his salvation.

Look and trust--Mark tells us one man did! In Mark 15:39, this happened to a hardened Roman soldier..."And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard His cry and saw how He died, he said ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’" Of all the multitudes, this one man looked on Jesus and found life!

This Roman did not need signs and wonders to convince him of who Jesus was! Rather, he was beholding a greater miracle, as God’s love kept Jesus hanging there for us, those who crucified Him.

Many of Jesus’ own countrymen wanted Jesus to be King in their own image, a conqueror who would overthrow the Roman armies--yet Jesus always said no. The disciples did not fight for His earthly Kingdom. Jesus’ way was different. Jesus won the heart of that Roman centurion. He was crucified and without hope, and yet still had the power to win this man’s heart! Incredibly, just decades later, the entire Roman empire had been overthrown, not by a garrison of soldiers, but rather by the love of Jesus, crucified and risen--Hallelujah!

Julian, the last of the non-Christian Roman rulers, tried to get people worshiping the pagan Roman gods once again, but Jesus was too powerful. His own last words were "O Galilean, you have conquered!"

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Your foundation and your navigator

When you look and trust, you receive for yourself what Jesus purchased for every man. Jesus’ death was a certainty--it is your foundation. Hebrews 6:19-20 puts it this way: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus."

This is a naval image from those times. A boat approaches land, but dares not go too close because it is still dark. So one crewman enters a smaller vessel that connects him to the ship. As he navigates, the boat safely reaches shore.

Friend, Christ is your navigator! He tore down the veil and fastened you to the Father. Your salvation is certain, just as the ship’s safety is certain because of that navigator and his actions. You can not see Jesus anymore--He has gone home to Heaven! Yet you are joined to Him when you trust Him. He went to heaven to prepare a place for you there with Him. Each day is simply one day closer to Jesus, the navigator of your faith.

When you do enter glory, who will be waiting for you? None other than your Navigator, because as John 14:13 says "Where He is, there you will be also." Through trust, you are already joined to Him, and now He is simply reeling you in to His glory, with each passing day. Friend, that is complete confidence!

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No more doubt!

In 1 Corinthians 2:3, lack of strength and courage were how Paul felt. And yet in spite of those feelings, Paul still had no doubts that the risen Jesus was with him! In 2 Corinthians 4:9 Paul said that many times he was "Struck down". In 2 Corinthians 1:8 he says that "He despaired even of life. Yet in all these situations, his confidence in what Jesus had done for him was not shaken one bit!

Satan tries to shake your confidence in Jesus by speaking lies to you. But if that does not work, then he tries to make your feelings lie to you. Friend, remember that in John 8:44 Jesus calls the Devil the "father of lies"--he has been at it from the beginning. I know people who feel Jesus’ salvation today, but not tomorrow, and then feel it the day after! Do not believe either the Devil’s lying feelings or his lying words.

How can you combat these lies? Simply put...Read your Bible! Look at John 5:24 and commit it to memory. The Bible tells you who you really are...God’s son or daughter, and that your real home is Heaven. The Bible never lies! Jesus has found you--simply and certainly believe that!

A little girl’s Sunday School teacher had taught her John 5:24. Then later that night, Satan tried to place doubts in her mind about her salvation. So the girl turned the light on, opened her Bible, and to her joy found that John 5:24 still said what it did earlier that day! God’s Word had not changed--her salvation was still written in black and white! She tried again to go to sleep, but still Satan plagued her with doubts. Finally, she turned the light on again, and yelled "Satan, you may not believe me, so then look at it yourself--’I have passed from death to life’--I am Jesus’ child!"v

Friend, the Bible shuts the Devil’s mouth, and destroys our doubts! The Lord’s Bible is your foundation during your times of doubt. Those words will keep you strong in this life, and ensure safe travel to the next, where Jesus will be waiting! Trust what the Lord has written, since as Hebrews 11:6 says "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe."

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God’s second witness--The Holy Spirit

Now that you have no doubts that you are saved by Jesus, because of what the Bible says, the Holy Spirit begins to move powerfully in your life, just as Romans 8:16 says "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

Here God’s Word talks about both our spirit and God’s Holy Spirit. God’s Holy Spirit tells your spirit inside you that you are the Lord’s son or daughter. 2 Peter 1:4 says you were given God’s nature when you were born again, and now in your heart you know that God truly is your Father! When you realize this, Galatians 4:6 says that you shout "Abba, Father!" Now because of what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you on the inside, even your emotions will begin to adjust to your new relationship with God.v

But first you must completely trust the Bible, or you will never even be able to begin this great race of faith. The Bible says that now by trusting Jesus, God is your Father, and other Christians are now also members of your family of faith. Now all the Lord’s family is together around the world, regardless of their color, race, social standing or any other man-made distinction--Hallelujah!

If people try to confuse you with difficult questions, remember Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:29 when He says they "are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God." A person’s intelligence can never fully know the greatness of salvation which comes from Jesus, and which He has given to you by faith. God will always break out of any intellectual box men may try to put Him in!

The Messenger of the Trinity is really who the Holy Spirit is. He communicates to you all the important words that the Father and the Son have for you and your life. And now that you love Jesus, you can imagine that the Holy Spirit is sending you this wonderful message today:

"Dear Friend: The other members of the Trinity have told me to tell you that all your past sins are now completely washed away and forgotten (Colossians 2:14)! I have also been told to tell you that the Lamb’s Book of Life now contains your name (Luke 10:20). Never give up on Jesus, even if people threaten to kill you (Revelation 2:10), for if you remain faithful, Heaven is holding great treasures for you (1 Peter 1:3-5)! Finally, stay very strong in Jesus and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10).

Your new Friend and Counselor (John 14:16),

The Holy Spirit"

This message helps explain Romans 8:16 more clearly--Praise the Lord!

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The Greatest Thing the Holy Spirit Does

The greatest thing the Holy Spirit does is saving you from sin and for Heaven! This work brings about huge differences in your life.

It only took the Lord six days to make everything you see but it took Him hundreds of years getting the world ready for Jesus to be born! Through many different nations and people, the Lord worked, until finally, as Galatians 4:4 puts it, "In the fullness of time", the Father sent His Son, Jesus. Jesus changed us all, even the Father Himself. He was born humbly in Bethlehem, then He faced death at Golgotha. During the time he was dead, He fought against the Devil. Earthquakes and an eclipse resulted from this struggle of the ages. Throughout all this, Jesus’ enemies fled in fear at such a powerful chain of events.

As Jesus stormed the gates of Hell, even death’s grip could not hold Him! His resurrection opened up the gates of Heaven for all believers. To think, friend, that He was pierced for you and for me. It is what Jesus endured for us that makes it possible for us to go to Heaven. You must know the enormity of your salvation. Do not just think of it casually. Rather, say along with Paul in 2 Timothy 1:12 that you are "Persuaded" and that you "Know" for sure the immenseness of what Jesus purchased for you!

One last thing before we end. Never forget 2 Timothy 2:19..."Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His’, and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’"

Some people flatter themselves by thinking they are saved but it does not show in a lifestyle change. But Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that "You shall know them by their fruits." These are fake believers in Jesus! 1 John 3:14 talks of this..."We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death."

Some people can also seem good on the outside but they do not have Jesus on the inside. They try to pretend to be Christians by copying the outward actions of Christians. They may say the right words, but they do not love Jesus in their hearts. Sometimes they may even act better than true Christians! But 2 Peter 1:4 says that believers have the "Divine nature" living in them through faith, when they were born again. These true believers know they are the Lord’s possession; they talk about it, and act like it!

You may sin at times, but the Holy Spirit keeps on working from inside of you to give you strength to overcome all your shortcomings. Keep desiring to make the Lord happy until He comes to take you home to be with Him forever. In the meantime friend, keep on saying what Paul did in 2 Timothy 1:12, "I am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day."

Your brother in Jesus,

Evangelist Kevin J. R. Wagner

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