meet jesus

Your salvation is based purely upon your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. In other words, salvation is not something that can be “earned” by how good you try to be or some religious act or sacrifice that you perform. Salvation is a free gift from God, and came to you as you simply put your faith in Jesus, His death and resurrection, and trusted Him to forgive your sins and become your Savior and Lord. The scripture says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Good feelings are nice to have, but feelings do not prove whether you’re saved or not. There may be times when you “feel” that God is close to you, and other times when you “feel” that He’s not. But remember that He has promised to always be with you and never leave you, regardless of feelings (Hebrews 13:5). Always remember that the Christian lives by faith, not by sight or the feelings of our natural senses. The Bible says, “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

One of most common things that happens to a new believer is that the enemy tries to whisper doubts in your thoughts: “You’re not really saved,” or “nothing really happened to you.” But don’t believe those lies and deceptions! If you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, then you are saved, regardless of whether you feel it or not. God’s Word promises, “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 10:9).

Pray every day — Prayer is vital to your spiritual growth. God is your Heavenly Father, and He wants to hear from you and have daily fellowship with you. Not only does He promise to answer your prayers, but as you pray, He will also provide guidance and spiritual strength. The Bible tells us to “Pray continually,” that is to pray faithfully every day (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Read the Bible daily — The Bible is God’s Word, and as you read from it every day, it will cause you to grow spiritually (2 Timothy 2:15). As you study His written word (start with the Gospel of John), He will strengthen your faith, speak to your heart, and give you guidance and direction for every need and decision in your life. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalms 119:105).

Attend Church — When you gave your life to Jesus Christ, you became a vital part of God’s family, the Church. As you get involved in Redemption, you will receive strength and encouragement from other believers. We encourage you to join in the Redemption Chat fellowship.

The Bible teaches that all mankind has a sinful nature which keeps him separated from God’s presence and will result in eternal death. But Jesus came to suffer the consequences of that sin as our substitute, so that we could be forgiven of sin and have access to God’s presence. When you repented (turned away) from your sins, and asked Jesus to forgive you and become your Savior, that’s exactly what He did. He forgave every sin you’ve ever committed, regardless of how awful or evil they may have been. God can forgive more sin than man can commit. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you won’t make mistakes, but it means that you are forgiven of sin and that your goal is to live like Christ and not live in old, sinful ways anymore. Don’t ever let the enemy condemn you if you stumble or make a mistake! God loves you and wants you to ask Him to forgive you (1 John 1:9), then He wants you to get back on your feet and keep walking for Him. God loves you and will correct you, but He will not condemn you. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 8:1).

At the moment you accepted Jesus, He came into your heart by His Spirit, and now His presence and perfect nature live and dwell in your heart (1 Corinthians 6:19). You did not merely become a better person, you were “born again” spiritually, as a brand new person! Now He wants you to learn to live your life according to the new nature of His Spirit inside you. The Bible says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).