 Basic Questions About The Gospel-Part 1
A: To be saved means that your soul has been saved from the condemnation of sin by Jesus Christ who is Lord and savior of all mankind. Without being saved you are liable for the consequences of your sin and the wages for sin are death (Romans 6:23). The death we speak of is the after-life, which is where there will be two places (hell or heaven) according to the scripture (Matthew 25:46, Hebrews 9:27-28). Some may say that they are good in nature and have never sinned, but the scripture tells us that man’s hearts have been wicked since the fall of man (Jeremiah 17:9, Mark 7:21, Genesis 3:6-7). If we choose eternal life we can spend eternity with God in heaven, but if we choose to not believe in Jesus Christ as our savior we will spend eternity in hell. Hell is described as a place of torment, suffering, anguish, and death while heaven is described as a place of paradise (Revelation 21:4-8, Revelation 22:1-5). In order for us to believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior we must believe in who He is, that He was the Son of God (Romans 10:9-13). For more information about the Gospel of Jesus or how you can be saved today, check out our page What Is the Gospel. Romans 6:23 King James Version (KJV) 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Matthew 25:46 New King James Version (NKJV) 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Hebrews 9:27-28 King James Version (KJV) 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Jeremiah 17:9 King James Version (KJV) 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Mark 7:21 King James Version (KJV) 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Genesis 3:6-7 King James Version (KJV) 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Revelation 21:4-8 King James Version (KJV) 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. 6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Revelation 22:1-5 King James Version (KJV) 22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. Romans 10:9-13 New King James Version (NKJV) 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”[a] 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”[b]  2. What Should A New Convert Do Once They Commit Their Life To Christ? A: It is easy in the world of information that we live amidst today to become over-whelmed and bombarded with misleading information. Many times, this useless information whether intentional or not can lead to a lot of confusion for a new convert. So what works best? The best answer would of course be a simple one. The first thing you should do is go get yourself a KJV/NKJV Bible or request from a free online resource. Bibles are online at awesome sites such as BibleGateway.com, but there is nothing like having your own in print where you can perform individual study while writing in it. I also recommend having a printed copy so that you will not be tempted and distracted by advertisements and other things online while studying. There are also tons of free Bible Apps that allow you to read both the regular Bible as well as the study Bible. At this time SCM also only recommends KJV and NKJV to new believers as the other translations have removed some critical elements to the faith (Revelation 22:19, Deuteronomy 4:2). While there are many good translations that are easy to read, sacrificing small sections of scripture can allow us to be misled if we are not sure about what the scripture really says. The next order of business a new Christian should conduct is finding a good church home. Finding a good church to attend on a regular basis for worship and fellowship is vital to your continuing relationship with God. When you surround yourself with a pastor who feeds you the Word of God, a church family who encourages you, and regular sessions of worship it is hard to turn away from the love of God. The right church can only be identified by the person who is choosing and all of us have personal preferences depending on who we are. We also change depending on where we are in our walk with God. When you mature as a Christian, sometimes your priorities and worship style may change. This is why it is necessary to have plenty of options for worship as we do in the U.S.A. Every church has its own culture so that there is a ministry for everyone to attend. No church is perfect, but there is a church for everyone. What you might find comfortable may not be right for me and vise-versa. The important thing is that you check out their doctrine of beliefs and make sure that it aligns itself with the standards outlined in your Holy Bible. The church should have the same basic tenants of faith that you have such as believing in Jesus as the Son of God, the savior of the world, born of a virgin, His death, His life, and His resurrection. What denomination you choose after these tenants of faith is entirely up to you, but of course we would always recommend the Pentecostal-Holiness denominations. After you have identified your church and pastor of choice I would recommend that you seek to be water baptized. You were baptized in spirit at your conversion, but now it is time for an outward expression of faith and commitment through an actual baptism with water. Some pastors require church membership in order for you to be baptized by them. If you feel led to become a member and you have given some time to test out the particular ministry for a good fit that is fine, but you should never join a church under pressure from a pastor. Getting baptized is a huge step in our faith and shows the outward act of commitment to Christ. Jesus himself was baptized by John the Baptist and God the Father was so pleased that He spoke on Jesus that day, declaring Him as His Son (Matthew 3:13-17). Our ministry believes in full water submersion style of baptism. For more information regarding what baptism click here. After completing these tasks in honor of your new found faith in Christ, you will be on a lifelong journey of growing in God. Matthew 3:13-17 New King James Version (NKJV) John Baptizes Jesus 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He[a] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Revelation 22:19New King James Version (NKJV) 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away[a] his part from the Book[b] of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Deuteronomy 4:2New King James Version (NKJV) 2 You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
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