What Does It Mean To Be Saved?

What Does It Mean To Be Saved?

If you go all the way back to where time began, you would find in the book of Genesis (the first book of the Bible) these words: "In the beginning God created ..." The Bible says God created the entire universe, and then he made his highest creation-man and woman. God created Adam and Eve to be like him and live forever.

They had it all! A beautiful place to live. Everything they could possibly want or need. Perfect bodies, a perfect marriage, perfect sex, perfect communication, and no pain or sickness or sorrow. Most importantly, they had a perfect relationship with God.

As long as they stayed within God’s boundaries, they had it all. There was only one thing God told them not to do - that was to eat the fruit of a certain tree. Satan came into the garden in the form of a serpent and tempted them to disobey God. Adam and Eve made a choice to rebel against what God told them. They chose to do things their way instead of God’s way, thinking they knew what was best for them.

The instant they chose to rebel, sin and all its evil entered the world. Adam and Eve started to grow old, and death entered the world for the first time. Where the environment had been perfect, there was now suffering, pain, sickness, and disease. Worst of all, Adam and Eve became spiritually dead. Their friendship with God was cut off. At that point God could have said, "forget it" and wiped them out with a single word. But because God’s love for us was so great, he immediately began to provide a way to reconcile people to him.

The Bible says that God chose blood to be payment for sin (see the next page for Hebrews 9:22). Leviticus 17:11 says that blood represents life. The first thing God did after Adam and Eve sinned was to kill an animal. The skin from the animal covered their nakedness and its blood "paid" for their sin. God promised them that one day he would send the complete payment for their sin.

Justice requires that you pay for what you do wrong. Because God is just, he requires that sin be paid for once and for all. The only one qualified to pay for the sin of the world was someone who had never sinned himself. So 2,000 years ago, Jesus, God’s own Son, left the splendor of heaven and came to the earth as a little baby. He was the only baby who ever asked to be born. For 33 years he walked and lived among men. He faced every temptation and experience of life without sin. By his life he taught us how to live.

Jesus became that once-and-for-all sacrifice for sin - to die in your place and in mine-to pay for our sin. If we received what he did for us on the cross, we will be forgiven and made right with God.

Jesus is offering you a new life and a new beginning. He"ll not only give you an exciting life here on this earth, but also one day take you to heaven to be with him forever. The only other option is not receiving Christ and his work for you on the cross. You pay for your own sin in a horrible place the Bible calls hell, created for the devil and his demons.

The choice is yours. Salvation is a gift from God (see Romans 6:23), but like any other gift, it does not become yours until you reach out and take it. How do you do that?

Admit you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness (see Romans 3:23).

Repent of (turn away from) your sin (see Luke 13:3).

Give your heart and life to Jesus (see John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10, 13; Acts 16:31).

Pray a prayer something like this. Remember there is nothing magical about the words. What counts is what you mean in your heart.

"Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I know my sin must be paid for. I accept your death on the cross as payment for my sin. Please forgive me of all my sin - past, present, and future. Please come into my heart and save me. I give you my life and ask you to be my Lord and Savior. Take me to heaven to be with you when I die . Help me to live for you until that time. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

If you prayed that prayer and meant it, then Jesus did exactly what you asked him to do! You may not have seen light flash or heard angels sing, but in a split second, something natural took place. You were saved!

You now have a new life in Christ and it’s important that you start out right. Share what has just happened to you with someone else. Begin to study God’s word. (The Gospel of John is a good place to start). Find a Bible teaching, preaching, and believing church, where you can grow in your new faith. Ask God to show you the church where he wants you to become a member. Talk to him every day - he loves you so much and wants to spend time with you.

You have made the most important decision you will ever make. God bless you in your new life as a radical Christian! Give it all you’ve got!

HEBREWS 9:22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

ROMANS 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

ROMANS 3:23 For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

LUKE 13:3 But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

ROMANS 10:9-10, 13 That 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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

ACTS 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."

The Compromising Christian

The Compromising Christian

Many people who call themselves Christians find themselves straddling the fence when it comes to Christian ethics. They may go to church and say they believe in Christ but they find it difficult to let go of worldly ways. They continue to hang on to old habits and worldly pleasures. They try to have the best of both worlds. They want the security of an eternal life with Jesus but they want to "enjoy" the sins of this world while still living in it.

The following from the book What Controls Your Life? by Kenneth Reed from Youth In Action, Inc. talks about the "Christian" who is straddling the fence.

Some people have enough sin in their lives to keep them from being happy as Christians and just enough "Christianity" to keep them from really enjoying sin. Talk about frustration and unhappy. Such a person has dethroned Christ and placed self on the thrown. He is controlled by self-will, rather than Christ’s ruling and governing. He has deceived himself into believing that he can do as he pleases and listen to Christ when it suits him (p. 43).

Selfishness, or self-pleasing, is the very essence of sin (Self-Ish-Ness). The selfish Christian has poor prayer life and Bible study habits (p. 44). He only calls on Christ in times of need, when he is out of control (p. 45). He keeps back some part of his life. He just cannot bring himself to give up some pleasurable sin or trait of character such as stinginess or pride. Otherwise he acts like a true Christian. He is unhappy since he lets something less than Christ be his lord (p.46). He operates out of fear - afraid not to have Christ as his Savior but he cannot bring himself to let Christ be his Lord. He is a premeditated sinner - hanging on to a few deliberate sins as lying and cheating. One sin is as bad as many to Christ. No sin is small in the presence of an infinite Lord. A grain of sand may be a small thing but not if it gets into the mechanism of a watch (p. 47).

A habitual sinner of a certain sin or sins, becomes hardened to that sin, and begins to lose his ability to feel the sting of sin. He begins to have no regret, no guilt, no conscience and feels no need for repentance for such sin (p.49). [People who habitually sin and have no conscience of doing wrong are severing their relationship with God. Actually there is much doubt as to whether these people are even "saved." God gave us two warning systems in our body to tell us when something is wrong and going to harm us. The first warning system is physical pain which lets us know when something is causing physical damage to us. The second is our conscience which lets us know when something is hurting our spirit.] There are few things that can make a person more miserable than the feeling of being guilty. Guilt is a signal that there is a "spiritual malfunction" somewhere (p. 55).

Faith comes from being taught the faith and our willingness to accept it. This faith, or trust, will cause us to go still further. We will want to repent. Repentance is not just being sorry, it’s being sorry enough to quit, accompanied with the attitude that "I don’t want to ever sin again!" When we become a Christian, we make up our minds that we are going to get out of the sinning business and turn our lives over completely to Jesus Christ (p. 21). When you truly repent, you don’t pick and choose which sins you are willing to give up and which ones you will drag along with you as a Christian! You quit; you throw in the towel; you get out of the sinning business altogether - forever. All sin is a transgression of God’s will (p. 22).

There is a great difference between being sinless or perfect and being dead to sin and free from the domination of sin. 1 John 3:4 tells us that a Christian "doeth no sin." What does this mean? Well, literally it means that a child of God "does not practice sin." In verse 7, John uses the expression, "doeth righteousness," and this means literally to "make a practice (or habit) of doing what is right." Thus, a person who has really repented is a person to whom sin has become distasteful - who no longer makes a habit of feeding a sinful appetite (p. 23).

God will not forgive any sin until we are willing to repent of (quit) all sin (p. 24). But you might ask, "How can I live apart from sin for the rest of my life?" Start each day with the prayer, "Lord, help me not to sin this day," and with God’s help you can make it! If you supply the willingness, He will supply the way. Just break your Christian life down into Christian days and live one day at a time for the Lord (p. 24-25).

Jesus is not only our Savior, Jesus is also our Lord. It is not enough to just accept Jesus as our Savior, we must accept Jesus as our Master and let Him control our lives (p. 12-14). It is a frustrating experience to try to live in the Lord’s kingdom and try at the same time not to live under His Lordship or control. When we miss this, we miss it all. When one does permit Christ to sit on the throne of his life, peace overcomes frustration, purpose replaces meaninglessness, and one can do all things through Christ who gives him strength (p. 13-14).

Christ will not come into our lives as some temporary guest to be invited only when we desire His company. No, He comes in (moves in) as the new owner to convert what was our house into His abode (p. 31).

Once you remove sin through repentance, you must replace the emptiness with Christ or sin will return. Christ is the only one who is strong enough to replace sin and keep it from regaining control over our lives (p. 34). (Early Christians) had in mind that they actually became the voluntary slaves of their master or lord or ruler - Jesus Christ, who was once a servant Himself - a bond servant of God’s will (p. 35-36).

This is what it means to be truly converted - to become a voluntary slave, surrendering your whole life to Christ as Lord and Master (p.37). There is no part-time discipleship. It is all of the time (daily) or none of the time. He will not be the Lord of any part of our lives if He cannot be the Lord of every part of our lives (p.38).

YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN

YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN

Jesus tells us that the gates of heaven are closed to us unless we are born again. Therefore, we ask: Friend, are you born again? Church member, are you born again? If not, then you are lost. For Jesus says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

You may ask, "What is being born again?" Today there are a lot of misconceptions about the new birth. It is not baptism, for some were baptized and yet not born again (Acts 8:18-25). It is not joining the church, for some slipped in unawares (Galatians 2:4). It is not eating of the Lord’s table, for some ate unworthily and it brought condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:29). It is not reform or trying to live better, "for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able" (Luke 13:24). It is not praying, for Jesus says, "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (Matthew 15:8).

Someone may say if I try and do all I can, giving to the poor, visiting the sick, and be as good as I can every day, then surely I am born again (Matthew 25:41-45). No, we cannot be what we are not: "for the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be" (Romans 8:7). We must have a change of heart. For God by the prophets says, "A new heart also will I give you" (Ezekiel 36:26).

"Then, what is the new birth?" The new birth consists of a change of the heart from a life of serving self to one of serving the Lord. This comes when we feel remorse for our sinfulness and in faith look to Jesus for forgiveness. When a child is born, a new life comes forth, a new person in the flesh. So likewise, when we are born again, a new life in Christ Jesus after the Spirit comes forth. Therefore, it is called a birth - a new life in Christ Jesus. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9).

"When may I expect to be born again?" The Scripture says, "Today if ye will hear his voice" (Hebrews 3:7). That means at any age, time or place, if you hear the call and respond, you can be born again by the Spirit.

"How long will it take? Must I not grow into the new birth?" No, we are born into the kingdom of God and that makes us children and heirs. "And if children, then heirs; heirs of god, and joint-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). This may take place the moment you surrender all and come to Jesus for pardon.

"How and when do we receive it?" God, who looks on the heart, sees your sincerity. He comes to you through the power of the Holy Ghost and creates within you a right spirit (Psalm 51:10). Thus, you are born again - a new creature in Christ Jesus by faith in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Finally: "How may I know that I am born again?" Paul in Romans 8:1-10 teaches; "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." The Bible teaches the lost are dead in sin, condemned, and have an evil conscience. They are carnally minded, without hope, disobedient, and without God in the world. But, a born again Christian is a child of God, alive in Christ, saved, without condemnation, and has a good conscience. He is also spiritually minded, filled with the Holy Ghost and faith, and has a hope of everlasting life. His sins are blotted out by the blood of Jesus. His heart is filled with love and the peace of God which passeth understanding. He loves, desires, and has the power to do the Lord’s will. He cherishes a hope beyond the grave, and the promise of a home in heaven. Could anyone go through such a change and not realize it? Hardly, for "the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16).

If you have not had this experience with the peace and joy it brings to the soul, do not rest, for you are trifling with God and your own soul. You must be born again.

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The Ultimate Purpose and Goal Of Man

The Ultimate Purpose and Goal Of Man

Is there an ultimate purpose for your life? Do you believe in heaven and hell? If not and you believe we just die and that is it, then I guess you can just live however you like until you die. But what if there really is a God and a heaven and hell? Where will you spend eternity? So what is really man’s purpose in life?

In Billy Graham’s book "World Aflame" he states that "Only the Bible gives an adequate answer to the question of the purpose of man’s existence. God made man in His own image. This is not a physical image since God is a spirit and has no spiritual body. Man was given God’s social nature with moral and rational faculties. Adam and Eve were created physically and morally perfect. Man was morally perfect with no lust, greed, or hate in the beginning. Man was the crowning act of God’s creation.

"Man was to be God’s closest friend, His partner in cultivation and development of the earth. So man was created with a high and exalted purpose and destiny. God loves man and wants man to love Him back. God did not want man to love Him because he was forced to do so, since that would not be true love. He wanted man’s love and fellowship because man chose to love God. This is why God gave man ‘free will’, so man could choose whether he wanted God’s friendship and fellowship or not. God gave man free will to make his own decisions about right and wrong. Man is a self-conscious and self-determining being, made in the image of his Creator and capable of free moral decisions between good and evil."

From "The Ten Commandments", a booklet put out by the United Church of God, it is stated that "God gave us His ‘Ten Commandments’ to guide us in how to maintain proper relationships with God and our neighbors. Every commandment of God is for our own good. The first four commandments define how to show proper love and respect for our Maker - God. The other six define the essentials for right relationships with each other.

"We have all been made in the image of God, for fellowship with God. This is our purpose: 1) We are to learn to love the Lord our God (with all our heart, all our soul, and with all our mind), and 2) We are to learn to love our neighbors as ourselves. God wants us all to live forever - to attain eternal life. But first we must learn how to get along with each other and love each other. Peace and harmony are impossible without respect and love. If God were to grant us eternal life without teaching us how to love each other, He would be committing us to live forever in confusion and chaos. Without God life is miserable, empty, confused, and frustrated. Without God life has no meaning; but with God at its center there is life, an inner strength and peace, a deep satisfaction, an unfading joy known only to those who know Jesus Christ."

I believe God has a purpose for each and every person, whether it is for you to do one single specific act in your life for someone, or for you to devote your entire life to His ministry. God may even be preparing you for a specific duty in His heavenly kingdom. What if something happens to you before your purpose is accomplished? I believe that God sometimes uses miracles to save, heal, or restore certain people whom He still has a purpose for. God’s Will will be done, one way or another. All we can do is to try to live a Christian life and be prepared to accept God’s Will.

When Adam chose to use his free will to disobey God, God’s punishment for mankind was "separation from God." Our sins and sinful nature keep us separated from God. Ever since the "Fall of Man" (Adam’s sin), man has had to try to reconcile his relationship with God if he wanted to enjoy God’s fellowship.

"So, (discovering God), then establishing, developing, and maintaining that personal relationship with the true and living God is the most important commitment we can ever make. God wants us to become like Him by emulating the thinking, attitudes and outlook toward life exemplified by our perfect example, Jesus Christ.

"The awesome purpose for which we were born is for each of us to become members of God’s family through continual development of righteous character. Our Heavenly Father gave us this lifetime to establish a permanent relationship with Him so we can receive eternal life as His children. We should love, honor and respect Him so much that He alone is the supreme authority and model in our lives."

By using God’s Word, the Bible, as our guide, we are to strive to be good Christian children to our parents, spouses to our mate, parents to our children, and neighbors to others. "Being like God - developing His own character in us - is what our existence is all about. Being like God is our destiny - providing we surrender our lives to Him in obedience to His commandments. Knowledge and understanding of the truth of God are essential for developing the holy, righteous character He desires to create in us. Once we gain an understanding of God’s revelation, He holds us accountable for what we know, and for our words and deeds. We must apply this revealed knowledge in our lives.

Resources For Spiritual Growth

RESOURCES FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH

WEBSITES / ORGANIZATIONS

www.answersingenesis.org - AIG - Answers In Genesis - most articles under "Get Answers" are creation science oriented but also view the "God" and "Bible" topics for answers to many spiritual, biblical and moral questions.

www.basictruth.net - Articles on theological issues and topics as salvation, the sabbath, prophecy, the benefits of Christianity.

www.gnmagazine.org - The Good News - A Magazine of Understanding, by The United Church of God, proclaims the true gospel of Jesus Christ and reveals the Biblical solutions to problems that plague humanity today.

www.rbc.net - Radio Bible Class Ministries, Good source for devotionals and Bible studies and answers tough questions about relationships, personal struggles, ethics, the paranormal, world religions, the Bible, Christianity, and God.

www.lwf.org - Love Worth Finding with Adrian Rogers - see "Building Believers" for questions on Abuse, Biblical Issues, Christian Life, Divorce, Ethical and Family Issues, National and Social Issues, God's Will, Gov't. and Politics, Holidays, Life After Death, Mariage, Parenting, Prophecy, Salvation, Suffering/Adversity, Witnessing.

TV STATIONS

ISPN -The Inspirational Network

TCT - Total Christian Television

TBN - Trinity Broadcasting Network

RADIO STATIONS

K - LOVE Positive and Encouraging - Contemporary Christian Music- www.klove.com

AFR - American Family Radio - Contemporary Christian Music and Talk Radio - www.afr.net

BOTT Radio Network - Christian Talk Radio- www.bottradionetwork.com - see "Get to know God" articles

INFORMATIONAL BOOKS

Revised and Expanded - The Bible Has the Answer, by Henry M. Morris & Martin E. Clark from AIG. (about $12 )
Answers 155 questions on topics as God, Jesus, the Bible, Christianity, non-Christian believers, science and ancient history, doctrines, spiritual problems, spiritual world, occultism, current social problems, & the future.

Answers to Tough Questions skeptics ask about the Christian faith, by Josh McDowell and Don Stewart. (about $6 )
Answers 65 questions on topics as God, Jesus, Bible, Christianity, non-Christian believers, Bible difficulties.

Many Infallible Proofs - Evidences for the Christian Faith, by Henry M. Morris with Henry M. Morris III from AIG ( about $13 )
One of the most comprehensive presentations of the practical evidences of the infallibility of the Bible and the truth of Christianity. Topics on the deity of Christ, fulfilled prophecy, existence of God, etc.

The Bible Answer Book, by Hank Hanegraaff - the Bible Answer Man. ( about $15 ) Answers 81 key Biblical questions on sin, who will be saved (non-believers and pre-Christ people), why & how to pray, Satan & demons, current social issues, expectations of heaven and hell, credibility of Christ, non-Christian religions, and limits of God.

The Everyday Guide to the Bible - A friendly & informative guide to the Old and New Testaments, by Carol Smith. ( about $1-$5)
The story and history of the Bible, Where the Bible came from, Time lines, definitions, and brief book - by-book synopses that help to put the whole Bible into an understandable context.

INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS

Hope for Each Day - Words of Wisdom and Faith, by Billy Graham. (about $15 ) An excellent inspiring daily devotional which gives you strength and wisdom for each day and hope for the future.

The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren. (about $19 ) Excellent for teaching God's purpose for humans and each individual and how you can find your purpose in life. To be read 1 chapter per day for forty days.

The Power of Positive Thinking, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (about $7 ) Helps Christians achieve happy, satisfying, relaxed, energized, and worthwhile lives. Helps you recognize God's gifts and blessings in your life.

World Aflame, by Billy Graham. An excellent discussion of what sin and immorality has done and is doing to our society. Also what can we expect in the future - near, distant, and after death ( heaven and hell ).

The Holy Bible, use a Study-Bible with a topic index and commentaries about the scriptures which are understandable to you.

BOOKLETS / TRACTS

The Bible Believer's Helpful Little Handbook, by James L. Melton from Bible Baptist Church. ( 30 cent donation ) Nearly 100 Biblical terms and ideas explained in easy to understand terms. (38 pages)

The Bible Believer's Handbook of Creation Science, by James L. Melton from Bible Baptist Church. ( 35 cent donation )
Many scientific evidences which support Genesis and Biblical accuracy are briefly explained. (46 pages)

Your New Life in Christ - A Helpful Handbook for New Christians, by James L. Melton from Bible Baptist Church. (25 cents)

Write Bible Baptist Church, 125 E. Maple, Sharon, TN 38255 for a free catalog.

CHURCH & CHRISTIAN FRIENDS

Find a church where you feel welcome which believes in Jesus as Lord and teaches the doctrines of The Holy Bible. Make and associate with friends who will support and discuss your beliefs in God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, grace, salvation, heaven, etc.

DAILY PRAYER & SCRIPTURE READING

Pray daily for guidance and wisdom to know the truth spiritually. Confess your sins, promise to turn away from your sins, ask for help in every aspect of your life and in accepting God's will in your life, thank God for all the many blessings and gifts given to you. Get in the habit of routinely reading your Bible - books as John & Proverbs or topics like doubt and salvation.

Spiritual Maturity

SPIRITUAL MATURITY

Since the original sin was committed by a sinless person, up until that point, (the first Adam) and the price for sin is death, mankind could only be redeemed of sin through the substitutionary sacrificial death of a perfect, sinless person. All people are sinners and fall far short of God’s standard of perfection. Only Jesus (the last Adam), who was without sin and was perfectly man and perfectly God, was qualified as a proper sacrifice for all mankind.

To live eternally with God, we must believe in Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross for our sins, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven and His promise to return for His believers. Also we must earnestly repent of our sins (confess our sins to God, truly be sorry for sinning, and do our best to stop sinful acts).

Once we truly believe in God, accept the gospel of Jesus to be true, repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are said to be "reborn in Christ". We are "born again" but this time into God’s kingdom with God as our heavenly Father and granted eternal life as one of His children. At this point, when we are "saved", God instills the Holy Spirit into us to be our guide, teacher and connection to God. Therefore we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and transformed into a new creation in Christ and begin a new Spirit-filled life. True Christians strive to develop a Christ-like character since they have inherited, through the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit which is: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self control.

When we open our heart and truly accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we should desire God’s will to be done in our lives instead of wanting to rely on our own will. We must put our trust in Jesus Christ instead of trusting in our own good deeds or works. Although none of our good works do anything to save us, good works should follow naturally as we experience the love of Christ. However, according to the Bible, someday everyone will stand before Jesus, our judge in heaven, and be held accountable for and be judged for our decisions and actions while alive on earth. Although true Christians will not lose their salvation due to their sins, they will be punished for their unrighteousness (their sins) and/or be rewarded for their righteous decisions, actions, and deeds. Because of their sin, no person deserves to be saved. None of their good deeds do anything to save them. They are saved only by God’s grace through their faith in Jesus. Therefore it does not matter how "good" a person has been if he does not believe that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior. Unbelievers, or the "unsaved," will be judged for their unbelief and will be sentenced to hell which is eternal separation from God.

When someone is truly "born again", his entire attitude and motivation are changed. He desires to live in a way that will honor the Lord Jesus and draw others to Him, in thankfulness for Christ’s love and sacrifice for him. If his motivation is still basically self-centered, there is no real evidence that he has been truly converted. Also if one habitually succumbs to temptation and finds sin still dominating his life this indicates that he is probably not really led by the Holy Spirit and therefore probably not really "saved." Christians must humbly repent and trust God for more strength to overcome future temptations. Although Christians will be subject to mocking and persecution by unbelievers, spiritually mature Christians will find joy in life by totally trusting in Jesus. A true Christian is not embarrassed but proud to be called a Christian.

As stated by Morris and Clark in their book The Bible Has The Answer, "sanctification (a dedication to God and the consequent separation from all things profane) is essential to successful Christian living. A Christian must separate himself from the sinful works of unbelief. No portion of the Christian’s life should escape this dedication. Some Christians never experience spiritual growth or victory because they are not willing to count Christ more valuable than the follies of sin. Sanctification is progressively attained and spiritual growth results from the Christian’s obedience, renunciation of filthiness, Bible study and prayer, and attentive learning from true ministers of the Word. Since God sanctifies through His Word, the Christian who neglects his Bible can not grow well spiritually.

Being "reborn" is only the beginning. There is a vast difference between being just "born again" and being spiritually mature. As we are born a baby and have to grow into adulthood, we must also experience spiritual growth to develop and maintain a strong faith in God and Jesus. Since we live in a secular world with daily reminders and temptations of non-Christian ethics and morals, I have learned that to become a strong believer and Christian, we must pray regularly every day, constantly study the Word of God (through talking with other believers, reading, tapes/CD’s/DVD’s, and / or Bible studies), trust in the Lord and act on His word.