Repentance and salvation
The message that Peter brought to the crowds in Jerusalem that wonderful day, still applies in our day. We are no better than those who listened to him.
They were not worldly people that had no interest in God or in the state of their lives. They were religious people from many nations of which some had traveled long distances and incurred great expenses to get to Jerusalem to attend the great feast of the Passover. They were there to bring expensive sacrifices of cattle and sheep and to donate money at the temple.
They however, all realized that although their intention was good, they were weak human beings and often thought, spoke and did what displeased God. They also realized that the blood of an animal could not pay for the sin of a human being. So, when they heard of the sacrifice that the Son of God brought that so pleased the Father that He raised His Son from the dead, they happily accepted it and got saved from eternal death.
The Word of God that now applies to you and me in this regard, is the following:
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; 24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, …
You have read this little booklet thus far, all that now remains, is to do what the people who gathered in Jerusalem did that day long ago, and that is to repent of your sins and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and God Who paid for the burden of sins you are bearing. You can pray your own prayer to do so, or you can pray the following prayer:
Lord I am a sinner. I am living just the way I want to and not according to your will. I acknowledge that You created everything and that it all belongs to You. You have the full right to my life too. I now give myself over to you forever. I believe that Jesus is God the Son Who became man and died on the cross to be punished and to pay for my sins so that You can forgive me. Thank you that you now accept me as Your child and come to live within me by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Having prayed this prayer, believe that God has heard and granted your request for the Word says:
Mark 11:22: Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
Water baptism of believers
Reason for baptism
Now you must be baptized in water to confirm to God and man that you have repented and believe Jesus to be your Saviour.
QUOTED FROM THE BIBLE
Col 2:12: … having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
Romans 6:4 “We were therefore buried with him by baptism in death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, we can also walk in a new life.”
COMMENTS
When you are immersed in the water, you proclaim that when Jesus was laid down in the grave, you were in Him and that your old sinful nature died with Him.
When you are lifted from the water, you say thereby that when Jesus came alive from the dead through the working of the Holy Spirit and emerged from the grave, you were in Him too and were also spiritually made alive by the Holy Spirit to be a new man, a born-again child of God, and that you will, from now on, live as Jesus lived.
How baptism is to be done
It must be done publicly and Christians as well as non-Christians should be invited to be present as a testimony to them.
Let a respected Christian leader do it for you. He must first explain to the bystanders why you are baptized.
You should also testify verbally that you surrendered yourself to God and accepted Jesus as your Saviour.
After baptism, you must continue to firmly believe that you belong to God and trust Him continually to mortify the old sinful things in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit and to grow the new life of Christ in you.
Witnessing
QUOTED FROM THE BIBLE
Rev. 12:11 They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death.
COMMENTS
Often witness to others with your mouth of the forgiveness of your sins and of what God is daily doing in and for you. In so doing you will overcome sin and the devil.
Fellowshipping
QUOTED FROM THE BIBLE
Acts 2:42 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
COMMENTS
Some birds and other wild animals are seen together in flocks or herds all the time. In this way they are not lonely, protect one another, and breed amongst themselves. Christians must do likewise. They must see themselves as a family, as the family of God.
In the text quoted above four important matters Christians need to do are mentioned:
- Fellowshipping of which we have just spoken.
- Giving attention to the teaching received from the apostles. We now have all of their teaching written down in the bible, so a Christian must get himself a good Bible and study it daily, meditating on its teaching and living according to it.
- Our prayer should consist of worshipping God, thanking Him for our salvation and for supplying in our needs and thirdly praying for others.
- Fourthly, we need to join others regularly in the breaking of bread and drinking of grape juice to commemorate the death and resurrection of Jesus until He returns to fetch us to be with Him forever.
In closing
This study guide was intended to be quite short, but has ended up being lengthy. It however contains just a fraction of what a Jesus believer should know. Search through the other study guides on this website for that which touches your heart and study it in order that you may grow in Christ.
If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Saviour by studying this series of teachings on “Walking with God,” do share your experience with us by means of the contact form provided below. We will be delighted to know about it.
Before we part, let me pray for you: “Lord, God, I am now praying for the reader of these teachings. Please enlighten his/her mind to understand all that he/she has read and work faith in his/her heart to believe it and to do what it says and grace not to fear the consequences of putting his/her faith in you. Amen”.