Connections

When you first placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior, a lot of things happened to you spiritually.  Maybe you felt happy, or relieved, or at peace.  Maybe you felt little or nothing at all.  But no matter what you felt in that moment, and no matter what you may feel now, Jesus said there are some very real things that happened when you placed your hope in Him.   Here are a few of them.

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You were forgiven.  Your moral slate has been wiped clean with God.  All your sins - past, present, and future - have been forgiven.  There is no punishment coming from God for your sin.  Jesus took your punishment so you could be free!

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You were restored.  You have been brought back into a real and everlasting relationship with God.  He is on your side and nothing can ever separate you from Him.

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You were changed.  No, you’re not perfect now.  (You probably already knew that!). But you have a new desires to follow Jesus and to do what He wants you to do.  You have a new ability to do the right thing.  You have a new purpose to live for.  The Spirit of Jesus now lives inside you to guide you and help you.  You will never be the same!

 

You were commissioned.  Jesus has called you to help other people to believe in Him like you do.  He wants you to love people, to help people, and to share your story with them.

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The term Jesus used for people who have believed in Him and have been forgiven, restored, changed and commissioned is “saved”.

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Who am I now?
The Bible uses a number of synonyms to describe people who have put their faith in Jesus, or to describe what has happened to those who have done so.  Each term emphasizes a certain facet of being a follower of Jesus.  This is who you are now that you have become a follower of Jesus.

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• You are a Christian - a person whose primary allegiance in life is to Jesus.

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• You are a disciple - a person learning from Jesus so you can live more like Jesus.

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• You are a believer -  a person trusting in Jesus, not only for salvation, but for direction in life.

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• You are a new creation - a person who has undergone great change because of your faith in Jesus.

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• You are a child of God - a person who is part of Jesus’ spiritual family under the care of God the Father.

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• You are a servant of God - a person who does what Jesus asks him or her to do.

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This who you are.  It’s your identity in Christ.  You will spend the rest of your days learning how to live up to who you are.  But who you are is not based on how you live.  It is based on what Jesus has done for you!