What You Must Do After You are Saved

If you’re saved, find out in this article where you need to begin your Christian journey. Following salvation, there is a need for growth and maturity in the knowledge of the will of God. But this growth requires some diligent efforts on the part of the believers. Find out how you can daily experience spiritual growth.

In this Article:

Introduction

What exactly is Christianity all about? What am I expected to be doing after I’ve been saved? Why did Christ give Himself and save me from the penalty of sin? All these questions and more will be answered in this article.

Christian life begins with salvation. But believers must understand that they did not get saved to continue their lives the way they used to. We’re not saved in order to make God fulfill our own purposes.

This unfortunately is what many people who have professed faith in Christ think Christianity is all about. They think it is all about asking and receiving whatever we want. But this is partly because their faith and ‘Christianity’ was built upon the wrong foundation – the foundation of false gospel.

The False Gospels

To a lot of preachers out there today, this gospel is nothing but these:

• Give your life to Jesus, He will bless you and give you all the things you want. Come to Jesus, He will give you money, abundant blessings, breakthroughs, good jobs, promotions, husbands, wives, fruits of the womb, you will possess all your possessions.
• Give your life to Jesus, He will fight your battles and kill all your enemies. He will protect you from all dangers. Take this handkerchief, keep it on you at all times, take this oil, rob it all over your body, take this water, make sure you drink and shower with it every day. And no matter what you do, don’t let the water run out.
• Give your life to Jesus, He will heal all your diseases and sickness. You will never be sick again because the Bible says “…the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

The above is what I call Bible Twisting 101!

If you’ve been paying attention, all those things I just listed are nothing but health and wealth gospel, the prosperity gospel. That’s not what the true gospel says.

The True Gospel

The true gospel says we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves (Acts 4:12). Our sins have made us enemies of God and have put us under the wrath of God (Ephesians 2:3).

Our sins have price which must be paid! (Romans 6:23). But God so loved the world…(John 3:16); and because of the love wherewith He loves us, He sent His Son to die for us and be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). When did Jesus do this for us? While we were still in sin:

Romans 5:6-8 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

The Bible says if we believe who we are (a sinner who cannot do anything to save himself) and what Christ did to redeem us, our sins will be forgiven, and we will be saved. This is what it takes to be justified before God. That is the true gospel according to the Bible.

Our sins have price which must be paid!

The Power of Doctrines

We live our lives according to our beliefs. Therefore it is easy for our lives to be controlled by the doctrines we believe. This is one of the reasons why doctrines are very powerful.

You do not have to worry if you’re following true doctrines. But you have a serious problems if the doctrines you believe happen to BE wrong or unbiblical.

…doctrines are very powerful.

This is just like applying the wrong formula to an equation. You will end up with the wrong results. It is like treating an disease with the wrong medications. In addition to not being healed, you might also contact more diseases from the side-effects of the wrong medicines.

The Effects of False Gospels

False gospels build a faulty foundation for those who believe them. These people laid the foundation of their Christianity on sinking sand.

This is because they were told that if they come to Christ, they will be blessed, emphasis on physical and material blessing. They were told that they will overcome the enemies of their progress; that they will be healed and not be sick again.

All these focus on the things of the world for which the fallen man is already searching. It is no wonder why false gospels easily attract the multitude.

Therefore those who professed faith in such gospels will be going deeper and deeper in the search for the things of the world. They wait for the promises given to them by the prosperity preachers that they listened to. To them, Christianity is all about them going to God to ask for all the things of the world which they want.

Instead of pointing people to Christ, the false gospels focus the peoples’ attention on themselves and their earthly needs. No need for any kind of turning, it is business as usual. They do not understand the need for service, sacrifice, or giving oneself to the service of Christ.

Instead of pointing people to Christ, the false gospels focus the peoples’ attention on themselves and their earthly needs.

Note: I’m not saying that it is wrong for the believers to make supplications to God. My point is that it is not the main purpose of Christianity. But only the true gospel can make you understand this.

The Effects of True Gospels

On the other hand the true gospel humbles people, it leads to repentance, turning from ourselves and the world, and turning unto God.

It leads to fixing our eyes on Christ, seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, as 2 Corinthians 4:18 says:

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

It leads to the believers laying up treasures for themselves in heaven and not here on earth. It leads to us giving ourselves as a living sacrifice to the service and worship of God.

To summarize, my point is that false gospels lead people away from God to self-worship, while the true gospel points people to Christ and the sincere worship of God.

We Are Saved for a Purpose

Salvation is a calling. We are called unto something; something really big, way bigger than us. Something divine and eternal, something spiritual!

Salvation is New Beginning

Salvation does not produce the refurbished version of the one who believed. A totally new creation was made. We are born again, we become children of God, so there is no way we can continue to live the old life. A lot about us must change.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation

Ephesians 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Salvation is a Calling

We are called unto good works. Called out of our old ways and unto a new way of life.

Ephesians 1:4-6  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Ephesians 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

• Workmanship [ποίημα poíēma, pronounced poy’-ay-mah] – “a product, i.e. fabric (literally or figuratively):—thing that is made” – Strong’s Greek Dictionary.

A saved person, a Christians, is a new creature, created to worship and glorify God. He is not created to decide what God must to yield to whatever God wants to accomplish in him. That is a true Christian.

But if you would serve a master, you must know what the master requires. A clear job description is the beginning of a successful stewardship. The point is that you need to know God and know about Him in order to successfully serve Him.

A saved person, a Christians, is a new creature, created to worship and glorify God. He is not created to decide what God must to yield to whatever God wants to accomplish in him. That is a true Christian.

Where to Begin Your Christian Journey

If you’re saved, I want to tell you today where you need to begin your Christian journey. And if you have been saved for long, it is never too late to begin this.

The new life which we received when we got saved is without growth and experience in the knowledge and the will of God. Therefore there is a need for growth. And this growth requires some diligent efforts on the part of the believers. The Bible encourages the believers thus:

2 Peter 1:2-8  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 ¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fruitful Christianity = Faith + Virtue + Knowledge + Temperance + Patience + Godliness + Brotherly Kindness + Charity.

Virtue [Gr. ἀρέτη arétē, pronounced ar-et’-ay] – “The practice of moral duties from sincere love to God and his laws” – Webster 1828. Moral goodness, as in Philippians 4:8. Another meaning of the word virtue is manly power or valor, but that is not what is in view here.

Temperance [Gr. ἐγκράτεια enkráteia, pronounced eng-krat’-i-ah] – “Patience; calmness; sedateness; moderation of passion” – Webster 1828.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

None of the above can happen without the knowledge of the truth.

The first step to take in the Christian journey is to be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dive into the Word

When you became a Christian, you received a new life, the Bible calls it new creature. That new life comes young (in terms of experience and the knowledge of God) and therefore needs to be fed in order to grow.

Just like a baby will not grow, or may even die, without milk for nourishment, a Christians cannot grow without the spiritual nourishment the of Word of God. A Christian who is not reading the Word is a Christian who is spiritually retarded. The Bible says in:

Ephesians 4:14  “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

Sleight [Gr. κυβεία kybeía, pronounced koo-bi’-ah] – Fraud. “An artful trick; sly artifice; a trick or feat so dexterously performed that the manner of performance escapes observation” – Webster 1828.

Cunning Craftiness – Wrought with skill. Experienced and skillfulness but in a wrong and deceptive way.

See also:

Psalm 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Growing and Experiencing God

Christianity is all about growth in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8; 3:18).

2 Timothy 3:13-17  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

According to Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the words used in the above passage can be understood as follows:

• For doctrine. is for teaching or communicating instruction.
• For reproof. is for convincing a man of his sins and errors (Proverbs 12:1)
• For correction. is setting to rights, reparation, restoration…the leading to a correction or amendment of life–a reformation.
• For instruction in righteousness. Instruction in regard to the principles of justice, or what is right. Man needs not only to be made acquainted with truth, to be convinced of his error, and to be reformed; but he needs to be taught what is right, or what is required of him, in order that he may lead a holy life.

The above is the purpose for which the Word of God, the Bible is written and given to us. When we diligently study it, that is what it should do to us and in us.

The Word of God is life (John 6:63) and it is capable of changing the lives of those who study and obey it. It is therefore an exercise in futility to study the Bible without a keen desire to obey what it says or apply its lessons to your life.

One of the dangers of not having good knowledge of the Word of God is that you will become victims of false doctrines and false teachings, and will fall into errors.

Growth is Not an Option, but a Necessity for the Believers

This is why the Bible encourages us to grow. We are to graduate from being a babies, consuming only the milk of the Word to adults who can handle the meat of the Word.

1 Peter 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby

1 Corinthians 14:20  Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.

Hebrews 5:12-14  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

For more about why you should study the Bible, please refer to: Why You Should Study the Bible.

Nothing Can Replace Bible Reading

You can do any of those other spiritual exercises without reading your Bible, you will not grow. Prayers are good, but if that is all you do, you will know very little or nothing about God. Fasting is not wrong, but you still need the knowledge of God through Bible reading.

You can have the most glamorous testimonies of blessings, breakthroughs, and possessions, this does not determine spiritual growth. In Christianity, growth is measured by the knowledge which you have of God, and how you’re applying the knowledge to your life.

It is not too late to begin discovering God. Open your Bible and begin reading today.

I understand that it will be unfair on my part to ask you to study your Bible without providing any help. Luckily, I have an article to that effect. To learn about Bible Study, please refer to the article on: How to Study the Bible.

Thank you for reading this article!