JesusOnline.com

MENUMENU
  • Discover
    Evidence
    • About God
      • Has Science Discovered God?
      • Was Life Created by Design?
      • Accident or Intelligent Design?
      • Does God Exist?
    • About Jesus
      • The Jesus of History: Man or Myth?
      • Was Jesus a Real Person?
      • Is Jesus God?
      • Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?
      • Where is the Jewish Messiah?
      • More Questions…
    • About the Bible
      • Is the Bible True?
      • Are the Gospels Reliable?
      • The Gospel of Barnabas: Secret Bible?
      • Are the Gnostic Gospels Factual?
      • Is the Bible Infallible?
      • The Bible’s Buried Secrets
    • Related Videos
      • “God Evidence” Videos
      • “Jesus Evidence” Videos
      • “Bible Evidence” Videos
  • Meet
    Jesus
    • Jesus’ Resurrection and You
    • Why Jesus?
    • The Gift of Heaven
    • Are You Going to Heaven?
    • Why Does God Permit Evil to Exist?
    • Related Videos
  • Follow
    Jesus
    • Next Steps
      • Discover New Resources
      • Explore God’s Word
      • Connect with Believers
      • Why Grow?
    • Living for Jesus
      • Born Again as a New Creation
      • Trusting by Faith
      • Abiding in Christ
      • Embracing Your New Identity
      • Loving God Wholeheartedly
      • Pursuing Truth in God’s Word
      • Depending on the Spirit’s Power
      • Obeying God Faithfully
      • Connecting with God’s Family
      • Resisting the Enemy
      • Advancing Christ’s Kingdom
    • Time in God’s Word
      • Read eBible
      • Download Bible
      • Devotionals
      • Key Verses
      • Bible Study Tools
    • Related Videos
      • “Next Steps” Videos
      • “Living for Jesus” Videos
      • “Time in God’s Word” Videos
  • Find Hope
    & Love
    • #GODisHOPE
    • FOREVER LOVED!
  • Translate
    & More
    • Share Jesus
    • Join Community
    • Download App
    • Contact Us
    • Search
  • Download
    JO App

Four Immediate Benefits!

Okay, so you’ve asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and be the Lord of your life! Now what? It is important that you begin to grow in your relationship with God! He is waiting for you to get to know Him better!

Four wonderful things happen when you first become a Christian: Your sins are forgiven. You become a child of God. You receive eternal life, and Christ lives in you.

Let’s start at the beginning! There are four wonderful things that happen when you first become a Christian: Your sins are forgiven, you become a child of God, you receive eternal life, and Christ lives in you.

1. Your sins are forgiven.

Colossians 2:13 tells us,

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins” (NLT).

And 1 John 1:7 says,

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (NIV).

How many of your sins are forgiven?

A:___________________________________________________

Is there anything about this concept of forgiveness of sins that is hard for you to accept or understand?

A:___________________________________________________

Our sin does not need to haunt us …God has forgiven us.

1 John 1:9 instructs us,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (NIV).

If you do sin, what should you do? Feel guilty? No, your sins have been forgiven! However, the verse in 1 John tells us that we must confess our sins to God. You must agree with God that you have sinned, and thank Him that because of Jesus’ death on the cross, you are forgiven!

In today’s world, many people do not want to talk about sin. It makes them feel uncomfortable, or sad, or angry, or guilty. But God wants us to confess it to Him, and simply let Him have it! Our sin does not need to haunt us …God has forgiven us. Confess your sin and let it go!

God’s desire is to fill us with the love of a perfect Father. He knows us intimately and has marvelous plans for us.

Take a few minutes right now to confess your sin to God … and then know that He has forgiven you!

2. You become a child of God.

John 1:12 says,

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (NIV).

What is our part?

A:___________________________________________________

What is God's part?

A:___________________________________________________

Ephesians 1:3-7 encourages us with these words,

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins”(NLT).

Eternal life … A life with God forever after you die!

 God created us to be one of His children—what an amazing privilege! God’s desire is to fill us with the love of a perfect Father. He knows us intimately and has marvelous plans for us. 

What does it mean to you to know that you are God’s child?

A:___________________________________________________

3. You receive eternal life.

Jesus actually comes into our lives and takes up permanent residence.

Eternal life … a life with God forever after you die! Imagine, spending time with God forever! How do we know this? The Bible is very clear!
John 3:16 says,

“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” (NIV).

And 1 John 5:11-13 tells us,

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son! Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (NIV).

What do these verses teach you about eternal life?

A:___________________________________________________

If you have eternal life today, is it possible for you to lose it tomorrow?

A:___________________________________________________

Being a Christian means you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not a “religious system” or a list of rules.

Hebrews 13:5 tells us,

“God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (NIV).

In what way does the verse from Hebrews answer the previous question?

A:___________________________________________________

What does this mean to you personally?

A:___________________________________________________

4. Christ is in you!

The Bible tells about a miraculous event that occurs when we trust Christ for our salvation. He actually comes into our lives and takes up permanent residence.

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we will experience an abundant life on earth, and then eternal life continuing in Heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:17-18 says,

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ” (NIV).

Is there anything in your life you can already see that is becoming new?

A:___________________________________________________

 Being a Christian means you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not a
“religious system” or a list of rules, or an inventory of do’s and don’ts.
It is a living faith in a living person, God himself. 

Now that Christ is in your life forever, you will want to know Him more intimately, and to please Him by the way you think and live.
2 Corinthians 5:14-15 tells us,

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (NIV).

This a very important verse for you to think about!

What are some ways that you have lived for yourself?

A:___________________________________________________

What are some ways that you can live for God?

A:___________________________________________________

God created us to be His children. He desires us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven; however, our sin nature would have prevented that from happening. That is why God sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, in our place, so that we who put our trust in Him can be forgiven.

When we accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, we will experience an abundant life on earth, and then eternal life continuing in Heaven. Jesus Christ is the only one who can bring us to God. Those who don’t put their faith in Christ will suffer eternal separation from God.

Application:

What excites you most about your new life in Christ?

A:___________________________________________________

Next

 

Related Lessons From Series Two:

Empowered by Christ

God’s Great Love for You!

It’s hard to imagine that the God of the universe cares about each one of us individually, but it’s true! God’s love extends to each and every person … and that includes you!
(Go to lesson)

God’s Purpose for Your Life

Your life matters! God has given you an identity in Christ and has a plan for your life!
(Go to lesson)

 

   Follow Jesus
  •   Overview
  •   Discover New Resources
  •   Explore God's Word
  •   Connect With Believers
  •   "Next Steps" Videos
  •   Overview
  •   Born Again as a New Creation
  •   Abiding in Christ
  •   Embracing Your New Identity
  •   Loving God Wholeheartedly
  •   Pursuing Truth in God's Word
  •   Depending on the Spirit
  •   Obeying God Faithfully
  •   Connecting with God's Family
  •   Resisting the Enemy
  •   Advancing Christ's Kingdom
  •   "Living for Jesus" Videos
  •   Overview
  •   Explore the Bible
  •   Bible Study Tools
  •   Bible Study Courses
  •   Devotionals
  •   Key Verses
  •   "Time in God's Word" Videos
  •   Overview
  •   Pride vs. Humility
  •   Fear vs. Faith
  •   Anger vs. Forgiveness
  •   Overindulgence vs. Moderation
  •   Dissatisfaction vs. Contentment
  •   Deciet vs. Honesty
  •   Divisiveness vs. Harmony
  •   Rebellion vs. Obedience
  •   Irresponsibility vs. Dilligence
  •   "Next Steps" Videos
  •   "Living for Jesus" Videos
  •   "Time in God's Word" Videos

We like you.
Like us back on social media!


Take JesusOnline With You

Explore the JO App Now

Android APP

iOS APP

  EXPLORE THE APP NOW