After Conversion, What Then? Part One

After Conversion, What Then?
Part One

Wonderful blessings come to those who respond to the gospel of Christ. They receive remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit - Ac 2:38-39 “And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."’ They experience a washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit - Ti 3:4-7 “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Indeed, by God’s grace they are “saved”... Saved from their past sins - Mk 16:16 “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” With their sins washed away by the blood of Jesus - Ac 22:16 “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'”; Ep 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” Becoming heirs according to the hope of eternal life - Ti 3:7 “so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Yet in another sense, they are still to be “saved”.... They must make their call and election sure - 2 Pe 1:10 “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.” They must be careful to save themselves - 1 Ti 4:16 “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” They must remain faithful to receive the crown of life - Re 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

What is one to do after conversion that will ensure remaining faithful to the Lord? There are some things to remember. You are a new creature by virtue of being in Christ - 2 Co 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Having been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life - Ro 6:3-4 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” -- God has given you new potential for living!

You are a babe in Christ. We begin our new life as “babes in Christ” - 1 Co 3:1 “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ.” We start with spiritual “milk” - 1 Co 3:2 “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,” -- God allows you time to grow! - He 5:12-14 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

You are in a critical period. As a babe, you can be easily “tossed about” - Ep 4:14 “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Satan often strikes hardest at the beginning of our service – for example see, Mt 4:1-11 -- Satan would love to see you fail! - 1 Pe 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

You face the possibility of falling from grace if you allow yourself to hardened by the deceit of sin - He 3:12-14 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Especially when you think you are strong - 1 Co 10:12 “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” -- God can be trusted to help us through temptations - 1 Co 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”; 1 Jn 2:1-2 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

You are to be a Good example. An example of those who believe - 1 Ti 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” An example in both deed and word - Ti 2:7-8 “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” -- Others should be able to look to you as to how to live for Christ - Ph 3:17 “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

Remembering such things will certainly help keep one strong in the faith. Also helpful are the things we are to do. These will be covered in Part Two of this lesson.