There seems to be a lot of misinformation concerning what happens when you accept Yeshua (Jesus) as your savior. This study is divided into four parts:
1.   Background: What got us into this mess?
2.   Non-believer: This section deals with where the non-believer is, right here, right now.
3.   Acceptance: This is where the non-believer accepts the solution the Holy Spirit has revealed to them.
4.   Believer: To a non-believer reading this part it will appear to be any combination of mystical, nonsensical, crazy, and or being religious. For believers, this will give insight to the things that happening to them and they can’t figure out why.

Background:


Every religion has its explanation of why humanity is in the state it is. Virtually every instance stems from falling away from the Supreme Being. My explanation comes from God’s handbook to man, the bible.

Because of the fall of man (
Gen 3:1Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

4Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (NKJV)
Gen 3:1-6 ) we are separated from God. Adam and Eve walked with God but we are so far removed from that we deal with a sense rather than experience. People have a sense that there is a Supreme Being but can’t define what that is; after all, no one has a photo of them self with God.

Nature testifies to the character of God and the truth of His existence (
Rom 1:20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, (NKJV)
Rom 1:20 ). Some people ignore that sense until it’s nowhere to be found in them while others continue the search to find truth (
Deut 4:29But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. (NKJV)
Deut 4:29 ,
Luke 11:9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (NKJV)
Luke 11:9,10 ).

Non-believer:


This is really the state of humanity. All you have to do is look at the news to see the worst of this:
  • President Assad of Syria gases to death his own people.
  • Saddam Hussein gases his own people and commits other atrocities to keep his power.
  • ISIS kills innocent people thinking they are doing something good as a Muslim.
  • More locally, a man is murdered when he stops to render aid to a 4 year old child that ran out between cars and he struck. The dad of the child doesn’t go to the child first but rather starts severely beating the driver and another man comes up and shoots the driver who bleeds to death as a result.
  • An argument results in 21 people being shot in a night club over an argument.
  • Another argument results in a girl intentionally hitting the victim with her and dragging her to her death when she could have simply driven away.

    • You may say “I’m nothing anything like what you listed above” but when it comes to our standing with God we are equally as bad (
    Rom 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NKJV)
    Rom 3:23 ). God measurement is “righteousness” which is “rightness” and if we fail in anything we are guilty of ALL (
    James 2:10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (NKJV)
    James 2:10 )! You may say “I’m a good person” but we have a sin nature that became part of mankind when Adam and Eve sinned by not doing what God told them not to do (
    Rom 5:18Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (NKJV)
    Rom 5:18,19 ). The simplest definition of sin is “anyone that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin” (
    James 4:17Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (NKJV)
    James 4:17 ). You may say “that’s rather philosophical rather than practical” so let’s put it in a form that is more personal and let’s see how we do:

    A Partial List of Sins
    Sins of Mental Attitude
    AngerHypersensitivityLust SexuallySelf-Righteousness
    ArroganceHypocrisyLust for ApprovalSelfishness
    BitternessImplacabilityLust for PowerStubbornness
    DisrespectImpatienceLust for MoneyThoughtlessness
    EnvyInsolencePrejudiceUngrateful
    FearIrresponsibilityRacismWorry
    GuiltJealousyRevenge
    HateJudgingSelf-Pity
     
    Overt Sins
    AdulteryDrug AbuseHomosexualitySnooping
    CheatingDrunkennessIncestStealing
    Child AbuseExtortionMurderTreason
    CowardiceFornicationRapeTrespassing
    DisobedienceGluttonyRevengeVoyeurism
     
    Sins of Omission
    Not PrayingNot HelpingNot ForgivingNot Submitting to My Government
    Not LovingNot EatingNot Singing With My HeartNot Obeying
    Not FellowshippingNot Bearing FruitNot Confessing My Faith
    Not ProvidingNot Growing SpirituallyNot Working
    Not GivingNot Having PatienceNot Being More Godly
     
    Sins of the Tongue
    ArguingComplainingGossipingPerjury
    Bearing False WitnessCriticismInterruptingProfanity
    BlasphemyExcuse-MakingLyingSlander
    BoastingFlatteryMaligningWhining
     

    How did you do? You’ll note that I’m not standing here saying how great I did. Even the best of people can’t live up to that standard that God defines as holiness (
    Rom 3:23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NKJV)
    Rom 3:23 ) All we have to do is come short in any one of these (
    James 2:10For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (NKJV)
    James 2:10 ).

    However, there is good news...

    It should be noted that we aren’t capable of believing unless we are called (
    John 6:44No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (NKJV)
    John 6:44 ,
    1 Cor 2:14But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (NKJV)
    1 Cor 2:14 ,
    1 Cor 12:3Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)
    1 Cor 12:3 ). Unless the Holy Spirit reveals these truths to you then you can’t understand or believe these truths because they are spiritual and go against our human nature. The good news is that God will reveal these truths if you seek them (
    Luke 11:9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (NKJV)
    Luke 11:9,10 ,
    1 Tim 2:3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (NKJV)
    1 Tim 2:3,4 ) so God doesn’t make this an impossible thing to accomplish.

    I would love it if anybody (non-believer and believer alike) that reads this article to walk away from this study knowing this:
  • God loves you right now just as you are.
  • It is a lie from the devil that says you aren’t good enough (actually that’s true but that’s true for everybody, there is nothing we can do to make us good enough) and you have to change first! You will see later that the Holy Spirit makes changes that you could never do.
  • The love God has for you is absolute, there is nothing you can do to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. Unlike the love we know, God’s love is unconditional.
  • It is God’s desire that all people be saved (
    1 Tim 2:3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (NKJV)
    1 Tim 2:3,4 )

    • Acceptance:


    This is the part where most religious groups get it wrong! They want you to accept all sorts of creeds or they come up with non-scriptural or twisted scriptures to back their beliefs. One religious group changed the scriptures to read “exercises faith” in 27 places which should read “believes” (Integrity of Translation), other groups say you must believe and be baptized (
    Mark 16:16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)
    Mark 16:16 ). Some get deeper in that you must be baptized in the name of Jesus (
    Acts 2:38Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (NKJV)
    Acts 2:38 ,
    Acts 8:16For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (NKJV)
    Acts 8:16 ,
    Acts 19:5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (NKJV)
    Acts 19:5 ) not in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (
    Matt 28:19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (NKJV)
    Matt 28:19 ).

    Acceptance is when you accept Yeshua as your savior (
    John 3:16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)
    John 3:16 ). The Greek word for “believe” (πιστεύων - pisteuōn) means “not just to believe, but also to be persuaded of; and hence, to place confidence in, to trust, and signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence.” The scriptures are clear that salvation isn’t based on anything you do (
    Eph 2:8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)
    Eph 2:8,9 ).

    For those who want to argue that you must be baptized to be saved (
    Mark 16:16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)
    Mark 16:16 ), I’ll point out three things:
    1st   The second part of this verse (
    Mark 16:16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)
    Mark 16:16 ) never mentions the lack of baptism to be condemned (
    John 3:18“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (NKJV)
    John 3:18 ).
    2nd   In our oldest and most accurate manuscripts ends with
    Mark 16:8So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

    (NKJV)
    Mark 16:8 . Some scribe apparently didn’t like how that ended so they added the next 12 verses (
    Mark 16:9Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

    12After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

    14Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

    19So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen. (NKJV)
    Mark 16:9-20 ) so Mark 16:16 didn’t exist in the original manuscript. I’m not saying these aren’t good meaningful scriptures but I would suggest that the Appalachian snake handlers possibly rethink their situation.
    3rd   Yeshua was crucified between two thieves, one of which accepted Yeshua but wasn’t baptized and Yeshua told him “today you will be with Me in Paradise” (
    Luke 23:39Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

    40But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

    43And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

    (NKJV)
    Luke 23:39-43 ).

    Don’t get me wrong, there is a good, practical reason for baptism but it will neither save or condemn you.

    If you are on the edge and are wondering if what I say is for real or not, which is a fair question, I would like you to sincerely ask God (i.e. prayer) “I’m not sure if you are for real or not. If you are real I want you to do what your scriptures, “seek and it will be revealed” (
    Luke 11:9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (NKJV)
    Luke 11:9,10 ,
    1 Tim 2:3For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (NKJV)
    1 Tim 2:3,4 ). If you are real make yourself real to me.”

    I would be remiss if you say “I want Yeshua (Jesus) to be my savior, how do I do that?” Simply pray “Yeshua, I believe you are my savior, I give my life to you. Please glorify yourself through me.”

    Change:


    Once you believe (
    Πιστεύων pisteuōnmeans not just to believe, but also to be persuaded of; and hence, to place confidence in, to trust, and signifies, in this sense of the word, reliance upon, not mere credence.
    Strongs definition for the word "believes" ) things will change in your life. You will notice a shift in desires. There will be things you liked to do that you don’t really have an interest in anymore (things that are not pleasing to God;
    2 Tim 3:2For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (NKJV)
    2 Tim 3:2-5 ,
    1 Tim 6:3If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. (NKJV)
    1 Tim 6:3-5 ). On the flip side you will desire to do stuff you never did (these are things that are pleasing to God;
    1 Tim 6:11But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (NKJV)
    1 Tim 6:11,12 ,
    Philip 4:8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (NKJV)
    Philip 4:8 ).

    The changes you are seeing aren’t anything you did; it is the Holy Spirit working in you. You have become a new creation (
    2 Cor 5:17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)
    2 Cor 5:17 ). Books have been written about what happens when someone gives their life to Yeshua but I will cover a few things that should help you in your new life.

    By believing we are:
  • Adopted into the family of God(
    Gal 4:4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

    6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” (NKJV)
    Gal 4:4-6 ,
    Rom 8:15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (NKJV)
    Rom 8:15 )
  • Have become the Sons of God through adoption (
    Rom 8:14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (NKJV)
    Rom 8:14,15 ,
    Gal 3:26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
    Gal 3:26 )
  • As a result we are not our own (
    1 Cor 6:19Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (NKJV)
    1 Cor 6:19,20 ).
  • Ref God is…

    • On a side note: In Yeshua’s time the culture was very different than what we have today. The culture was agrarian; meaning that almost everything in life was centered around agriculture. Yeshua spoke in parables that dealt with agriculture because the people of the time could relate to them. You didn’t have large industries like the Ford chariot company or the Smith & Wesson sword company which employed thousands of laborers unless it was a king providing for his armies. You did have some forms of factories but nothing like we have today. Everything was on a much smaller scale and people traded for the things they needed.

    Yeshua gave the overall analogy of how the Word is spread and what becomes of it (the parable
    Matt 13:3Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (NKJV)
    Matt 13:3-8 and the explanation of the parable
    Matt 13:18“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

    (NKJV)
    Matt 13:18-23 ).

    The first part is how you receive the word of God. This will determine how you grow in God. You want to be the “good ground” so you can bear good fruit (
    Matt 7:17Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. (NKJV)
    Matt 7:17 ). What is this good fruit? As humans we don’t bear apples, oranges or pears. The fruit Yeshua is talking about is characteristics people see in us. These show the truths of God through us. These are referred to as the fruits of the Spirit (
    Gal 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (NKJV)
    Gal 5:22,23 ). All of these things glorify God (
    1 Cor 6:20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (NKJV)
    1 Cor 6:20 ).

    Here are a few tips that will help you bear good fruit: You have entered into a relationship with God and it makes good sense to get to know Him. You learn about God by going to the handbook He gave us, the bible. It is the easiest way to find out about God because you get to know Him, His character, what He desires of you and what He desires for you. Pray; simply put, talk with God. Communication is part of any good relationship.

    A relationship, be it marriage or friendship, has two key parts to being successful. Taking an interest in one another and communicating with each other. Your relationship with God is the same; you take an interest in God when you learn more about Him by reading the scriptures. Your communicating with Him is called prayer or simply put, talking to God. It is not a bunch of spiritual sounding phrases, just simply talk to God, just like you would a friend.

    Yeshua taught us the intent and setting in which you should pray:
  • Not to be seen by others (
    Matt 6:5“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (NKJV)
    Matt 6:5 they have their reward)
  • Pray in private, this also removes distractions (
    Matt 6:6But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. (NKJV)
    Matt 6:6 )
  • Don’t use vain repetition, you wouldn’t keep repeating the same conversation with a friend, it’s no different with God! (
    Matt 6:7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. (NKJV)
    Matt 6:7 )

    • Here is the overview of what manner (not the actual prayer, just the format) Yeshua said to pray (
    Matt 6:8“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9In this manner, therefore, pray:

    Our Father in heaven,
    Hallowed be Your name.
    10Your kingdom come.
    Your will be done
    On earth as it is in heaven.
    11Give us this day our daily bread.
    12And forgive us our debts,
    As we forgive our debtors.
    13And do not lead us into temptation,
    But deliver us from the evil one.
    For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
    (NKJV)
    Matt 6:8-13 ):
  • Praise
  • God’s will be done
  • Provide for our needs
  • Forgiveness
  • Lead us
  • To God be the glory

    • Getting involved with a good church will also help you learn and build other relationships with others that are going through the things just like you are or have already gone through what you are going through. Like in life we need to be with likeminded people that have the same goals as we do otherwise people will drag you down (bad soil). If you want to be wealthy you talk with someone who already is wealthy. In our case we want to be spiritually successful because we want to please God (
    1 Cor 6:20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (NKJV)
    1 Cor 6:20 ).

    Yeshua said you could sum up all the law into two commands (
    Matt 22:36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

    37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

    (NKJV)
    Matt 22:36-40 ) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. shall love your neighbor as yourself. Doing these two things is pleasing and glorifying to God. Let’s get going!