by Wendy Elizabeth Middleton
A: Admit
B: Believe
C: Confess
These are the ABCs of Salvation. They are the foundation of the Christian Life. Accept the gift of Salvation and you are born again, born into a new life that is completely different from the life you had before.
Welcome to the Kingdom of God on earth where your soul is secure and eternal blessings await.
But if you were expecting happy days and sunshine from here on out think again. In this world you will have trouble… this world will hate you because this world hates Christ …But take heart! I [Christ] have overcome the world. John 16:33; Matthew 10:22
The ABCs of salvation is only the beginning.
And the beginning is a very good place to start…
A: Admit to God that you are a sinner
Romans 3:23-24; Romans 6:23
B: Believe that Jesus is God's son and accept God's Gift of forgiveness from sin
John 1:12; Romans 5:8; Acts 4:12; John 3:16; John 14:6
C: Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
1 John 1:8-10; Romans 10: 9-10; Matt 10:32-33; Luke 12:8-9; 1 John 4:15
Know these and you are well on your way into the Christian life.
Admit that you are a sinner and turn around, away from sin and toward God. This is a complete 180-degree U-turn. Turn away from sin. Turn toward God.
Believe that Christ has saved you. Accept Christ as your savior and you will be born again. You are now a child of the King, and as His child you have responsibilities to the Kingdom.
As your faith matures you will have to don the armor of God and fight the good fight. And it is a fight because this world will hate you. “All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22
Confession has two parts: 1) Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness. And 2) Confess OUT LOUD that Jesus is Lord. Your salvation is Gospel, Good News, Great News, and the best thing that has ever happened to you. It is wonderful and exciting and you just can’t wait to tell other people all about it - right?
But get ready for their reactions because a lot of people are not going to be happy for you. “All men will hate you…” Addicts don’t like it when their friends kick the habit. You can no longer do many of the things that you once did, and the people you use to do them with, the ones who are still doing them, won’t like it. They will be angry and accuse you of having a ‘holier than thou’ attitude because your attitude will be radically different.
You have been made Holy, not perfect or better than, but Holy – set apart. Your friends will be angry that you got out and they are still in… they will never admit it but that is the problem right there. They will do everything in their power to drag you back under. They will laugh at you and make what is wrong seem right.
But you know that it isn’t. Now that you have been born again you are seeing the world in a whole new light. You are young yet and the world is big and scary, but dad is right here. The Father is with you, Christ is with you, the Holy Spirit is in you; you are never alone.
Because the world hates Jesus it is backwards and upside down. You must learn to face forward and stand upright in this topsy-turvy world.
Meek is not mild.
It takes courage to turn the other cheek.
You must lose your life in order to gain it.
These are mysteries and paradoxes to the non-Christian. These are mysteries and paradoxes that you must fully understand in order to obtain the full blessings of Christianity.
Now that you have learned the ABC’s of Salvation take a look at the ABC’ of Christian Conduct
Christianity is not a spectator sport. It is a living and active lifestyle. It is a daily diet of living water and the bread of life. It is a daily exercise regime that requires commitment and effort. It is a fine instrument that requires daily practice in both solo and orchestral movements.
Exercise your new faith muscles. Heft that Bible. It is the primer, the instruction manual, the textbook, and the handbook of your new life. Within the Bible you will find the ABCs of Christian conduct and attitude.
Plant those feet on the firm foundation and work those deep knee bends before the Lord. In prayer you will find a peace that transcends all understanding. Joy unspeakable, because it is indescribable. I know because I’ve felt it and I’ve tried to describe it and I can’t. It is the absolute quieting of my soul. It is the soaring leap of joy in the presence of God Almighty, God who loves me, Abba, Father – God.
Learn the ABCs of Christian Conduct and practice them daily.
ABCs of the Christian Conduct
A: Adoration: Mark 12:30
B: Boldness: 2 Timothy 1:7
C: Courageous: Deuteronomy 31:6;
D: Discipleship: John 13:34-35
E: Endurance: James 1:4
F: Faithfulness: Luke 16:10-11; James 2:22
G: Gentleness: 1 Peter 2:23
H: Humility: Luke 18:10-14
I: Indwelling: Ephesians 3:16-19
J: Joy: 1 Peter 1:8-9
K: Kindness: Ephesians 4:29-32
L: Love: 2 John 6
M: Mercy: Luke 10:25-37
N: Neighborliness: Luke 10:25-37
O: Obedience: Matthew 7:21-22
P: Patience: James 5:7-8
Q: Quietness: 1 Thessalonians 4:11
R: Repentance: Ezekiel 18:21
S: Self-control: Ephesians 5:15-16
T: Trust: Isaiah 12:2
U: Understanding: Proverbs Chapter 2
V: Victory: 1 John 5:4-5
W: Witness: 1 John 5:11
X: (e)Xample: John 13:15
Y: Yield: Matthew 11:29-30
Z: Zeal: Luke 12:49
Check out Matthew 22:37-38 and Mark 12:29-30. These contain the A of Christian life. The one thing from which everything else flows. Nothing and no one is more important than this: Adore God with everything you've got.
And remember
Simple – Ain’t – Easy
Wendy
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