I
have
believed

Now
What?

By Ron Tottingham, PhD, LitD

ONE
I AM IN GOD'S FAMILY
   But as many as received him, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on his name:
John 1:12
    For ye are all the children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus.
  Galatians 3:26

TWO
I AM A NEW PERSON
   Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.

                                             2 Corinthians 5:17
   Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have
put off the old man with his deeds; And have
put on the new man,
Colossians 3:9-10

THREE
I HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO HELPS ME
   But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if
so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.   Now if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.
  Romans 8:9
   Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered.

                                                      Romans 8:26

FOUR
I AM KEPT SAFE
   Who are kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the
last time.
  1 Peter 1:5
   And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand.   My Father, which gave
them me, is greater than all; and no man is
able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

                                                      John 10:28-29

FIVE
I AM NOT NOW UNDER
AUTHORITY OF SIN
   For he that is dead is freed from sin.   Knowing
that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no
more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead
indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through
Jesus Christ our Lord.   For sin shall not have
dominion over you: for ye are not under the law,
but under grace.
  Romans 6:7,9,11,14
   The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out
of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the
day of judgment to be punished:
2 Peter 2:9

SIX
I WILL BE PROPERLY BAPTIZED:

  • ONLY AFTER BEING TRULY BORN AGAIN
       And as they went on their way, they came
    unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See,
    here is water; what doth hinder me to be
    baptized?   And Philip said, If thou believest
    with all thine heart,
    thou mayest.   And he
    answered and said, I believe that Jesus
    Christ is the Son of God.
      And he commanded
    the chariot to stand still: and they went down
    both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch;
    and he baptized him.
      Acts 8:36-38

  • BY IMMERSION AS A BURIAL
       Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto
    John, to be baptized of him.   And Jesus, when he
    was baptized, went up straightway out of the
    water:
    Matthew 3:13,16
       Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye
    are risen with him through the faith of the
    operation of God, who hath raised him from the
    dead.
      Colossians 2:12
       Know ye not, that so many of us as were
    baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
    death?   Therefore we are buried with him by
    baptism
    into death: that like as Christ was
    raised up from the dead by the glory of the
    Father, even so we also should walk in newness
    of life.   For if we have been planted together in
    the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the
    likeness of his resurrection:

                                                Romans 6:3-5
  • UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF A NEW TESTAMENT
    CHURCH

       Then they that gladly received his word
    were baptized: and the same day there were
    added unto them about three thousand souls.
    And the Lord added to the church daily such
    as should be saved.
      Acts 2:41, 47

       ...the church of God which is at Corinth, ...
                                                  1 Corinthians 1:2
    (God's churches are individual congregations,
    or bodies, not one universal body)
       ...the church, Which is his body, ...
            Ephesians 1:22-23 & Colossians 1:18, 24

       For by one Spirit are we all baptized into
    one body, ...
    1 Corinthians 12:13
    (speaking to those members of that one
    church in Corinth.)

    SEVEN
    I WILL JOIN A BIBLICALLY
    CORRECT CHURCH
       Praising God, and having favour with all the
    people.   And the Lord added to the church
    daily such as should be saved.

                                                             Acts 2:47
       Then they that gladly received his word
    were baptized: and the same day there were
    added unto them about three thousand souls.

                                                             Acts 2:41
       Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
    together
    , ...
    Hebrews 10:25

    EIGHT
    I WILL STUDY AND MEDITATE
    DAILY ON GOD'S WORD
       As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of
    the word, that ye may grow thereby:

                                                              1 Peter 2:2
       This book of the law shall not depart out of
    thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day
    and night, that thou mayest observe to do
  • according to all that is written therein: for then
    thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then
    thou shalt have good success.
      Joshua 1:8
       But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
    and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

                                                             Psalms 1:2
       Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
    workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
    rightly dividing the word of truth.

                                                        2 Timothy 2:15

    NINE
    I WILL LEARN TO PRAY
    AND WALK WITH GOD
       But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy
    closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray
    to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father
    which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
    But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as
    the heathen do: for they think that they shall
    be heard for their much speaking.

                                                        Matthew 6:6-7
       ...in every thing by prayer and supplication
    with thanksgiving let your requests be made
    known unto God.
      Philippians 4:6

    TEN
    I WILL GROW TO HATE SIN
    AND KEEP AWAY FROM IT
       Dearly beloved, I beseech you as
    strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly
    lusts, which war against the soul;

    1 Peter 2:11
       The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: ...
                                                          Proverbs 8:13

    ELEVEN
    I WILL GIVE THROUGH MY CHURCH:

  • MY TITHE (10% OF GROSS INCREASE)
       32 And concerning the tithe...the tenth shall be
    holy unto the LORD.   28 ...every devoted thing is
    most holy unto the LORD.   30 And all the
    tithe of the land, whether of the seed of
    the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is
    the LORD'S: it is holy unto the LORD.

                                          Leviticus 27:[32, 28, 30]
  •    Will a man rob God?   Yet ye have robbed me.
    But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?   In
    tithes and offerings.   Ye are cursed with a
    curse: for ye have robbed me, ....   Bring ye all the
    tithes into the storehouse, that there may be
    meat in mine house, and prove me now
    herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not
    open you the windows of heaven, and pour
    you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
    enough to receive it.
      Malachi 3:8, 10

  • MY TITHE (THROUGH MY CHURCH)
        1 Corinthians 16:1-2
        Philippians 4:15

  • MY TIME
        Romans 12:1
        2 Corinthians 9:6

  • MY TALENTS
        Matthew 25:14-15
        1 Corinthians 12:4
        1 Timothy 4:14
  • MY HELP TO OTHERS IN THEIR NECESSITIES
        Philippians 4:16, 18
        Galatians 6:2

    TWELVE
    I WILL TELL OTHERS
    ABOUT MY SALVATION
        Mark 5:19
        Acts 4:13
        Acts 20:20-21

    THIRTEEN
    I WILL LOOK FOR THE
    COMING OF CHRIST
        John 14:2-3
        1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
  • A gift to you from:

     

    Published by
    Empire Baptist Publications
    412 S. Hawthorne Ave
    Sioux Falls, SD 57104-4009
    Ph. aaa.339.2038
    Fax aaa.339-3738
    EMail EBTemple@AOL.com

    Pastor Ron Tottingham, PhD, LitD is pastor of Empire Baptist Temple, Sioux
    Falls, South Dakota since 1974, and President of Great Plains Baptist
    Divinity School.   He is also a Chaplain (Lt Colonel) with the CAP US Air Force
    and a former US Marine and Vietnam veteran of 1965.

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