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The Initial Step to Salvation

Paul gave us in Romans the starting point of faith and this
verse is used as basis of what is known as the sinner’s
prayer:

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These verses are good foundational verses that tell us the initial steps of salvation. Many
people teach that if you ask Jesus into your heart, that He will come in and then you are
saved. This is derived from Rom 10:10; … …So, if
you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth you are saved. All good, but the
question I want to ask is; how do you know that you believe, or put it this way; how
would other know that you believe?

The Gospel that was preached by Y’shua and His Disciples was; “
!” The sinners prayer MUST be preceded by repentance
and you need to repent from the sin in your life AND THEN ask Y’shua into your heart
and ask Him to forgive you from everything you did wrong and THEN you need to follow
Him as your new Master, and not follow sin anymore. This is what it means to believe; if
you follow Y’shua as your new Master and as the Shepherd, then you are walking in
faith. Paul told the church in Corinth to examine and test them selves, to see if they are
in faith or truly believe.

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Why would Paul want the people to examine them selves if they have prayed the
prayer? Surely they were saved praying the prayer? The salvation prayer is the first
step that leads to “walking with Y’shua”.

This means that you should walk as He walked and become like He is, so that you can
grow in faith and perfection and that your fruit might show that you are a child of Elohim.

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Paul makes it quite clear that a believer’s life should reflect fruit of holiness all the time,
until you inherit everlasting life or salvation. You are made free from the bondage of sin,
and have come to the truth regarding sin and you now know what sin is and do not want
to serve sin anymore. As a believer you have become a servant of Elohim that follow in
His precepts in His Word (Truth) so that your life can bear fruit of set-apartness
(holiness). A True believer’s life will not look like the world, but will look like Y’shua. This
is the next step towards salvation or everlasting life, according to Rom 6:22. This sounds
a bit more complex than the one prayer you thought you have to pray to be saved. That
is true, the prayer is not a magic wand that will change you instantly, you have to know
Elohim and the knowledge of Him is written in His Word, and you need to live this new
life after you have prayed the prayer. What is the use of conversion if you live the way
you use to live before your conversion?

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John had the same views on salvation and has given us five tests in the book of 1 John,
where you can examine yourself to see if you comply with the “standard” of living the life
of a true believer and if you still walk the narrow road after you have entered through the
narrow gate. There are five areas that will be affected when you are born again:

• You will have a new relationship with YHVH.

• You will have a new relationship with sin.
• You will have a new relationship with His Word.
• You will have a new relationship with people.
• You will have a new relationship with the world.

Test 1 – How is your Relationship with YHVH?

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Fellowship: If you are a believer, you will have fellowship. If you have no
fellowship, are you a believer? I think not. Fellowship is an outflow of your
faith in Him and an assurance that you are saved. This is not a test if you
are a good or bad Believer, it is a test if you are saved or not. What is
fellowship?

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 Fellowship according to the Dictionary.

If you have the same interests and ideals as Elohim, then you have fellowship with Him.
He is interested in saving people and to reveal Himself to people. Are you interested in
helping people to get saved and to help reveal Elohim to other people? How can you do
this? By living a life that reflects Elohim’s Character and to speak His Gospel truth to
people you are in contact with when the Spirit prompts you.

Walking in darkness: If you walk in darkness and say that you are saved, you are a
liar. (Says John). What is darkness? YHVH is Light and He has revealed His Light (will)
to us and has told us what He desires so that we can fellowship with Him and have
these common interests. If you do not know what YHVH desires, you are distant to Him
and do not know Him. In other words; to walk in darkness is to have works in our life that
contradicts YHVH' s character (in us) and His will and do what He hates. Your lifestyle
will reflect where you walk, in the Light or in the darkness. If the balance tips over
towards YHVH' s will and ways and character, you are walking in the Light. If your
lifestyle reflects and tips over to worldly things, red lights should come on, then your are
walking in darkness. We all do make mistakes, but what is the ratio between your "good
works" and "bad works". Do you make a habit out of sin or do you have a habit of having
fellowship with YHVH and occasionally sin? Do you live a reckless, careless lifestyle and
do what you like? If your lifestyle does not reflect YHVH' s character and will in your life,
you are a liar and are not saved. Test yourself in this and repent if necessary.

Test 2 – What is your Relationship with Sin?

Sensitive to Sin: Sin in our lives is not a test if we are lost, but our
attitude towards sin is the test. Are you sensitive to sin?

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A true Believer will be sensitive to sin and will live a life of

repentance. When last did you confess your sin? Elohim said He would give you a heart
that will respond to Him. People are cold hearted and refuse to recognize their sin and
do something about it. These people are arrogant and do not want to humble them
selves to the Word of YHVH. If someone comes to you and tell you about sin in your life,
how would you respond? Will you be angry and accuse your friend as being judgmental,
or would you take your friend’s observation to heart and see if it is true and repent?

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Fifty years ago people were devastated with sinful things in the world and today, there
are a lot of believers who practice these same things and call themselves followers of
the Master. People have become num to sin and do not know what sin is and what
righteousness is. The Churches preach today that if you want to be righteous, you are
legalistic and will fall from grace. This is a lie from Satan! YHVH’s righteousness and the
knowledge of sin are only found in His Word and people had rejected His Word because
it does not compliment their lifestyles of comfort and prosperity and “freedom”. Pride is
the root of hard heartedness. Pride will cause you not to acknowledge and recognize sin
in your life and will cause you not to live a life of repentance and this will lead to self-
righteousness. If you repent and confess your sin, He will forgive you your sin and you
then have to go and sin no more. What is confession? It means; "to speak the same
thing". The Holy Spirit speaks to your heart and exposes sin in your life, will you respond
by acceptance, and repeat His Word, or “confess” His Word over your life and conform
to it. In other words; you confess with your actions and not only with your mouth.
Everybody have sin. If you say you have no sin you are a liar. Study His Word to find out
what sin you have in your life, and if it is not in line with His Word, repent and confess
your sin in word and in deed, living a life of repentance.

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Do you tremble at His Word? Are you afflicted with a contrite spirit? He sometimes
speaks “hard words” through His Word that is for your benefit, and not to break you
down. YHVH is exposing your sin, and does not want to condemn you, but He wants to
save you and set you free. Unrighteousness is a lack of conformity to the Character and
will of Elohim and His Character and Will is only to be found in His Word. . He will
cleanse you to conform to His Character and Will ONLY if you submit to His Word. A lot
of people (believers) today are not sensitive to sin and accept sin and tolerate sin
because they want to belong and seek man' s (world) favor and acceptance. In order to
do this and “serve Elohim”, they LOWER YHVH’s standards to conform to man’s
standards and they then live and look just like the unsaved world, but still call
themselves believers.

John said that if you walk in the darkness and say that you have fellowship with Him and
know Him, you are a liar. If you are a believer, walk as a believer should and imitate
Y’shua and walk like He walked, then you are following Him as your Master.

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We will continue and look at the last three tests of Salvation assurance:

• Do you have a new relationship with His Word?

• Do you have a new relationship with people?
• Do you have a new relationship with the world?

Remember the statement John made at the end of 1 John chapter 5; we need to test our
selves in these areas to see if we are on our way to the Promised Land and will inherit
eternal life.

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Test 3- What is your Relationship with His Word?

Dou you know Him? There are a lot of people today confessing
to be believers and they say that they have come to know
Y’shua or Jesus. What does John say about knowing Y’shua?

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John says the exact same thing that Y’shua said in Matt 7:21-23; “I do not KNOW you,
you workers of lawlessness”, this implies people not following His Commandments. In
Hebraic thought “to know” is a term used within the marriage; “Adam knew his wife and
she conceived”. It is a word that describes intimacy that is only found between a man
and a woman within marriage. In Genesis it says: “Adam knew his wife and she
conceived”. He is our Husband and we are His Bride and to know Him is to have
intimacy with Him by knowing His Word and living it out. This will cause the “seed of His
Word” be planted in you so that you will “bear” fruits (children) of righteousness that will
look like the Father. The opposite is also true; if you have intimacy with the world, you
will bear children (fruits) that will look like the world. In other words, you know Him and
He knows you if you are intimate with Him through Hus Word (Y’shua is the Word) and
keep what is found in His Word; His Commandments

Do we love Him? We confess that He loves us and that we love him. How do you know
that you love Him? Again John and Y’shua gave the same answer.

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You cannot say that you love Elohim unless you abide in His Word and keep His
Commandments. Some people say that they keep His Commandments by re-defining
His Commandments into their perception of what they believe the Commandments are.
They say that Jesus came and took all the Commandments away and changed it into
Two Commandments, which is then again, summed up in one Commandment; “to love”.
This contradicts what Y’shua said in Matt 5:17: “I did not come to destroy the Torah
(Commandments) and the Prophets…” People say that Love is the only Commandment
that is left and that you will do all of them if you love Elohim and love all people. Is this
what Y’shua really meant when He explained to the man what the Greatest
Commandment is?

The Commandments: The answer Y’shua gave Him was the headings of the two sets
of five Commandments, also known as the Ten Commandments. The reason He did this
was because there were no Scripture reference numbers that we know today, like Ex 20
verse 1 to 17. No, He had to quote a part in Scripture that pointed to the section He was
referring to and the man knew the whole piece of Scripture that needs to be considered.
HE DID NOT SUBSTITUTE THE TEN COMMENDMENTS FOR ONLY TWO
COMMENDMENTS! He used it to refer to the Ten Commandments, which are the
greatest Commandments. YHVH personally spoke these Commandments from the
mountain and wrote it personally in stone. This is not to change and is written is stone,
not to deteriorate.

The First Heading is to love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart and all your soul and
all your strength. This is detailed in the first five Commandments; to believe that YHVH is
the Elohim that brought you out of Egypt (bondage). That YHVH hates idols and graven
images. That YHVH forbids you to use His Name falsely. That YHVH wants you to honor
HIS DAY OF REST to show that you follow and honor HIM and not the world System.
And lastly, that you will honor Him as your Father and your source and that you are His
child.

The Second Heading is for the last five Commandments; how to treat and love your
neighbor. You will show that you truly love your neighbor if you do not covet his things,
wife or anything of him. This will result in you not stealing his things, or his wife or taking
him out of the way (murder) to get to his things. You shall then also not lie to cover up
your evil plan of covetousness.

The purpose of the Commandments: YHVH designed His Commandments in such a

way so that man’s heart will be exposed. The Commandment you break exposes that
area of weakness that is hidden in your life and you can look into the “mirror” of the
Commandments to “see” what is inside of you.

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If you look into the Commandments (mirror), you will see your inside and the image of
YHVH and the purpose of the mirror (Commandments/Word) is to show you the
difference between your image and YHVH’s image so that His Spirit can change you into
His Image as you repent on what is exposed. You need the Word/TaNaK and the Spirit
and a humble retentive heart to be changed into His Image. “receive with meekness the
implanted Word…” James 1:21. Humility is the key in being changed.

If you refuse to do a certain Commandment, you are actually exposing your heart and
the ‘flaw’ that keep you from entering the fullness of YHVH’s life. The Commandments
are not physical so that you can reason and understand it always; it is spiritual to do a
spiritual cleansing work within you so that His restoration process can be made complete
or “Shalom”. The more Commandments you are willing to embrace, the more you are
spiritually sorted out and converted into His Image. To do the Commandments are not
for Salvation or Redemption, Y’shua’s blood takes care of this, no, it is for Sanctification
or inward washing so that He can cleanse you from the inside our.

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Most people in the Church that say that the Torah is abolished do 80% to 90% of
these Commandments through following the NT and the Spirit, but they refuse to
embrace all of it, and thus wouldn’t be changed into the fill Image of YHVH’s character
He planned for us to conform to, sad, but true.

True believers have the testimony or faith in Y’shua the Messiah AND the
Commandments of YHVH that they use to cleanse themselves with so that they will not
be tempted and fall back into the world.

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The dragon is a symbol of Satan and he makes war with the people that are a thread to
him and his kingdom; the true believers who keep His Commandments and have faith in
Y’shua the Messiah.

Why do we want to keep His Commandments? As we have seen, it is there for

cleansing of the inner man and the Scripture is all we have to help us from being
deceived and led astray. What did Paul teach about the Scripture (TaNaK) and how
should it be used.

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1. Doctrine: All doctrine needs to be founded upon the basis of Scripture and must be
confirmed in the TaNaK. You cannot take one verse in the NT out of context and build a
doctrine on it. No, you need to see where it first originated to get the true essence and
understanding as well as conformation to KNOW that it is the TRUTH on which the
doctrine will be build.

2. Reproof & Correction: It is also good for reproof. If someone does something weird,
you can always search the Scripture to find out is it is right or wrong and if it will bring us
closer to YHVH or draw us further away from YHVH. Care should be taken if you
interpret Scripture to keep it clean from man’s opinions and traditions.

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To abide means to walk with Him on a daily basis, to dwell with Him and to do the things
He would do. You cannot walk with someone if you are not in agreement with Him. To
be in agreement means to come together and start from the same place. You must start
your spiritual walk, as a believer, and start with the foundation of His Commandments,
as Y’shua taught the young man; to love YHVH with all your heart and your neighbor as
yourself, and then build up from there into His Image.

To abide with Him means that it should become your way of life and a lifestyle to
live out His character as His Spirit expresses it through you. But you have to want
to allow Him to do it. This is not a new concept or a new commandment that Y’shua
taught, no; it is the same Commandments as was written in the Torah. Why do we need
to be cleansed and be sorted out? YHVH wants to use you in a mighty way as part of
His Plan to save people for His Kingdom. If you resist His Word and His cleansing power
you are refusing to be made ready to be used for the work of His Kingdom, the same
work that Y’shua did when He walked the earth. It is not for yourself or for your salvation
that you follow His Commandments, it is for the other people in the World that needs to
be reached and brought in for His Kingdom, through you, expressing His Image.

3. Instruction in Righteousness: What is righteousness? According to Webster

Dictionary:

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It is quite evident that Instruction in Righteousness is to KNOW what is written in the
Torah (Law) and to know what YHVH calls sin and what He calls Holiness. He
instructed us to be Holy for He is Holy. Eph 1:4, 5:27, 1 Pet 1:16,

Test 4 – How is your Relationship with people?

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How is it that He gives you an old Commandment and later on say that it is a new
Commandment. What does it mean? The oldest Commandment that is taught is to love
your neighbor. How can there be a new commandment, did Y’shua change the Torah?

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Y’shua did not change the Torah, but raised the standard higher. To love is an old
concept, but to love as He loved is a standard so high, that we find it difficult to
comprehend it. What does it mean to love as Y’shua loved?

Let me give an example: The Torah teaches us to give a tithe, Y’shua taught to sell
everything you have and give it all. The Torah teaches not to kill, Y’shua taught if you
hate your brother, you are guilty of murder without the deed. The Torah teaches not to
commit adulatory, Y’shua taught that if you look at a woman and desires her in your
heart you have committed adultery with her. He raised the standard to eliminate sin in
the “seed” state before it matures into actions. Did Y’shua change the Torah? No, He
raised the standard. How can He do this because Israel struggled to keep the
Commandments as is? He gave us His Spirit to make this possible so that we can be
able to overcome sin in the spirit before it manifest in the flesh. Why did He raise the
standard? He has restored us spiritually and we are in the process in being
restored fully so that we can be conformed into His Image and will be able to
stand in He presence without being consumed by His Holiness. In other words, it is
a step closer to be restored back to the Garden of Eden state where we will dwell with
YHVH again.

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If we hate our brother or sister, we walk in darkness and the darkness has blinded our
eyes. There will always be dynamics in any group that causes issues and if you do not
resolve the issue between you ond others, it can lead to unforgiveness, which is the root
for spiritual blindness. Believers who take offence in other believers and who do not
forgive will slowly grow spiritually blind and this blindness can cause them to backslide.

How do we love our brothers and what does it mean? Looking at love in the light of the
raised standard and example Y’shua set, we must love our brothers unto death, just as
Y’shua died for us. Are you willing to die for your brother or to help your brother in need?
If you are a true believer you will have compassion and a love for your brother that
comes from his Spirit inside of you that will cause you to love each other with the same
love Y’shua loved us. If you do not experience this love, repent and ask YHVH to give
you this love with the power and help of His Spirit.

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Test 5 – How is your Relationship with the World?

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Things of the world: People have a sense today that they can be a true believer and
have this burning love for the world and the things therein. There is a teaching in the
Church today that is called prosperity where they teach that you will be rich and that it is
the sign of the end times. They teach that it is one of the last things that must happen
before the coming of Messiah; the restoration of wealth of the world to the believers.
People’s hearts are turned to money and they get excited to get rich and Elohim is the
One that will give it to them, all they have to do is believe. Faith is directed at gaining
worldly things and not directed at living a pure and humble submissive life under YHVH’s
authority. Why is this teaching wrong in the church today? Because it contradicts what
Y’shua said:

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Y’shua explained the priority of your faith; put His Kingdom and His things first, then will
He add unto you the things that you need to live this life and the things you can handle.
If your eye is on the things of this world, your heart will be evil. Not to covet is in the last
Commandment and is the farthest away from the First Commandment; which is to
believe in YHVH. It also forms that basis for breaking the other Commandments on the
“love your neighbor” tablet. If you love the world, your eyes lead you and your heart is
full of covetousness.

Lust of the flesh & lust of the eyes: There is a narrow way and a broad way; YHVH’s
things and His wisdom are not found on the broad way. The broad way looks flashy and
is designed by satan to attract fleshly minded people. There are a lot of movies and
things is the media and on the music scene that is contrary to what YHVH’s Word
teaches, the world is saturated with it and we are surrounded by it. Immorality in TV
programs and propagation of liberated reckless living following after sex drugs and a
good time. Will you as a true believer watch a show or a movie that promotes
things that YHVH hates?

YHVH’s Commandment to us is; “be Holy for I am Holy!”, “be Set apart for I am Set
apart!” Don’t be part of this world and do not be blinded by the darkness so that
you can no longer see the evil things that endanger you and your family.

If you look at the parable of the sower; the sower sows the seed (Word of YHVH) and it
falls in the ground (your heart) and grown and bears fruit (actions). You can receive
“seed” in two places in your body; through your eyes and through your ears. Seed is
known to be the Word of YHVH but Satan copied YHVH’s things and created his own
seed, which he sows in the hearts of people, his seed is found in the world system and
comes in through the media, entertainment, movies and music. If these seeds grow, they
will smother the growth of YHVH’ seed and your heart (ground) will be full of worldly
plants that bear worldly fruit (actions).

How do I keep Satan’s seed from entering into my life? Stop exposing yourself to
the things of the world that are contradicting the seed of YHVH.

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Don’t watch movies that YHVH despises, movies that embrace and promote the
occult like Harry Potter, Narnia, movies on fairies, magic, murder, sex
before marriage, revenge, hatred, lust, pornography, and the list goes on
and on. The things you do exposes the one you follow as your Master.
You cannot follow two masters; you will love the one and hate the other.
This is the most difficult area where we try to keep our sanity because the
whole world and everything around is full of worldly things that Satan
introduced to sow his seed in the hearts of the people. The bad thing
about these seeds is that they are designed to be pleasurable to the
flesh; this is why John warns against the lusts of the flesh.

Pride of Life: YHVH’s Word is like water and will only reach those who are
humble and bow down to the authority of the One Who gave it. You will not be
changed by His Word if you are arrogant and puffed up by man’s ideals and ideas,
especially in this modern age we live in. People think they are like gods because of
technology and power and wealth and the media advertise this as the natural way of
living. Everybody is like this…be like the world. The world system has exalted it above
YHVH and is created by the one who exalted himself above YHVH back then; satan.
Man fell from the Glory of YHVH and satan created “heaven on earth” so that man
wouldn’t long to go back to the state he fell from. This system is flesh based and has a
lot of “bling” and flickering lights to attract many. Do not be blind for the truth and have
your eyes open to the darkness and be entrapped by it’s false glory.

Conclusion:

To test where you stand in regards to your salvation, you need to consider these things:

1. Do you have fellowship with Elohim?

2. Do you love the things Elohim loves and hates the things Elohim hates?
3. Do you walk in the light or in darkness?
4. Do you look different than the world?
5. Are you sensitive to sin in your life?
6. Do you know what sin is and which areas you struggle with?
7. Do you look like the world or are you set apart shining His light?
8. Do you live a life of repentance and ask forgiveness?
9. When last did you repent of something you did wrong?
10. Do you serve Elohim or sin?
11. Do you really know Elohim?
12. Do you love Elohim?
13. Do you tremble at His Word and humble yourself to do His Word?
14. Do you keep His Commandments or do you reason your way around it?
15. Do you love your brother unto death and do you regard other people higher than
yourself?
16. Does the world hate you because of your faith?
17. Do you love the world and want to be accepted?
18. What drives you in life?
19. What are your priorities?
20. What comes first in your life?

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This is personal and between you and YHVH and He knows your heart and you can be
honest with Him. Between Him and yourself, answer these questions and repent if
necessary and make your life right with Him. Test yourself in these areas so that you can
have confidence in whether you are really saved or not as John stated in 1 John 5:13. If
you do not comply with these standards, repent and ask YHVH to renew you on the
inside with His Spirit so that you will have the ability and the desire to live life on His
standards and be like Him. Next time we will look into Salvation and what it all entails on
a practical level, answering the question; how do I get saved?

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