1-800-HEAVEN THE CROSS OF SALVATION

To the reader: 

in the following pages I have compiled a group of scripture that I hope will answer the questions listed below that Christian asks on a consistent basis. I started asking these question in 1972 when I came to the cross. At the time I was a poor example of a human being, but God desired me and purchased me until I surrender. Then He gave me the Holy Spirit to be my teacher. The results all these years later is what you are reading in this presentation. My friends, be hungry for the things that the Holy Spirit has for you. Do not allow anyone from discouraging you from receiving  every gift that resides in Him. He is our key to entering into a productive, spiritual life.

Have you ever had a question in your mind: 

Why me, why has good picked me out of millions of people to pursue and bring to salvation?

What was I prior to salvation?

How bad of a condition was I in before Christ saved me?

When I received Christ what happened to me?

Now after my realization I needed Jesue what have I become.

Who am I in Jesus?

What is a new creation?

Where does God live in me?

Now that he lives in me why do I still sin?

What is a walk in Salvation?

How do I do that walk in this ugly world?

How does God teach me?

What do I need to do to understand His teachings?

What happens when I die?

Where do I go once I die?

What is God preparing us for?

How long does it take to become what God sees us to be?

  1. The Condition of Man Before Salvation

Before Christ intervenes, Scripture describes humanity in three layers — identity, condition, and destiny.

Identity (Who we are without Christ)

  • Enemies of God — not neutral, but opposed (Romans 5:10).
  • Children of wrath — under judgment, not because God hates us, but because sin shapes us (Ephesians 2:3).
  • Slaves to sin — unable to free ourselves (John 8:34).

Condition (How we live without Christ)

  • Spiritually dead — alive in the body, dead in the spirit (Ephesians 2:1).
  • Blinded — unable to see truth even when it’s in front of us (2 Corinthians 4:4).
  • Self-condemned — judgment isn’t only future; it’s already present (John 3:18–19).

This is why salvation is needed:

Man is not merely misbehaving — he is spiritually dead, self-condemned, and unable to rescue himself.

  1. What Actually Happened at the Cross

Most people reduce salvation to “conversion,” but Scripture reveals a far deeper transaction.

The cross is not just forgiveness — it is exchange, judgment, union, and rebirth.

  1. The Great Exchange
  • Christ takes our sin; we receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
  • Our guilt is transferred; His innocence is credited.
  1. The Old Self Is Executed
  • The “old man” is crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6).
  • This is not symbolic — it is a spiritual death event.
  1. Judgment Happens Early
  • The believer’s judgment falls on Christ, not on them (Isaiah 53:5–6).
  • God’s wrath is satisfied; justice is complete.
  1. A New Creation Is Born
  • Not reformed, not improved — reborn (John 3:3).
  • A new nature, new desires, new identity (2 Corinthians 5:17).

.  Union With Christ Begins

  • We are placed in Christ — His life becomes ours (Romans 6:4–5).
  • This union is the engine of sanctification.

So the cross is not just a doorway.

It is the death of the old world and the birth of a new one inside a human soul.

 

  1. The Walk After Salvation — The Hidden Years of Preparation

This is the part believers misunderstand most. Salvation is instant; transformation is lifelong.

  1. The Spirit Begins Reconstruction
  • He renews the mind (Romans 12:2).
  • He produces fruit (Galatians 5:22–23).
  • He teaches us to walk by faith, not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
  1. God Trains His Children

These years are not random. They are intentional preparation:

  • Discipline — shaping character (Hebrews 12:5–11).
  • Testing — proving faith (1 Peter 1:6–7).
  • Pruning — removing what hinders fruitfulness (John 15:2).
  • Calling — discovering purpose (Ephesians 2:10).
  1. The Hidden Work: Learning to Love God

This is the secret most believers never articulate:

  • God uses suffering to detach us from idols.
  • God uses joy to teach us gratitude.
  • God uses time to deepen trust.
  • God uses community to shape humility.

The hidden years are where the believer learns: “Christ is not just my Savior — He is my life.”

  1. The Final Transition: Death to Glory

For the believer:

  • Death is not punishment; it is completion (Philippians 1:23).
  • The believer steps into the presence of the One they have been learning to love.
  • Heaven is not a reward for good behavior — it is the natural home of a soul united to Christ.

The Whole Story in One Line

Before salvation: dead.

At the cross: reborn.

After salvation: prepared.

At death: welcomed home.

THE 7 THINGS GOD IS PREPARING US FOR

  1. To Be Conformed to the Image of Christ

This is the primary purpose of salvation’s “middle years.”

  • Romans 8:29 — “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
  • 2 Corinthians 3:18 — “being transformed… from glory to glory.”

God is not preparing you to be a better version of yourself.

He is preparing you to look like Jesus in character, love, holiness, and inner life.

This is why the Spirit works slowly — He is shaping a soul into the likeness of Christ.

  1. To Reign With Christ in His Kingdom

This is the part most Christians never hear preached.

  • Revelation 5:10 — “They shall reign on the earth.”
  • 2 Timothy 2:12 — “If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.”
  • Luke 19:17 — “Because you were faithful… have authority over ten cities.”

Your preparation is not just moral — it is governmental.

God is training His children to rule, judge, steward, and govern in the age to come.

Every trial, every test, every obedience is shaping you for kingdom responsibility.

  1. To Become Priests Who Minister to God Forever

Salvation doesn’t just make you a citizen of heaven — it makes you a priest.

  • 1 Peter 2:9 — “a royal priesthood.”
  • Revelation 1:6 — “made us kings and priests to God.”

Priests do two things:

  1. Minister to God (worship, intimacy, communion).
  2. Represent God to others (intercession, compassion, truth).

Your entire Christian life is training in these two skills.

  1. To Carry the Weight of Glory

Heaven is not clouds and harps — it is glory, and glory is heavy.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:17 — “an eternal weight of glory.”

God prepares us so that when glory is revealed, we can bear it without being crushed.

Holiness is not punishment — it is capacity-building.

  1. To Love God Fully and Freely

This is the hidden curriculum of every season of life.

  • Matthew 22:37 — “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”
  • 1 John 4:19 — “We love Him because He first loved us.”

Every disappointment, every answered prayer, every delay, every breakthrough —

all of it is training the heart to love God above all else.

Heaven is a place where love is the atmosphere, and God prepares us to breathe it.

  1. To Be Made Fit for the New Creation

You are not being prepared for escape — you are being prepared for inheritance.

  • Revelation 21 — a new heaven and new earth.
  • Romans 8:17 — “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.”

God is preparing you to:

  • live in a resurrected body
  • inhabit a restored creation
  • participate in God’s eternal project of renewal

Sanctification is not about “being good.”

It is about becoming the kind of person who can thrive in the world God is building.

  1. To Stand Before God Without Shame

This is the final moment every believer is being shaped for.

  • 1 John 2:28 — “that we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:10 — the judgment seat of Christ (for reward, not condemnation).

Your preparation is aimed at one breathtaking moment:

the day you see Jesus face-to-face.

Everything in your life is shaping you for that encounter.

THE WHOLE ARC IN ONE SENTENCE

God is preparing you to look like Christ, love like Christ, rule with Christ, and live forever in the world Christ is bringing.

THE THREE‑PART FRAMEWORK: THE JOURNEY OF A SOUL

This structure works as a sermon series, a discipleship course, or a book outline.

Each part contains chapters that build naturally from one stage to the next.

PART I — BEFORE SALVATION: THE CONDITION OF MAN

Chapter 1 — The Nature of Man Without Christ

  • Spiritually dead
  • Blinded by sin
  • Separated from God
  • Unable to rescue himself

Chapter 2 — The Inner War: Why Man Cannot Save Himself

  • The bondage of the will
  • The deception of self‑righteousness
  • The illusion of moral neutrality

Chapter 3 — The Wrath and Mercy of God

  • Why judgment is necessary
  • Why mercy is offered
  • Why salvation must come from outside of us

Chapter 4 — The Call of God

  • Conviction
  • Awakening
  • The drawing of the Spirit

This section answers the question:

Why salvation is needed.

PART II — AT THE CROSS: THE TRANSFORMATION OF MAN

Chapter 5 — The Great Exchange

  • Christ takes our sin
  • We receive His righteousness

Chapter 6 — The Death of the Old Man

  • Crucifixion of the old nature
  • Judgment absorbed by Christ
  • The end of the old identity

Chapter 7 — The Birth of the New Creation

  • Regeneration
  • New desires
  • New identity
  • New heart

Chapter 8 — Union With Christ

  • Buried with Him
  • Raised with Him
  • Seated with Him

This section answers the question:

What actually happened at the cross — beyond conversion.

PART III — AFTER SALVATION: THE YEARS OF PREPARATION

This is the part most Christians never understand deeply.

It’s where the real shaping happens.

Chapter 9 — The School of the Spirit

  • Renewing the mind
  • Learning obedience
  • Walking by faith

Chapter 10 — The Furnace of Formation

  • Trials
  • Testing
  • Pruning
  • Discipline
  • Suffering as refinement

Chapter 11 — The Hidden Curriculum of God

  • Learning to love God
  • Learning to trust God
  • Learning to surrender
  • Learning to hope

Chapter 12 — The Fruit of the Spirit

  • Character formation
  • Emotional transformation
  • The slow work of holiness

Chapter 13 — The Call and the Work

  • Discovering purpose
  • Serving others
  • Becoming a witness
  • Bearing fruit that lasts

This section answers the question:

What is hidden in the years of preparation.

PART IV — THE FINAL PURPOSE: WHAT WE ARE BEING PREPARED FOR

This is the climax — the “why” behind everything.

Chapter 14 — Conformed to the Image of Christ

  • The ultimate goal of sanctification
  • Christ formed in us

Chapter 15 — To Reign With Christ

  • Kingdom responsibility
  • Eternal stewardship
  • Faithfulness in this life shaping authority in the next

Chapter 16 — A Royal Priesthood

  • Ministering to God
  • Representing God
  • Living in eternal communion

Chapter 17 — The Weight of Glory

  • Why holiness is necessary
  • Why glory requires preparation

Chapter 18 — The New Creation

  • Resurrection
  • Inheritance
  • Eternal purpose

Chapter 19 — The Final Encounter

  • Standing before Christ
  • Receiving reward
  • Entering joy
  • Becoming fully alive

This section answers the question:

What we are being prepared for.

THE ENTIRE ARC IN ONE SENTENCE

God rescues us from death, transforms us at the cross, prepares us through life, and fits us for glory.

PART 1— BEFORE SALVATION: THE CONDITION OF MAN

  1. Spiritually Dead

Ephesians 2:1 (KJV)

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

  1. Blinded by the god of this world

2 Corinthians 4:4

“The god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not.”

  1. Under God’s righteous judgment

John 3:18

“He that believeth not is condemned already.”

  1. Unable to save himself

Jeremiah 13:23

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”

  1. Drawn by God’s mercy

John 6:44

“No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him.”

This section answers:

Why salvation is needed.

PART II — AT THE CROSS: WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

  1. The Great Exchange

2 Corinthians 5:21

“For he hath made him to be sin for us… that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

  1. The Old Man Crucified

Romans 6:6

“Our old man is crucified with him.”

  1. Judgment Satisfied

Isaiah 53:5–6

“The chastisement of our peace was upon him… the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

  1. New Birth

John 3:3

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

  1. Union With Christ

Romans 6:4–5

“We are buried with him… that like as Christ was raised… we also should walk in newness of life.”

This section answers:

What happened at the cross besides conversion.

PART III — AFTER SALVATION: THE YEARS OF PREPARATION

  1. Renewing the Mind

Romans 12:2

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

  1. The Discipline of the Father

Hebrews 12:6

“For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth.”

  1. Trials as Refining Fire

1 Peter 1:7

“The trial of your faith… might be found unto praise and honour and glory.”

  1. Pruning for Fruitfulness

John 15:2

“Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”

  1. Walking in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16

“Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

  1. Growing in Love

1 John 4:19

“We love him, because he first loved us.”

This section answers:

What is hidden in the years of preparation.

PART IV — THE FINAL PURPOSE: WHAT WE ARE BEING PREPARED FOR

  1. To Be Conformed to Christ

Romans 8:29

“Predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

  1. To Reign With Christ

Revelation 5:10

“And hast made us… kings and priests… and we shall reign on the earth.”

  1. To Serve as Priests Forever

1 Peter 2:9

“Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood.”

  1. To Carry the Weight of Glory

2 Corinthians 4:17

“A far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

  1. To Inherit the New Creation

Revelation 21:1

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth.”

  1. To Stand Before Christ Without Shame

1 John 2:28

“That… we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”

This section answers:

What we are being prepared for.

THE WHOLE JOURNEY IN SCRIPTURE

Dead → Drawn → Crucified with Christ → Born Again → Transformed → Prepared → Glorified.

The above writing is a great and useful study to use in a bible study over a six to eight week gathering. Please consider using it to benefit the body of Christ.