This is what happened to me. It is not the same systematic process for us all, but the concept is the same as we build upon the foundation of a life for the Lord and the desire to grow and learn from Him.
My experience for Salvation:
* I had a tug at my heart from Holy Spirit to turn away from sin.
* I decided I wanted to turn away.
* I believed that Jesus is Lord.
* I confessed that Jesus is Lord.
* I prayed for Jesus to come into my heart.
* Jesus came into my heart.
Repentance:
* I had to confess my sins.
* I decided to turn away from sin.
* I believed that Jesus would help me.
* I made a choice not to sin.
* I knew I needed Jesus to help me.
* I prayed for Jesus to take away the desire to sin.
* Jesus helps me to not sin.
Water Baptism:
* I publicly confessed Jesus as my Lord.
* I decided that I wanted accountability to my confession of faith.
* I learned the next step to walking out my confession.
* I went before a minister and was baptized in water as an act of conversion.
* I declared that I wanted to live for Jesus.
* Jesus guides me on how to live for Him.
Baptism of Holy Spirit:
* I got a tug from Holy Spirit to receive the gifts offered to me.
* I asked for the gift of speaking in tongues.
* I believed that Holy Spirit would give me any gift I would ask for.
* I waited for the gifts.
* Holy Spirit gave me the gift of speaking in tongues.
* I believed for more gifts.
Holy Spirit also gave me the gift of dreams, open visions, prophecy, word of knowledge, interpretation, discernment, healing, deliverance, and encouragement. Jesus shows me what to do with the gifts and how to use them for Him. It is with care that I exercise these gifts when I am in congregations or when individuals ask. It is imperative that they seek the Lord first on anything.
This is just my experience in building upon the foundation, which I am constantly growing, and learning. If I am not growing, I have to ask myself, why? The lessons did not stop with being saved by grace and cleansed through the blood of Jesus. There are more lessons to learn, but they build upon the foundation of salvation.
* Teacher = Jesus.
* Student = The Believer.
* Class = Introduction To Eternal Living.
* Book = The Holy Bible.
* Homework = Pray, Read, Apply Daily.
* Test = Where will you spend Eternity?
When this test is over, we should be able to compare our lives to what the Bible says about where we need to grow to be more like Jesus.