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Jesus taught that a man must be born again
John 3:3-5--Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Matt 18:3--And Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The "New Birth" is a must to be saved. The "New Birth" is not: confirmation, church membership, water baptism, the taking of the sacraments, being moral, going to church, saying prayers, being refined, doing good deeds, doing your best, reading the Bible, observing the ten commandments or submitting to church rules or doctrines.
Sad to say, there are millions of people trusting these things to save them and overlooking the "New Birth" experience.
The "New Birth" happens when we do one thing; simply receive Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and Lord by repenting of our sins and turning to God with our whole hearts as a little child.
Religion has made it so difficult but Jesus has made it so easy.
John 1:12-13 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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The apostle John said, "Believe on His name and you can become a Son of God"
God is not far from any of us.
Romans 10:8-13--But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
1 Peter 1:23--Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
How are you to be born again?---It happens when you hear the good news of the Word of God that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and that on the third day God raised Him from the grave for your justification ( just as if you had never sinned), believe it in your heart and confess that belief with your mouth.
It is so important that we pay personal attention to our eternal welfare and that we do not trust the best of men in this matter. We must do something about it ourselves. Let us not take the attitude, we can't be deceived or mislead. Let us be certain by going to the Bible ourselves and seeing with our own eyes and knowing with our own heart that we are right with God and really are Born Again.
There is no purpose in deceiving ourselves. We are either born again or we are not. We are either saved or lost. We either have eternal life or we don't have it. Let us get the facts settled that we are a genuinely saved person and that we have a living relationship with the living God.
Inside every human being is the desire to have some part in his salvation but salvation is a gift of God.
Eph 2:8-9--For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Not of works! That punctures the balloon of the ego. Man wants to do something to save himself. He wants to have some part in it but he can't. He must admit that he is helpless and hopeless. He must admit that he is just what the Bible says he is, a lost sinner in need of a Saviour.
When we have come to the end of ourselves, then we can turn our faces to God and in the realm of faith receive God's free gift of eternal life in His Son, Jesus Christ.
John 3: 15-16--That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Eternal life is in nothing else but Jesus Christ. Your church can't give you eternal life. Your parents, husband, wife or children can't give you eternal life. You can't buy it or do anything to merit it. Jesus Christ is the only one who possesses it and you can only receive it from Him by faith, as a free gift.
John 3:36--He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 17:3--And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Being "Born Again" has made you a new creature from above-the direct operation of the Word of God and the Spirit of God upon your life-changing your spirit completely, when you truly repented and turned to God.
The apostle Paul put it this way in
2 Cor 5:17--Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Being "Born Again" did not happen over a period of time. You didn't grow into it or mature into it. It happened instantaneously. You were translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Col 1:13--Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son
Instantaneously you were made a Son of God, adopted into the Family of God.
John 1:12-13--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: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Everything you have ever done contrary to the will of God has been removed from your record and you now stand before God without sin or guilt.
Col 2:13-14--And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross
Col 1:14--In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins
Col 1:21-22--And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled. In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight
Stop and think for a moment. You are holy, unblameable and unreproveable in the sight of God. You're clean and sinless in the eyes of God; all because of the cross of Christ and your faith in what He accomplished for you on it
THE WATER OF THE NEW BIRTH
Jesus said in
John 3:5--Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
What is the water of the "New Birth"? Does it refer to being baptized in water? Does that save you? No, that is not what Jesus is talking about although baptism is something God commands you to do. Baptism is something you should do as a result of being born again.
The "Word of God" is the water referred to in John 3:5. Let us prove it by looking at a number of scriptures.
Eph 5:26--That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
John 6:63--It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 17:17--Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
I Peter 1:23--Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
James 1:18--Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
When one believes, with his whole heart, what the Word of God says, that he is a sinner, that Christ died to save him from all sin and he confesses that to God-he is conforming to the Word.
The Holy Spirit will then transform his life by the power of the Word of God and by the blood of Christ. That moment, he is born again, born of the water and the Spirit.
As a Born Again Believer, God wants you to grow spiritually by studying the Scriptures and being obedient to them, praying to God and fellowshipping with other Believers. God wants you to walk and live in the spirit (love) and conform to the Word of God as you receive the understanding.
REPENTANCE
Mark 1:15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Matt 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
In order to come to God we must repent of our sins.
A. What repentance is not.
a. It is not regret or worldly sorrow
2 Cor 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.
Worldly sorrow is simply being sorry "for getting caught" but not being sorry for the crime committed.
b. It is not reformation or turning over a "new leaf".
Jesus did not come to put a new piece on an old garment
Mark 2:21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
c. It is not being religious.
The Pharisees were extremely religious but they never experienced repentance, rather crucified Jesus.
Matt 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 3:7-12 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
d. It is not believe-ism or mental assent or faith which is merely acceptance and assent to a set of creeds or doctrines but without any change in the life. This is dead faith.
Any belief that does not touch your heart is not grounded in true repentance. God said He would give us a new heart and a new spirit to know Him.
James 2:19-20 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
e. It is not conviction of sin.
Conviction proceeds repentance, but not all who are convicted, repent.
Acts 24:24-25 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.
b. What repentance is.
Repentance is you turning away from your sin and giving your life to God. It is an about face, a 180 degree turn in your life, a turn around, a change. Repentance is the only way to God. Through repentance, faith comes into your life and this new life is one lived completely by faith in Jesus Christ. The moment you repent you receive a release.
Repentance also effects your family and your friends. You receive a new interest and understanding of their problems and you will discover a new desire to help them and to bring them to Christ.
Finally through repentance you will receive a new revelation from God and His Word (the Bible) will speak to you in a new and living way.
The Root of Repentance is a changing of the mind or a change of the heart and attitude and this in particular concerning sin and your relationship with God.
Repentance brought about by the Holy Spirit faces an individual towards God.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
ASSURANCE OF SALVATION
Can I really know that I am born again, that I am saved, that I have peace with God, that I am forgiven of my sins and that I have eternal life?
Yes you can!
The Bible tells us in
Romans 3:23 All have sinned and come short of the glory of God
and in
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one
but the Bible also tells us that God loves us and gave Himself for us.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus said in
Matt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
and in
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Jesus makes an open invitation to all mankind to come unto Him
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Come just as you are and He will receive you.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 5:1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
We can have eternal life right now. We can be born of God. Jesus said He that believed on Him would never die. Eternal life isn't something we will inherit when we get to heaven, we have it right now because we have been "born again".
We can sing with the hymn writer
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine
Oh what a foretaste of glory devine
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood
A Sinners Prayer to Receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord
Dear Heavenly Father:
I come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Please forgive me of all my sins and cleanse me with your precious blood. I believe in my heart that Jesus Christ died upon the cross for my sin, that He was buried and on the third day He was raised from the dead for my justification. I now confess Him as Lord of my life according to
Romans 10:8-10 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Thank you Lord for saving me! Amen.
Signed __________________________
Date ____________________________
If you have prayed this prayer from your heart you are "Born Again". Please email us and let us know of your decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior and make Him Lord of your life.
Our prayer for you is that God may continue His revelation of Himself in your heart and who you are in Him.
Eph 1:17-19--That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
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