Born Again

Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for you.

Have you ever wished you could start your life over? This is the opportunity that believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God offers everyone? The believer realizes he is guilty of sending the Son of GOD to die on a cross because of his sins. The "good news" is that Jesus went willingly to the cross for you and I. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.John 3:16-17. Every person who desires to please GOD must believe that Jesus Christ is his Son and that GOD sacrificed Him to pay for our sins. Jesus further tells us that His way is not always easy to find. "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." "I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness."Matthew 7:14. How does one find the narrow path? GOD has provided the answer through the words of his Son. GOD expects us to pay close attention to his word.And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world."He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him-- the Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."John 12:46-48

God’s Word also provides God’s plan of salvation for us. Many will twist God’s Word to there own destruction. You must approach God’s Word honestly, listening to God’s Word rather than men. Jesus warns us. "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Matthew 24:11. And above all every person who desires to please GOD must believe that Jesus Christ is His Son and that GOD sacrificed Him to pay for our sins. 

The Blood of Jesus Christ saves us.
In Romans 5:8-9 the Bible explains "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." If we are saved by the "blood" of Jesus how does GOD choose to apply Jesus precious life giving blood ? Our merciful GOD must have loved us very much to send His only Son to live as a man and then to be crucified on a cross as the only acceptable sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

We must repent of our sins.

Even though Jesus died for our sins, GOD was only providing us another chance to be saved. GOD expects us to repent of our sins, which means to change our mind about sinning in the future. We as sinners must recognize the horrible cost of our sins and how much Jesus loved us to go to the cross. Jesus tells us in  Luke 13: 2-3; Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

We must confess Jesus before others.

Our Lord expects us to confess Him before men Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33; "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Philip on the road to Gaza met an Ethiopian. Philip began to teach him the good news about Jesus Christ. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Acts 8:36-37.

Be "born again".

Is it possible to be born again? This was Nicodemus' question to Jesus. Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." John 3:3-5 How is someone born again? On the day of Pentecost following Jesus' return back to Heaven, Peter told many Jews who had been present at the death of Christ and had voiced their approval of His execution on the cross, that they had crucified the Son of GOD. The peoples' response was immediate. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:37-38. What does baptism for the remission of sins mean? Besides the clear meaning that a faithful response to God’s Word means God’s willingness to forgive us, the very word baptize is a transliteration from a Greek word which means to be immersed or covered.  It has been modified by many religious denominations to mean something else in today's dictionaries. Some believe a sprinkling or pouring on of water "is good enough." After all that Christ gave us, why would we take GOD's Word so lightly? GOD's Word explains to us how baptism should be done. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. John 3:23. It requires very little water to sprinkle or pour. Jesus chose himself to be baptized to fulfill his Father's request. Jesus example in the following verse is very clear. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. Matthew 3:16.

What is GOD's purpose for baptism?

Paul explained that baptism has a special purpose as he wrote to theEphesians 5:25-26. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word." Since the church is made up of all Christians, what are these verses explaining about the purpose baptism in the cleansing Christians? A saving faith is believing GOD's Word as it is written.  In Paul's letter to Titus, he explains how once each Christian is cleansed GOD renews our lives by giving us his Holy Spirit. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7. Saul (Paul the apostle) met Jesus face to face on the road to Damascus. Saul was blinded and for three days fasted, and prayed. Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Acts 9:8-9. Is there any doubt that Paul had repented during the three days he waited for Ananias to come and tell him what he must do? "Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:14-16. Even after personally meeting Jesus Saul still needed to be baptized to wash away his sins even though he had already believed and repented. When was Saul forgiven? Why is baptism any different than confession? Are they not both required by GOD as a response to faith?

How does Jesus tell us to make disciples?

Finally when Jesus was resurrected following His death on the cross, He gave instructions to His followers to go into the world to preach the good news and to baptize others. How does our Lord ask us to make disciples? "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen." Matthew 28:19-20. Obeying the Gospel of GOD places one into a fully committed relationship for the rest of our life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by taking their name as ours. It is similar to a marriage ceremony.

What about the thief on the cross?

While He was hanging on the cross, Jesus told the thief being executed with Him; "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43. How did Christ forgive the thief on the cross? He had not been baptized that we are aware. This can be difficult question. First, under what law did Jesus live? Old or New Testament? "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:17-18. Jesus lived his entire life under the Old Testament. And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Hebrews 9:15-17. Was baptism an Old Testament commandment? Baptism was never commanded by the Law of the Old Testament. John's baptism was only what he explained it to be; As it is written in the Prophets: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:2-4. John was only preparing the hearts of the Jews to accept baptism as part of the New Testament after the Lord died on the cross. Jesus could forgive the thief because it was never a part of the Old Testament law.

Living our life in Christ

If Jesus died because of our sins then we certainly owe Him much. In fact we owe Him the rest of our lives as Paul encourages the Roman Christians. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:1-2.

When we sin again.

If we do sin again we have a merciful GOD who is willing to forgive us if we confess we are sinners and repent of the sin. In the apostle John's first letter he reassures Christians of GOD's mercy as long as our focus is on Christ and His Word. "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:7-9.

Can there be any more wonderful life than being in Christ? I will let you be the judge.

All references are from the New King James translation of the Bible, © 1982.

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