Have You Been Born Again?
If not, then you “cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)
Jesus said “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) Later, in John 14:2, Jesus told his disciples, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” The Bible assures us about heaven, but it also assures us of hell. We read in Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” God does not want anyone to spend eternity in hell. We read in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” We want to guide you in making the most important decision of your life. Here are some things you should be aware of:
1. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God…” (Isaiah 59:2a) God is unable to tolerate sin because of his holiness. He is completely without any wrong. Any and all sin is totally alien to him. You may say that you are a very good, moral person–but hear what the Bible says in Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. And in Romans 3:23 we read “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23a tells us what we will receive as payment for our sin against a holy God, “For the wages of sin is death…”
2. “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” The Bible tells us that hell will be a terrible place of eternal punishment and suffering beyond human comprehension. We read in Psalms 21:9, “Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the LORD shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.”
3. “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (I John 1:7) In the Old Testament of the Bible, we read how a lamb without spot or blemish was used to atone for sin. It was the BLOOD of the lamb that cleansed a person from sin. John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jesus Christ was the final and ultimate sacrifice to pay for man’s sin for all eternity. There is no other payment that can be offered for our sin for we read in Hebrews 9:22, “ without shedding of blood is no remission.”
4. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) The Bible tells us in John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus died in your place. He died the death that you should have died. The death of Jesus Christ on Calvary was for everyone, “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.” ( John 3:16)
5. You must be born again, “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.” (John 3:3) There are four steps necessary for you to be born again. Each step is very important, and though they may seem to happen at the same time, they are listed here for you separately so that you can better understand them:
A. You must repent. To repent is to express sorrow for something that is past—in this case your sin. “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation…” (2 Corinthians 7:10a) You must acknowledge before God that you have sinned against a holy God and deserve nothing better than hell. Repentance is also a sincere turning away from sin and turning toward God, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” (Proverbs 21:2)
B. You must believe. Believing in Jesus Christ is more than just believing he exists. The Bible tells us, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) Truly believing is placing your full trust in HIM to save you from your sin, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) You must believe with your whole heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died on the cross to save you from your sin. “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…” (Romans 10:9, 10a)
C. You must ask. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) To call upon the Lord is to request or appeal to Christ to forgive your sin and to save you from eternity in hell. You must pray and ask Jesus to do these things, “… and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10b)
D. You must receive. To receive something, you must take it as a thing offered or sent. Salvation is a free gift from God, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8) But like any gift, it is not yours until you accept it or receive it, “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:” (John 1:12) You must pray and tell the Lord that you wish to receive his wonderful gift of salvation.
You have come to the point in your life where you must now choose to accept or reject Jesus Christ. If you choose to accept his payment for your sin, then simply bow your head and pray. Tell Jesus in your own words, that you are sorry for your sin and ask him to forgive you and save you from hell. Tell him you are willing to receive him as your Lord and Savior, and that you would like to accept his gift of eternal life. Remember, Jesus Christ never turns anyone away, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
Dear Friend,
If you have just received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and would like more information to help you grow as a new Christian, please call (972) 240-8515 or e-mail us at Gatewood Baptist Church.
Your Friend,
Pastor Moreno