* About fourteen years ago; my friend Jerry asked me if I was born again. “What does that mean?” I confessed to her. We were in church at the time. I felt really stupid. I knew all about the pastor’s week at church, but I didn’t know this concept. Jerry told me that it meant that I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I felt relieved. “Yeah, I guess I am.” I smiled.
We can go to church and hear so much stuff but we ought to be able to tell people what we believe. After that conversation with my friend; I took a journey which also led me to a Bible teaching church and I found out a lot more. Let me explain that my old church was not at fault for my lack of knowledge; I take all of the blame. It was there that I learned what faith was.
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WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE BORN AGAIN?
Being born again involves a change on the inside of you. It can be “seen” by people who know you and those who don’t. The love of God permeates your whole being. You’re not just nice to the people at your church; you’re just a nice person. There is no sinning in you. You know that Jesus was sent by the Father to pay the penalty for our sin and that penalty was death on the cross. You also know that Jesus rose from the grave on the 3rd day and is now seated at the right hand of the Father as your great high priest who makes intercession for you.
As a born again believer; you don’t just know all of this, but your life is committed to God. Jesus said that he and the Father are One. Your church, your friends, your scripture quoting, your service in the church, or good deeds can’t get you eternal life; though a lot of people in the world may think this. It’s a myth! It’s receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Master and believing on His Name.
A born again believer is automatically in right standing with God; but practices to stay that way by making a daily effort to keep the commandments; putting God first in his or her lives.
God’s Commandments are simple in the New Testament:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart (Mt 22:37-40)
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Our standards are different as born again believers. We don’t follow the world’s way of doing things with money (getting into debt), politics, (upholding those who don’t hold to Christian values even when they are popular), social mores, (people who live by what is acceptable to the world, but not to God) and so forth. Our lifestyle is dictated by what pleases God Almighty.
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HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN
Romans 10: 9, 10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
Romans 10: 13 For whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
God won’t turn you away. God loves you.
SALVATION!! 