Born Again

“The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”
(Romans 8:16)

My friend, this may not be the most pleasant message for all, but it is the truth. Most of us have heard the phrase to be “born-again,” and Jesus used this term in explaining the requirement for entrance into His Kingdom (John 3:3). In other words, he made it clear that the born-again experience was a necessary prerequisite for receiving salvation, and that without it, entrance into the Kingdom of God would most assuredly be denied. (Matthew 22:11-13, John 3:3-5)

Please understand that it is urgent that we comprehend the significance of Jesus words. Many of us are wise in preparing for the things of this world such as our retirement, a college degree, or other such things, yet we leave our eternal destinies up to assumption at best, or to the care of a religious organization, etc. We trust our eternal souls to doctrines of men that have no Biblical basis, and hope that somehow it will all work out in the end. This is simply not wise! “But can we really know with absolute certainty?” You may ask.

The answer is yes! Absolutely! In fact, this irrevocable knowing is the very foundation of our faith (Matthew 16:16). When a person is truly born-again, the Holy Spirit imparts this knowing and understanding into the heart of the believer. If we haven’t received this understanding and assurance from the Holy Spirit, then it is questionable that we have truly experienced the new birth. (Romans 8:16)

Please understand however, that I am referring to a knowing in the heart, not the mind, as Satan will attempt to attack our minds with doubts and fears to challenge our faith, as he did Jesus…

“Are you really who you think you are? Are you truly the Son of God? If you are, then turn these stones into bread!” “If you are truly who you say you are, then jump off the top of this temple, and the angels will bear you up in their arms!” (Matthew 4:1-11) The devil will whisper in our ears, “If you are truly a child of God, then you wouldn’t have had that thought! “You wouldn’t have acted that way!” “God is finished with you!” “You’ve failed him too many times!”

But those are lies! God is never finished with anyone that loves him and desires to enter into his Kingdom, ever!

“For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah would no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee…” (Isaiah 54:9)

The new birth is a supernatural occurrence wherein a new creature truly is born! (II Corinthians 5:17) But before we can really be grateful, we must first appreciate the reality of what God has accomplished through Jesus Christ.

Consider the gravity of what Jesus Christ has done for us, and for what he has delivered us from (II Corinthians 1:10). Hell is real, and is a horrible place that is worse than any suffering upon the earth, and its horrors beyond the recesses of man’s imagination. There is no rest day or night, no comfort, nor anything good, as all good things proceed from God (James 1:17). It is a place where a person’s worse fears will be realized (Isaiah 66:4), and where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13, Luke 13:28). There will be more terror in a moment than could be experienced in the worse conditions on earth in a lifetime; the flesh will be eaten of maggots and worms, and burned with fire but never consumed (Mark 9:43-48). It will be unending and eternal, and there will be no second chances for the one that dies in his sins. (Luke 16:19-31, John 8:24)

My friend, If you are a child of God, and have experienced God’s mercy in your life, then this message is a message of hope to you, and a joyous reminder of what God has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ. However, if this message makes you uncomfortable, then the Holy Spirit may be reaching out to you. He loves you and wants to give you life, and a hope for the future. He wants to remove the burden and the label of sin from you forever, and cast it into the depths of the sea. He longs to bring restoration, healing and deliverance, regardless of what we’ve done or where we’ve been.

God will never condemn anyone who comes to Him by the way of the cross. God is rich unto all that call upon Him in faith, and if we are willing to repent and surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, then God will give us the strength to turn from sin and obey His commandments.

Please understand, I am not saying that it will be easy by any means. Jesus never promised us an easy path in this life; in fact, we are called to be soldiers, and admonished to endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (II Timothy 2:3). We must be strong to walk the narrow path that leads to life, but it is God that gives us His strength. (Ephesians 6:10)

To be born-again is God’s solution, it is God doing for us what we could not do for ourselves. God’s Kingdom is spiritual, and also sinless, and those that inherit it must be born of the Spirit, and also born of water (signifying being cleansed from sin) (John 3:5, 13:8).

Hebrews says that through the body and blood of Jesus, God has confirmed, by an oath, the immutability (unchangeability) of His counsel, in that we can have full assurance of God’s faithfulness in regard to our salvation through Christ Jesus! (Hebrews 6:16-20)