What Does
“Born Again” Mean?
Do you want to know about your future? Without being Born-Again, you DON'T have a future!
Human beings do not choose to go to Hell.
Humans are already destined for Hell unless and until they choose to go to Heaven.
JOHN 3:36 - And he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son of God has (now possesses) eternal life.
But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son of God will never obtain (never experience) eternal life, and [instead] the wrath of God abides on him forever.
[God's displeasure remains on him; God's indignation hangs over him continually.] Amplified Bible (AMP)
JOHN 3:36 - And he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son of God has (now possesses) eternal life.
But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son of God will never obtain (never experience) eternal life, and [instead] the wrath of God abides on him forever.
[God's displeasure remains on him; God's indignation hangs over him continually.] Amplified Bible (AMP)
In the Gospel of John, Chapter 3
Christ Jesus explained to an extremely "Religious" Hebrew man that, while humans are born naturally (born of water), all humans are born spiritually unreceptive (spiritually dead) to God's spirituality.
Humans are born spiritually disconnected from God.
And He explained that one absolutely MUST be "Born-Again", this time spiritually, or one will neither see nor enter the Kingdom of God (a reference to eternal life and eternal access to God).
If while someone were spiritually dead and spiritually unreceptive to God they receive spiritual life by being "Born-Again", that new spiritual life will come by means of the Word of God.
Humans are born spiritually disconnected from God.
And He explained that one absolutely MUST be "Born-Again", this time spiritually, or one will neither see nor enter the Kingdom of God (a reference to eternal life and eternal access to God).
If while someone were spiritually dead and spiritually unreceptive to God they receive spiritual life by being "Born-Again", that new spiritual life will come by means of the Word of God.
"Being born again, not of corruptible (unholy) genetic bloodlines, but of incorruptible (Holy) spirituality, by the Word of God, which lives and abides forever."
1 Peter 1:23 - Literal Expanded Version.
We are "Born-Again" by the Word of God that reveals Christ Jesus. God's Word will bring "religious" and spiritual liberty to believers, it will bring personal joy and it will bring spiritual blessing.
Through hearing the Word of God, by coming to the realization that Christ Jesus is God; the Messiah (Saviour); LORD of everything; creator of heaven and earth; your personal High Priest; your instructor in worship; and was actually resurrected from the dead, one comes to "BELIEVE" the truth of the Gospel and to begin to have "FAITH" in Christ Jesus.
Through hearing the Word of God, by coming to the realization that Christ Jesus is God; the Messiah (Saviour); LORD of everything; creator of heaven and earth; your personal High Priest; your instructor in worship; and was actually resurrected from the dead, one comes to "BELIEVE" the truth of the Gospel and to begin to have "FAITH" in Christ Jesus.
"FAITH" comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the WORD OF GOD !
Romans 10:17 - Literal Expanded Version.
Being "Born-Again" activates (catalyzes) one's capacity to become spiritually receptive to God's Holy Spirit, and to be made spiritually receptive to God's plan and purpose for the ages.
It puts one on God's short-list of people whose prayers He even hears!
Being "Born-Again" begins your new life as a Christian "Believer".
While being "Born-Again" is at Christianity's entry-level, it is still of utmost importance. For, when one is NOT "Born-Again", one could know the Scriptures well and still not truly understand them from God's perspective.
When one is NOT "Born-Again", piously devout humans depend on outward religious ceremonies, rituals and sacraments to fill the tangible spiritual void felt when one has no authentic, personal, spiritual contact with God.
It is supremely important to realize that NO outward religious ceremony, ritual or sacrament can bring one to Christ Jesus. Outwardly religious ceremonies are worthless, outwardly religious rituals are powerless and outwardly religious sacraments are suspect!
When one is NOT "Born-Again", piously devout humans depend on outward religious ceremonies, rituals and sacraments to fill the tangible spiritual void felt when one has no authentic, personal, spiritual contact with God.
It is supremely important to realize that NO outward religious ceremony, ritual or sacrament can bring one to Christ Jesus. Outwardly religious ceremonies are worthless, outwardly religious rituals are powerless and outwardly religious sacraments are suspect!
The issue is whether, or not, one is "Born-Again".
Being "Born-Again" gives one the opportunity to be taught by the Holy Spirit about the true meaning of however much of the Holy Scriptures one has read and absorbed.
When the Holy Spirit Of God teaches one the "Truth" from the Scriptures one will (then) see the sins in their life that need to be confessed and repented-of, never to be committed again. And, you need to KNOW! the Word Of God to recognize the lies of Satan.
Without being "Born-Again" one will never be changed from an un-saved sinner to a saved sinner, and no one can effectively change themself...
When the Holy Spirit Of God teaches one the "Truth" from the Scriptures one will (then) see the sins in their life that need to be confessed and repented-of, never to be committed again. And, you need to KNOW! the Word Of God to recognize the lies of Satan.
Without being "Born-Again" one will never be changed from an un-saved sinner to a saved sinner, and no one can effectively change themself...
....NOT to God's satisfaction !
Being "Born-Again" frees (releases) one from "Religion", those former powerless rituals, those former worthless ceremonies, those former suspect sacraments - NOT found in the Holy Scriptures - which had comprised one's former "Religious" and spiritual beliefs or practices.
The world is full of pious and devout "Religious" practitioners seeking and questing after transcendental contact and experiences with God...
....While truly "Born-Again" believers in Christ Jesus have THAT much-sought-after spiritual contact with the REAL God which the other seekers and questers so ardently endeavor to encounter!
Experientially, those who truly ARE spiritually "Born-Again" KNOW IT. And they can tangibly FEEL IT just as well as everyone else who have been physically born (and are alive today) know and can tangibly feel their own physical existence.
Christ Jesus said: "Come To Me"
After The Five Thousand Were Fed...
The Gospel Of John, Chapter 6
35 - Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
36 - But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.
37 - All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
38 - For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39 - This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40 - For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (NASB)
People don't realize that after Christ Jesus offers them "Life" that there is a "Lifestyle" which goes along with that "New Life"!
Obedience to the Word Of God is that "Lifestyle".
God does not just call you to salvation through your belief in Christ Jesus, after your salvation God calls you to obedience to His Word.
You had better believe it!
Any self-professed Christian who disputes obedience does not know or accept Scriptural evidence.
God indicates quite clearly that it is your post-salvation obedience which causes Him to realize that you actually DO love Him as He wishes to be loved.
A fully informed (on your part) relationship; which can lead you to the oft-spoken-of communion & fellowship with God, which is so ardently sought-after by God-seekers & transcendental-questers of all sorts; is available to you whom love God enough to discover ALL He has revealed in His Word, Witness, Testimony and Counsel (The Bible).
God, Himself, promises this!
SIN! is not the biggest problem in this world...
The biggest problem is UNBELIEF...
And UNBELIEF! always leads to DISOBEDIENCE!
For God will NOT! shower you with blessings when you are in DISOBEDIENCE!
Just look at the nation Israel, from Moses-thru-Jesus, as a world-class example of DISOBEDIENCE!
"What people believe prevails over the truth.
But the consequences of one's beliefs come at a price
when one ignores reality and disregards the truth."
--- Sophocles ---
God will always deal with you about TRUTH before He deals with you about the sin in your life & your obedience to His Word.
You must fully immerse yourself in His Word (like a type of Baptism) in order to know His spiritual truth.
You MUST do this in order to recognize the sin in your life, & do this in order to come to the point where you let Christ Jesus live in you (yielding your control over to Him) in order for Him to bring you into obedience to God, The Father.
There is NO other "Way"! Most of today's spiritual seekers, today's transcendental questers, are outside the Body of Christ: Which means, they are NOT SAVED! There are FAR more souls, worldwide, seeking God in places & ways where God can NOT be found, than there are Scripturally astute, Holy Spirit taught, Word-oriented / Word-filled Christians who have genuine fellowship & communion with God.
The Gospel Of John, Chapter 6
35 - Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
36 - But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.
37 - All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.
38 - For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
39 - This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.
40 - For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” (NASB)
People don't realize that after Christ Jesus offers them "Life" that there is a "Lifestyle" which goes along with that "New Life"!
Obedience to the Word Of God is that "Lifestyle".
God does not just call you to salvation through your belief in Christ Jesus, after your salvation God calls you to obedience to His Word.
You had better believe it!
Any self-professed Christian who disputes obedience does not know or accept Scriptural evidence.
God indicates quite clearly that it is your post-salvation obedience which causes Him to realize that you actually DO love Him as He wishes to be loved.
A fully informed (on your part) relationship; which can lead you to the oft-spoken-of communion & fellowship with God, which is so ardently sought-after by God-seekers & transcendental-questers of all sorts; is available to you whom love God enough to discover ALL He has revealed in His Word, Witness, Testimony and Counsel (The Bible).
God, Himself, promises this!
SIN! is not the biggest problem in this world...
The biggest problem is UNBELIEF...
And UNBELIEF! always leads to DISOBEDIENCE!
For God will NOT! shower you with blessings when you are in DISOBEDIENCE!
Just look at the nation Israel, from Moses-thru-Jesus, as a world-class example of DISOBEDIENCE!
"What people believe prevails over the truth.
But the consequences of one's beliefs come at a price
when one ignores reality and disregards the truth."
--- Sophocles ---
God will always deal with you about TRUTH before He deals with you about the sin in your life & your obedience to His Word.
You must fully immerse yourself in His Word (like a type of Baptism) in order to know His spiritual truth.
You MUST do this in order to recognize the sin in your life, & do this in order to come to the point where you let Christ Jesus live in you (yielding your control over to Him) in order for Him to bring you into obedience to God, The Father.
There is NO other "Way"! Most of today's spiritual seekers, today's transcendental questers, are outside the Body of Christ: Which means, they are NOT SAVED! There are FAR more souls, worldwide, seeking God in places & ways where God can NOT be found, than there are Scripturally astute, Holy Spirit taught, Word-oriented / Word-filled Christians who have genuine fellowship & communion with God.
It is because anyone could grow enormously in the knowledge of God's Word (and yet be lacking in the scriptural and spiritual understanding normally provided to "BORN-AGAIN" Christian believers, by God's Divine Grace, through the teaching Ministry of the Holy Spirit) we should all be vigilant about the intentions of our heart.
For "Theology", alone, does not guarantee a practical "Religion" or a form of Worship that is acceptable to God. About which, see: Matthew 15:7-9 and Mark 7:6-7
For "Theology", alone, does not guarantee a practical "Religion" or a form of Worship that is acceptable to God. About which, see: Matthew 15:7-9 and Mark 7:6-7
✔ The Christian concept of "BORN-AGAIN" was not a new concept instituted at the first "Christian" Pentecost.
✔ That first "Christian" Pentecost occurred on the Hebrew's High Holy Day ("Pilgrimage" Sabbath) of Shavuot (Pentecost).
✔ But, the Hebrew's "Mikvah" (ritual immersion) of baptism unto repentance was a concept which existed for more than a thousand (1,000+) years BEFORE the first "Christian" Pentecost.
✔ John-The-Baptist baptized Jews unto repentance 3½ years BEFORE the advent of the first "Christian" Pentecost.
✔ And, John-The-Baptist was baptizing Jews unto repentance even BEFORE Christ Jesus came to also be baptized.
✔ That Hebrew "Mikvah" (ritual immersion) of baptism unto repentance was most closely associated with the day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
✔ And it is highly likely that Christ Jesus came to be baptized on Yom Kippur.
✔ Converts to Judaism (who were not ethnic, genetic Hebrews) performed the "Mikvah" (ritual immersion) of baptism to officially complete their conversion.
✔ The Gentile convert went down under the water as a non-Jewish heathen and came up out of the water as a Jewish believer in Yahweh (haShem, the God of Abraham).
✔ That point in a Gentile's conversion to Judaism, where they come up out of the water a Hebrew, is called a "new birth".
✔ This Hebrew "new birth" concept was a forerunner which predated and presaged (as an example) the Christian concept of "BORN-AGAIN".
✔ And because of THIS! well-known, long-established Hebrew "BORN-AGAIN" concept (the "new birth"), Christ Jesus chided Nicodemus for questioning the spiritual concept of "BORN-AGAIN", which was a concept that Nicodemus (a "teacher" of the Hebrews) should have thoroughly comprehended and should have completely understood. (See: John 3:1-21)
✔ That first "Christian" Pentecost occurred on the Hebrew's High Holy Day ("Pilgrimage" Sabbath) of Shavuot (Pentecost).
✔ But, the Hebrew's "Mikvah" (ritual immersion) of baptism unto repentance was a concept which existed for more than a thousand (1,000+) years BEFORE the first "Christian" Pentecost.
✔ John-The-Baptist baptized Jews unto repentance 3½ years BEFORE the advent of the first "Christian" Pentecost.
✔ And, John-The-Baptist was baptizing Jews unto repentance even BEFORE Christ Jesus came to also be baptized.
✔ That Hebrew "Mikvah" (ritual immersion) of baptism unto repentance was most closely associated with the day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.
✔ And it is highly likely that Christ Jesus came to be baptized on Yom Kippur.
✔ Converts to Judaism (who were not ethnic, genetic Hebrews) performed the "Mikvah" (ritual immersion) of baptism to officially complete their conversion.
✔ The Gentile convert went down under the water as a non-Jewish heathen and came up out of the water as a Jewish believer in Yahweh (haShem, the God of Abraham).
✔ That point in a Gentile's conversion to Judaism, where they come up out of the water a Hebrew, is called a "new birth".
✔ This Hebrew "new birth" concept was a forerunner which predated and presaged (as an example) the Christian concept of "BORN-AGAIN".
✔ And because of THIS! well-known, long-established Hebrew "BORN-AGAIN" concept (the "new birth"), Christ Jesus chided Nicodemus for questioning the spiritual concept of "BORN-AGAIN", which was a concept that Nicodemus (a "teacher" of the Hebrews) should have thoroughly comprehended and should have completely understood. (See: John 3:1-21)
New Testament references to reading and knowing the Holy Scriptures all refer to reading and knowing the HEBREW'S Holy Scriptures. (Today's Christian "OLD Testament" - aka: The "Tanakh")
Because, the New Testament had not, yet, been written and assembled at that time.
During the times of Christ Jesus there was no canon of New Testament Scripture. At that time, there was only the canon of Hebrew Holy Scripture in existence.
Because, the New Testament had not, yet, been written and assembled at that time.
During the times of Christ Jesus there was no canon of New Testament Scripture. At that time, there was only the canon of Hebrew Holy Scripture in existence.
REMEMBER THIS
REPENT is the 1st command in the Gospel!
A sinful lifestyle without repentance is spiritual suicide!
All who walk near to God, in holiness and righteousness, are aware that their very best days and actions are mixed and mingled with sin. Being descended from Adam, humans are conceived in sin, and even "saved" souls still walk-around in unregenerate sinful flesh. (About which, see: Paul's Epistle to the Romans)
There are no "saved" saints, only "saved" sinners!
God has given testimony to the sinfulness of the world and the flesh by providing a sufficient, effectual (Levitical) Sacrifice for sin needed in all ages. And the sinfulness of believers themselves is shown by requiring them to confess their sins and to apply by faith to the blood of Christ Jesus.
Plead guilty before God, be humble and willing to confess all of the details and motivations privately; just between you and Christ Jesus. Honestly confess all sins in their full extent, relying wholly on God's mercy and truth through the righteousness of Christ, for a free and full forgiveness and for deliverance from the power and practice of sin.
It's never really THE END eternally, except for some "Religious" fakers & frauds among those other lost souls whom will NOT come to repentance!
You, individually, CAN come to Christ Jesus for forgiveness of your sins!
The farther you get from God, the longer you stay apart or away from God, the harder your heart will become. Until, for YOU, making a commitment to God moves from improbable, to almost impossible, and eventually becomes completely impossible - FOREVER !
Plead guilty before God, be humble and willing to confess all of the details and motivations privately; just between you and Christ Jesus. Honestly confess all sins in their full extent, relying wholly on God's mercy and truth through the righteousness of Christ, for a free and full forgiveness and for deliverance from the power and practice of sin.
It's never really THE END eternally, except for some "Religious" fakers & frauds among those other lost souls whom will NOT come to repentance!
You, individually, CAN come to Christ Jesus for forgiveness of your sins!
The farther you get from God, the longer you stay apart or away from God, the harder your heart will become. Until, for YOU, making a commitment to God moves from improbable, to almost impossible, and eventually becomes completely impossible - FOREVER !
WHY TODAY?
Because, for you, today is THE day of salvation!
No one has a guarantee that they will still be alive tomorrow!
Proverbs 27:1 ||| Isaiah 1:18 ||| Luke 13:5 ||| II Cor. 6:2 ||| Hebrews 4:7 There is no time like the present when you are gambling with your eternal soul! Click Here to pray the prayer of Salvation, NOW !
No one has a guarantee that they will still be alive tomorrow!
Proverbs 27:1 ||| Isaiah 1:18 ||| Luke 13:5 ||| II Cor. 6:2 ||| Hebrews 4:7 There is no time like the present when you are gambling with your eternal soul! Click Here to pray the prayer of Salvation, NOW !
