You must be born again
There is a God who made you. He is the same God who created the heavens and the earth.
You can say you don’t believe in Him – but that is not a get-out-of-jail-free-card. There is a price to be paid for your disbelief.
Just like there are people who decide they don’t want to obey laws, there are people who don’t want to believe in God or follow His commands. The criminal still has to go to jail, still not liking those laws. The sinner must still be punished, while still disbelieving in God.
Saying you don’t believe, or have not heard, or got confused, is not an excuse you are allowed to make…
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1: 19 – 21)
Every person born on this earth, from the first man to the very last, will stand before God and give an accounting for their life.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,[a] and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. (Revelation 20: 12 – 13)
This is not an invitation you can ignore. You can’t opt out because you choose to not believe. You will be there and your life will be exposed before a Holy God. Will you be ready?
There is only one way to get ready. You must be born again.
If you are not born again, you will answer to God for your sins and pay the full price (punishment). Romans 6: 23 tells us what that punishment is: 23″ For the wages of sin is death, …” This is not the physical death of your body here on earth, this is a spiritual death that includes torment and separation from the love of God. You were created in the image of God, your soul and spirit will exist apart from your earthly body for eternity; either with God or apart from God.
Make no mistake, Hell will not be a party for sinners. There will be horrible suffering and despair. There will be no friends, no companions, no one to suffer with and possibly alleviate some of the pain and anguish. The unsaved will be alone in their torment.
But God offers a free gift to you, because He loves you. The rest of Romans 6:23 tells us what that is: “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
You may ask how God can punish with torment in hell if He is a loving God. If God were to allow sinners in heaven, He would not be Holy. If God graded on a curve, He would not be Holy. If God conveniently overlooked your tiny mistakes, He would not be Holy. God is Holy and He will not tolerate sin. His standard is impossible for us to reach…
8 “ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
9 “ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55: 8-9)
But God still loves you and does not want you to be lost. Since you cannot meet God’s standard of perfection and gain entry to heaven, God himself provided the way for you. You must be born again.
Only through the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Son of God, can anyone be allowed into fellowship with God and enter into His heaven. This was accomplished by Christ on the cross. He laid down His own life, so that you might have eternal life.
Only your spiritual death could satisfy God’s Holy wrath for your sin. But He doesn’t want that so He provided the way out. Only the blood of His only Son, Jesus, could fully satisfy God’s anger and wrath towards sin; not just for you and me but for the whole human race.
Only His blood can take away your sin. Only His love and mercy can save you.
You must be born again.
Why must you be born again? Why does it have to be that way? Because that is how God planned it. 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(John 3: 3)
So how can you be born again? The book of Romans in the Bible provides the answer:
1. Know and acknowledge that you are a sinner. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Know and understand that sin must be punished by a Holy God. Romans 6:23 says, “for the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
3. Know and believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Romans 5: 8 says, “but God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
4. Confess that Jesus is Lord, out loud. Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
5. Rest in the knowledge of salvation. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
You have God’s promise that you will be saved and not held accountable for your sin if you will only live for Him and not yourself. You can accomplish this in a simple prayer. But understand that the prayer itself is not what saves you. You can’t just mouth words and fool God. It is what happens in your heart that God responds to . If you are sincere and truly want His free gift of salvation, He will know and He promises to give it. If you want this free gift of love and want to know that if you die today you will be with Him in paradise, then say this prayer…
God, I know that I am a sinner. I have lived selfishly for myself and as a result I have sinned against you. Please forgive me. I want the free gift of salvation that is only given through the blood of your Son, Jesus. Please come into my life, cleanse me, renew me and make me your child. Teach me your Word and show me how to live for you. Thank you Lord Jesus for dying for me. Thank you for loving me and showing me mercy and grace when I deserve only death. Help me to live for you now. Amen.
You are not quite done. You need to tell someone – confess with your mouth. It could be someone in your family, a pastor at church you have not attended for a long time or even your neighbor. You could even leave a comment on this post and tell me that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Just tell someone. Then be baptized.
Baptism does not save you. It is only a public confession that you will now live for God and love only Him. Jesus gave this command just before He ascended into heaven: Matthew 28: 18-19 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
You must confess then you must be baptized.
There is only one thing left to say… Welcome to the wonderful family of God! You have been spiritually born again!
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