How to be Born Again

and Assured of Heaven

 

 

Introduction.  In John 3:7, Jesus made this very pointed and emphatic statement, “You must be born again,” not caring whether or not some modern-day people or denominations would like the phrase and His wording.  They are the carefully chosen, eternal words of the omniscient Son of God.

 

Absolutely nothing is more important in life than being born again of the Spirit of God, knowing Him personally, being saved from eternal death and judgment, knowing for sure that you are going to heaven, and experiencing God’s pardon, purpose, peace, power.  These are free—all a blessing of grace (unmerited favor) provided by the sacrifice of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrew: Yeshua haMeschiah).

 

This is the “gospel,” which literally means “good news.”  It truly is “the most joyful news ever announced,” as the angels proclaimed at His birth some 2,000 years ago.

 

Some say that this free gift of grace offered by God is too good to be true. Well, it is good, and it is true.  Only an infinitely loving and all-powerful God could have conceived of this!  Others say that all this surely cannot be free, and we have to add something to it.  Cults and non-Christian religions always try to add to it, an offense to God and what His Son did. There is nothing we can add to His great sacrifice.

 

Why did God do it?  Because He loves you, and He wants you to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  Don't miss out!

 

Steps to salvation

 

1.       God’s love.  The Bible reveals that God loves you very much, so much so that He paid the ultimate price for you.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).  Jesus also said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

2.       Man’s separation from God.  God is holy, perfect, and pure.  Humans are sinful and imperfect.  We are separated from God; thus, we cannot know Him without His intervention.  “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  In this state we would be separated from Him forever, in spiritual darkness, in a place or state of existence the Bible calls hell.

3.       God’s solution.   God is perfect justice.  He cannot violate His own attributes, one of which is perfect justice.  But He is also perfect love, and He longs to bless us and fellowship with us.  Did God have a dilemma?  No, because His perfect wisdom combined with His perfect love to provide a perfect solution.  He would send His Son Jesus Christ to pay the penalty for our sins.  “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).  “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

4.       Our decision!  It is not enough to just know the above, we must individually receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord before we can experience the blessings and benefits of what He did for us, including forgiveness and eternal life.  “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

5.       Jesus is speaking to you today.  He says, “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

 

The Bible says that we must repent, which means to “turn,” or change direction.  Turn from your life of unbelief to belief, from a life of disregarding God to one of recognizing and honoring Him, from a life of willful sin (disobedience) to a life of obedience, as God shows you and with His help.

 

You can receive Him right now by a simple but sincere prayer.  Here is a suggested prayer:

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross for my sins, and that you rose from the grave.  I ask you to forgive my sins, and I invite you into my heart to be my Lord and Savior.  Take control of my life and help me to be what you want me to be.  By faith, I now thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life.  Amen.

 

And amen!