Salvation? Born Again?

What Does It All Mean?

If you haven’t as of yet had a "born again" experience, let me explain a little bit about what it means to be a "Born Again Christian."

You might be saying to yourself: "What do you mean: Have you been born again?" In John 3:3, Jesus says, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Now you might be saying, "Well, how do I become ‘born again?’" or "What do I have to do to become saved?" The very first step to salvation is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29). That doesn’t mean just believing that historically there was a Jesus, or even believing that He was the Son of God. Being born again means that God has adopted us as His own children. Jesus Christ is our big brother. Through the process of salvation, we become the children of God, which means we then become heirs of God, who is the King of Kings!

While hanging on the cross, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "It is finished!" And he bowed His head and died. But after the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. He became victorious over his enemies, and because He lives, you too can live eternally also. All you have to do is accept Him, as your personal Savior! This is what is called being "born again," giving your life completely to Christ.

The next process of becoming a child of God or being "born again" is realizing you are a sinner, and humbly asking God to forgive you of your sins. The Bible says, "The soul who sins shall DIE" (Ezekiel 18:4). Each and every one of us was born into sin. We must recognize that we are sinners, and we need a Savior. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:8-9).

Romans 10:9-10 states: "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 heart one believes righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

In simple childlike faith, come to God, as you would go to a friend. Ask Him to forgive you of all the sins you have committed. You could say something like this: "I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for me and then rose again on the third day. God, I ask you to be merciful to me. I am a sinner. forgive me of all my sins! make me a new creature in Jesus. Amen!"

That’s all there is to it! It is that simple! The change is so complete that Jesus called it "rebirth" in John 3:3. The Scriptures refer to the "reborn" individual as a babe in Christ. This is why Christians use the term "born again."

The newborn babe in Christ, like the baby born of the flesh, has to have proper care, nourishment, and training in order to become an effective, mature Christian. Prayer, reading your Bible, and attending a church is part of the life-long process of striving to be like Jesus Christ!

May God bless you in a way that is beyond your imagination!

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