Born-Again


Some people might say, “I don’t believe in God”. 
Okay, but read this before you scroll out. 

Second, some might ask ‘Why do we need peace with God? He is where he is, I’m where I am, so there, hmm? 
Think ‘justice’ and ‘mercy’, and the conflict inherent in putting those two words in one sentence. 

Beloved, there will come a time when our bodies die, yet we will continue to exist, either with God in a place called Heaven, 
or apart from Him, against our will, in a place called Hell. 

If I had to define Christianity in a few sentences, it would be as follows:. 

1) There is a Being called God; a three-part Being, who created everything and owns everything and everyone. 
2) There was never a time when God didn’t exist, and we will exist forever. From conception,we are headed for the destination we arrange through our choices. 
3) God gave us Divine scripture, (the current contract is The New Testament), to guide humans through each phase of God’s plan for our lives. 
4) Those who want God, will respond scripture, and God Himself will lead them, through His Holy Spirit, proper church leadership and the New Testament. 
5) Those who don’t want God are acting like Lucifer when he struck out on his own, and will be treated accordingly. 
6) Even those who are open to a relationship with God, have sinned against Him. 
7) In part, understanding God’s love for us, is understanding that Jesus is the second part of the Holy Trinity, 
    and that He came to earth to teach us about God, and to pay for the sins that we have committed, that would otherwise keep us out of heaven. 
8) Because of our sins, we are helpless and hopeless against the justice of God, except through the pre-ordained mercy of God, 
     which offers all of us forgiveness. 
9) This forgiveness comes  through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ hanging on the Cross as a substitute for our sins. 
10) Just as an ex-offender can’t do certain things here in America, one who has sinned can’t get to heaven without having their record being expunged, 
     which is what becoming born-again does. 

I don’t want anyone to think they need me to get to heaven. I’m not necessary, but I have useful information, that could easily be found elsewhere. 
The New Testament is available on the internet. The NIV is the easiest Bible version to read, for modern Americans. 

Next, let me repeat these ten sentences and give Bible verses that support these claims. Notice that I also use passages from the Old Testament; it is rich in history and truths about God, yet the New Testament is our current contract with God. 

1) There is a Being called God; a three-part Being, (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), who created everything and owns everything and everyone. Jesus speaks here, claiming to be the 2nd part of the Holy trinity:  

John 16: 12-15 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” 

Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;…” 
 
2) God has always existed, and we will exist forever, from the time we were conceived, headed for the destination we arrange through our choices. 
Psalm 90:2: Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 
 
3) He gave us Divine scripture, currently The New Testament, to guide us through each phase of His plan for our lives. 
2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

4) Those who want God, will be responsive to Holy scripture, and God Himself will lead them. 
John 14: 15-17: “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 

5) Those who don’t want God, they are acting like Lucifer when he struck out on his own,  and they will be treated accordingly. 
Jude 1: 5-7: 5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 7 In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 

6) Even those open to a relationship with God have sinned against Him. 
The Apostle Paul said in Romas 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (Romans 7:15-20) 

7) Part of understanding God’s love for us is: 
Understand that Jesus is the second part of the Holy Trinity, and came to earth to teach us about God 
and to pay for the sins that we have committed that keep us out of heaven. 
John 3:16: 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. 

8) Because of our sins, we are helpless and hopeless against the justice of God, except through the pre-ordained mercy of God, which offers us forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ hanging on the Cross as a substitute for our sins. 
Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

9) Just as an ex-offender can’t do certain things here in America, one who has sinned can’t get to heaven without their record being expunged, which is what becoming born-again does. 
Romans 7:21-25: 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! 
(This was written by the Apostle Paul) Paul could say this because he had become born-again. It is strange for a Christian to be a Jew-hater, because the first Christians were Jewish). 

10) The process of becoming born-again, though on one hand, is as unfathomable as God Himself, but on the other hand, Salvation is as simple as the process of adoption. Adoption: Ideally, a needy child is adopted by a capable family or adult and the child grows in a health adult. In salvation, our omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God, adopts us miserable creatures and transforms us into little clones of Himself. 

And… I believe that God made us male and female, and created marriage partly as a parable. Just as a functional man has an innate desire for a woman, so does God have an innate desire for people. He pursues and sacrifices, to gain those who He can make acceptable for His companionship. 

Given what Paul said in Romans 7, how can any human be an acceptable companion for God? 
Here: 1 John: 3:2: Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 
“…We shall be like him”. How then, can He not accept us; those that have follow Him in our wretched imperfections? 

If this piece is helpful to you, you should pray to God for your salvation and seeking a church that can help you along your journey. 
There are false churches out there, so I urge you to use similar guidelines I have offered to people looking for forgiveness who have had abortions. 

Here is the link: https://the32112020.com/1_117_repentance.html 

Eric J. Rose