Jesus said unless you are born again one cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. (John 3:3) This confused Nicodemus, who was a religious leader. The concept of being “born again” perplexed him. Nicodemus said to Jesus, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
The same is true today. Religious leaders as well as many others are confused. How can a person be born twice?
It’s not a difficult concept to understand. All are born physically. No one is born spiritually until he/she believes on the Lord Jesus Christ; no need to show emotions, speak in tongues, or water baptism. You become a child of God by faith in Jesus Christ. (Gal. 3:26)You have passed from death (spiritual) to spiritual life, receiving everlasting life as a free gift. God regenerates you immediately when you believe the gospel. It’s an action by God that you believe by faith. It’s your second birth.
A Young Man born Twice
Last year I had an privilege to witness to a group of three young men in their early teens. One of them immediately said to me that it was his spiritual birthday. The prior year he had stopped by our tent at the fair and received Jesus Christ as his Savior. The evangelist wrote his name down on a card, dated it, and marked it as his spiritual birthday. He brought a couple buddies back to have them hear the gospel hoping they would be “born again”.
That incident had an impact on me because most Christians do not understand that concept. We judge people on their behavior as to whether they are really saved, not on what they have believed. Much of Christianity is works driven rather than faith driven.
A Spiritual Birthday Card
The young man got it. He understood he was born a second time when he believed the gospel. I like the concept of a spiritual birthday card. It’s a reminder of Who saved me and when I was saved from the penalty of sin. I think it might look something like this:
Profession of Faith on one side
Other Side
Jesus compared salvation from the penalty of sin to the Israelites being saved physically from the serpent’s bite when they were in the wilderness. They had to look once to the pole made by Moses and they would live. Whoever looks to Jesus, believing who He is and what He did, is saved immediately and forever from the penalty of sin [eternal death in the Lake of Fire]. It’s what the Bible defines as justification by faith. It’s the beginning of our faith journey. Have you been justified by faith? Have you been born a second time?
For more on how to be born again and saved from the penalty of sin check out the assurance page.
” And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ” John 3:14-18
Assurance of Heaven
An abundant life in God begins when you that know you are a child of God; completely forgiven and restored. The moment you trust in Him, you are saved from the penalty of sin. You can be assured of your place in Heaven. Truly understanding the Gospel is necessary for assurance and living a life pleasing to God. Read on and take the first step toward discovering the assurance of Heaven and finding confidence in your belief in the Lord.
Assurance of Heaven 