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The term "Born Again" is one of the most used
phrases among present day religious people. Yet, if asked what the term
"Born Again" means, ninety percent of the world's church members
could not give a clear explanation.
The vital importance of this study is shown in that Jesus said,
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"
(John 3:3). Here Jesus is saying that TO BE BORN AGAIN IS TO BE SAVED.
Being born again is the plan of salvation that Jesus authored at Calvary. It is imperative that we understand what is
required for us to be born again!
All agree that when Jesus went to the cross, he brought in the means of
salvation for everyone who will accept it. But what really happened at Calvary? What can it do for me? How do I accept what
was done there in my own personal life?!
Let us first consider what really happened at Calvary.
There were three steps to the work of Christ to see that these three steps
make up the act of being born again spoken of by Jesus. To die, to be
buried, and to rise again So we see that Jesus through his death, burial, and
resurrection bought for us the plan of being born again spoken of in John
3:3, whereby we receive salvation.
The fact that Jesus purchased a plan of salvation for us is the greatest
news the world has ever received. The thing we must understand is that not
only was it necessary for Jesus to do something, but also it is absolutely
essential for us to act upon what he did. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye
MUST be born again" (John 3:7).
Now the astonishing thing is that Nicodemus was a religious leader of
his day; yet, he had no conception of what it meant to be born again! We
find that the very same thing is true in the day in which we live. Many men
who fill positions of spiritual leadership in our world have no real
understanding of the "Born Again" experience. Nicodemus inquired
of Jesus in John 3:4, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Jesus
answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus, you can't be born again of a woman. The second birth is a
spiritual birth.
Notice that Jesus said without being born again we cannot see or enter
the kingdom
of God. In other
words, we cannot be saved. On the day of Pentecost when Peter preached the
first message after Calvary, the men cried
out, "What must we do?" "Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost"
(Acts 2:38). Here Peter was giving to them the plan of salvation
repentance,baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. If being born again
is to be saved, Peter was evidently talking to them about being born again.
Remember, there were three steps to Calvary The way to accept Calvary in our individual life is to accept the
death,burial, and resurrection of Christ.
We don't have to literally die,literally be buried, and literally rise
again. Jesus was our substitute and did this for us. All we must do is
accept what he did by spiritually dying, symbolically being buried, and
spiritually rising again.
We take on his death by repentance which is spiritual death. When a
person truly repents, he dies out to his own will, renounces it forever,
and vows to live from that time on according to the will of Jesus Christ.
We take on his burial by baptism in water, by immersion into His name.
Romans 6:4 says, "Therefore we are buried with him by
baptism". Baptism MUST be done by immersion; for something cannot be
buried by sprinkling a little dirt on the top of it. That burial after a
few days would certainly prove to be insufficient! Furthermore, EVERY
baptism of which we have Biblical record was administered by immersion.
That alone should determine our course of action on this matter.
Finally, we partake of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the infilling
of the Holy Ghost. This is the new life that enables us to live as a
Christian should.
We see then that being born again means to spiritually die symbolically
be buried. Thus, in plain language an individual must repent of his sins,
be baptized into the name of Jesus Christ by immersion, and receive the
gift of the Holy Ghost. IJohn 5:8 tells us, "And there are three that
bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and
these three agree in one." What is the one thing in which the spirit,
water, and blood agree? Is it not the new birth? Blood covers our sins at
repentance; the waters of baptism wash them away, thus making us clean for
the spirit to come into our lives to dwell. When the Roman soldiers thrust
the spear into Jesus' side after he died, the scripture tells us that there
came forth blood and water (John 19:34). This was for cleansing of the
nations. It takes blood and water to eradicate sin. Blood is the cleansing
agent, and water is the flushing agent. When a jar is washed for canning,
soap AND water are necessary to cleanse that jar so that it might be filled
with good fruit. Likewise, blood and water are necessary to cleanse the
human soul so that it may receive the spirit of Christ which is the Holy
Ghost. This teaching was verified by Peter when he said, "Repent and
be baptized FOR the REMISSION of SINS" (Acts 2:38). Repentance and
baptism are both absolutely essential for the remission of sins!
Paul taught that the three steps of Calvary
was the gospel that we should preach. In I Corinthians 15:1-4 he tells us,
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also
ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless ye
have BELIEVED IN VAIN. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I
also received, how that Christ DIED for our sins according to the
scriptures; And that he was BURIED, and that he ROSE AGAIN the third day
according to the scriptures:". Paul went on the say in II
Thessalonians 1:7-8, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when
the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. In
flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT
THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul told us that the gospel is
the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. How can we OBEY the death, burial,
and resurrection as we have previously explained? Notice that the Lord
Jesus is to appear "in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know
not God, and that obey not the gospel." It is absolutely necessary for
every human being to obey the gospel by being BORN AGAIN. Jesus told
Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be BORN AGAIN" (John 3:7).
Old Testament Speaks Of Born Again Plan.
Let us consider another Biblical lesson given to us concerning this
subject.
The Bible teaches us that the things of the Old Testament were types and
shadows of the things to come. When the priests of the law ministered by
offering sacrifices, there were three major steps to their duties.
First they slew the animal to be offered on the brazen altar. The blood
here was shed and caught in a container for use in the Holy Place. The flesh of the animal
was to be consumed by fire. This teaches us of the first step of salvation
sacrifice, and our sins are covered by the blood of Jesus.
After the shedding of blood, the priests were ordered to wash at the
laver and to cleanse themselves with water in preparation for entering the Holy Place. The
laver, a round fountain-like structure, was overlaid in the bottom with a
looking glass. When the priests bent over to wash, he was able to see
himself so that he could be sure that he was clean. When an individual is
baptized, he should examine himself to be sure that he is leaving the world
behind once and for all. We see then that the second step of the tabernacle
ministration plainly teaches us of water baptism. Blood and water cleansed
them to prepare them for entry into the Holy Place, even as blood and water
cleanses us in preparation of receiving the Holy One into our lives! After
cleansing, the priest would then take the fire from off of the brazen altar
and would enter through the veil into the Holy Place. The Holy Place had no doors or windows
through which light could come. The only light to be provided here was to
come from the golden candlesticks. These candlesticks consisted of seven
wicks fed by oil from seven bowls. The wicks had to be lit with the fire
brought by the priest from the brazen altar. The uniting at the
candlesticks of the oil and fire to produce light is a perfect type of the
Holy Ghost and fire promised to New Testament believers (Matthew 3:11).
Without the light of the Holy Ghost, we could not see to live in the Holy Place
which is where every Christian should live. God spoke of His great plan of
redemption in the Old Testament in types and shadows; and then in the New
Testament He spoke plainly to us so that we would have no doubt of His
will! Once again we recall the words of 1 John 5:8, "There are three
that bear witness in the earth, the SPIRIT, the WATER, and the BLOOD; and
these three agree in one". This Old Testament lesson beautifully
reaffirms to us the absolute necessity of the full Born Again plan in each
life for salvation!
Some Common Misconceptions.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
Acts 16:30-31 reads this way, "Sirs, what must I do to be
saved?" And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Many have taken this scripture to
teach that all that is required for salvation is to believe that Jesus
Christ is the Savior of the world; and from that point on, the individual
is saved. It is definitely true that an individual must believe that Jesus
is the Savior in order to be saved.
However, Paul, who spoke these words in Acts 16, has some further
teaching on the subject in Romans 10:13-15. Let's consider the text:
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him OF WHOM they have not heard? and how shall
they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be
sent?" If we wanted to be absurd, we could take this thirteenth verse
to teach that all an individual must do for salvation is to call out the
name of Jesus one time and he has received salvation. Paul tells us they
can't call on him in whom they have not believed. Furthermore, he said that
they can't believe in him OF WHOM they have not heard. We cannot merely
believe. We must believe SOMETHING about Christ. When Paul told the jailer
in Acts 16 to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he went on to speak unto
him the word of the Lord (verse 32). The word which Paul spake was
apparently the GOSPEL; for the result in verse 33 was that the jailer and
all his house were baptized at midnight. That's how essential baptism is
for salvation. Paul took all these people out AT MIDNIGHT and baptized
them!
Some would object here by saying that we are saved by faith alone. It is
true that we are saved by faith, but it is also true that true faith always
produces action on the part of the believer. Let's study from James 2:14-22
to verify this point.
"What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith,
and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked,
and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace,
be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things
which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith if it
hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith,
and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee
my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest
well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man,
that faith without works IS DEAD? Was not Abraham our father justified by
works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thus how
faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?"
When an individual believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, what do they
believe about him? They believe the gospel, which is the death, burial, and
resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-4). James teaches us that faith without
action is dead, or it is not really faith at all. When a sinner hears the
true gospel and truly believes, he will obey the gospel. An individual
obeys the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by repentance, baptism,
in Jesus' name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking
with other tongues. (Write for our free booklet "Tongues - Devilish or
Divine"). This is the salvation of Calvary!
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith
made perfect?" (or complete).
If you are still having trouble conceding to this teaching because of
the element of works involved, let's reason concerning one more point.
Being born again is not considered by God to be a work. In Titus 3:5 we are
taught, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the
renewing of the Holy Ghost;". This scripture tells us that
regeneration which is being born again is NOT a work of righteousness.
Concluding this matter, we will cite a familiar Biblical example. In the
great revival at Samaria
in Acts 8:5-23, a sorcerer named Simon heard the preaching of Philip. He
believed and was baptized and continued with Philip beholding the signs and
miracles which were done. Many people would say that because Simon
believed, he was saved. Yet the Apostle Peter said of him in Acts 8:23,
"For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the
bond of iniquity."
It is impossible for anyone in the bond of iniquity to be saved; for the
scriptures tell us, "if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Simon believed and was baptized,
but he had not received the Holy Ghost; therefore, he was not born again.
We cannot be half-born and survive. The entire work of Calvary is necessary
for our salvation.
The thief on the cross.
Many have asked, "If an individual must repent, be baptized, and
receive the Holy Ghost for salvation, how was the thief on the cross with
Jesus saved?"
(Luke 23:38-43). First of all, it was impossible for anyone to be born
again at this time, for the born again plan was not yet complete. Jesus had
not died, been buried, and risen again. God has always had a plan of salvation
for each dispensation of time. In Noah's day the only way of salvation was
to get in the ark. In Moses' day the only plan was the law. In the church
dispensation, the only way to be saved is to be born again. Jesus told
Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be Born Again."
Conclusion
May we point out as we conclude this study that we have been given the
first church and the Apostles after which to pattern our teaching and
practices.
In each recorded account of conversions under the Apostles' ministries,
the three steps of being born again are evident. In Acts 2:38, it was
repentance, baptism, and the Holy Ghost. In Acts 8:12, Acts 10:44-48, and
Acts 19:1-6, we find the born again experience taught and received. Why
should we vary from this practice when we are to be built on the foundation
of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
cornerstone?
Do not allow anything to turn you aside from this truth AGAIN. If you
haven't as yet, you should do so TODAY!
For more information or assistance on the above subject, please call or
write us.
© Spirit & Truth Publications
Produced by
Endtime, Inc.
P.O. Box 2066, Richmond, IN 47375-2066
Information: (765)-962-6344
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