Are you born again?

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0><script type="text/javascript" src="http://hb.lycos.com/hb.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://ratings.lycos.com/ratings/lycosRating.js.php"></script> <script type="text/javascript"><![CDATA[//><!]]></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-start.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-middle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/ad/code-end.js"></script> <noscript> <img src="http://members.tripod.com/adm/img/common/ot_noscript.gif?rand=931140" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  <iframe frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" width="728" height="90" src="http://ad.yieldmanager.com/st?ad_type=iframe&ad_size=728x90&section=209094"></iframe>  </noscript> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="03cd4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="P.T. Rapture"><U><B>HOME</b></U></A></div> <div> <B>********************************</b></div> <div> <A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=NIV" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version"><U><IMG SRC="04246210.jpg" border=0 width="70" height="33" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> ********************************</div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.crosssearch.com/Science_and_Social_Science/Theology_and_Issues/Prophecy/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.crosssearch.com/Science_and_S"><U><IMG SRC="0ac57270.gif" border=0 width="87" height="39" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> ********************************</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Lucida Handwriting" ><B>P.T. Rapture</b></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="P.T. Rapture"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> Are you born again?</div> <div> What Do You Mean "Born Again"?</div> <div> Irvin Baxter Jr.</div> <bR> <div> The term "Born Again" is one of the most used phrases among present day religious </div> <div> people. Yet, if asked what the term "Born Again" means, ninety percent of the </div> <div> world's church members could not give a clear explanation. The vital importance of </div> <div> this study is shown in that Jesus said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see </div> <div> the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). </div> <bR> <div> Here Jesus is saying that TO BE BORN AGAIN IS TO BE SAVED. Being born again</div> <div> is the plan of salvation that Jesus authored at Calvary. It is imperative that we </div> <div> understand what is required for us to be born again! </div> <bR> <div> All agree that when Jesus went to the cross, he brought in the means of salvation for </div> <div> everyone who will accept it. But what really happened at Calvary? What can it do for me? </div> <div> How do I accept what was done there in my own personal life?! </div> <bR> <div> Let us first consider what really happened at Calvary. There were three steps to the work </div> <div> of Christ-death, burial, and resurrection. It is very easy to see that these three steps make </div> <div> up the act of being born again spoken of by Jesus. To die, to be buried, and to rise again- </div> <div> that's to be born again. So we see that Jesus through his death, burial, and resurrection </div> <div> bought for us the plan of being born again spoken of in John 3:3, whereby we receive salvation.</div> <bR> <div> The fact that Jesus purchased a plan of salvation for us is the greatest news the world </div> <div> has ever received. The thing we must understand is that not only was it </div> <div> necessary for Jesus to do something, but also it is absolutely essential for us to act upon </div> <div> what he did. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be born again" (John 3:7) </div> <bR> <div> Now the astonishing thing is that Nicodemus was a religious leader of his day; yet, he had </div> <div> no conception of what it meant to be born again! We find that the very same thing is true in </div> <div> the day in which we live. Many men who fill positions of spiritual leadership in our world </div> <div> have no real understanding of the "Born Again" experience. Nicodemus inquired of Jesus </div> <div> in John 3:4, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his </div> <div> mother's womb, and be born?" Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a </div> <div> man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." </div> <bR> <div> Nicodemus, you can't be born again of a woman. The second birth is a spiritual birth. </div> <div> Notice that Jesus said without being born again we cannot see or enter the kingdom </div> <div> of God. In other words, we cannot be saved. On the day of Pentecost when Peter </div> <div> preached the first message after Calvary, the men cried out, "What must we do?" </div> <div> "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name </div> <div> of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the </div> <div> Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). Here Peter was giving to them the plan of salvation </div> <div> repentance, baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost. If being born again is to be </div> <div> saved, Peter was evidently talking to them about being born again. </div> <bR> <div> Remember, there were three steps to Calvary. The way to accept Calvary in our individual </div> <div> life is to accept the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We don't have to literally die, </div> <div> literally be buried, and literally rise again. Jesus was our substitute and did this for us. </div> <div> All we must do is accept what he did by spiritually dying, symbolically being buried, </div> <div> and spiritually rising again. </div> <bR> <div> We take on his death by repentance which is spiritual death. When a person truly repents, </div> <div> he dies out to his own will, renounces it forever, and vows to live from that time on </div> <div> according to the will of Jesus Christ. </div> <bR> <div> We take on his burial by baptism in water, by immersion into His name. Romans 6:4 says, </div> <div> "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism". Baptism MUST be done by immersion; for </div> <div> something cannot be buried by sprinkling a little dirt on the top of it. That burial after a few </div> <div> days would certainly prove to be insufficient! Furthermore, EVERY baptism of which we have</div> <div>  Biblical record was administered by immersion. That alone should determine our course </div> <div> of action on this matter. </div> <bR> <div> Finally, we partake of the resurrection of Jesus Christ by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. </div> <div> This is the new life that enables us to live as a Christian should. </div> <bR> <div> We see then that being born again means to spiritually die - repent, symbolically be buried </div> <div> - baptism, and spiritually rise again - receive the Holy Ghost. </div> <div> Thus, in plain language an individual must repent of his sins, be baptized into the name of </div> <div> Jesus Christ by immersion, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 1John 5:8 tells us, </div> <div> "And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: </div> <div> and these three agree in one." What is the one thing in which the spirit, water, and blood </div> <div> agree? Is it not the new birth? </div> <bR> <div> Blood covers our sins at repentance; the waters of baptism wash them away, thus making </div> <div> us clean for the spirit to come into our lives to dwell. When the Roman soldiers thrust the </div> <div> spear into Jesus' side after he died, the scripture tells us that there came forth blood and </div> <div> water (John 19:34). This was for cleansing of the nations. It takes blood and water to </div> <div> eradicate sin. Blood is the cleansing agent, and water is the flushing agent. When a jar is </div> <div> washed for canning, soap AND water are necessary to cleanse that jar so that it might be </div> <div> filled with good fruit. Likewise, blood and water are necessary to cleanse the human soul </div> <div> so that it may receive the spirit of Christ which is the Holy Ghost. This teaching was </div> <div> verified by Peter when he said, "Repent and be baptized FOR the REMISSION of SINS" </div> <div> (Acts 2:38). Repentance and baptism are both absolutely essential for the </div> <div> remission of sins! </div> <bR> <div> Paul taught that the three steps of Calvary was the gospel that we should preach. In </div> <div> I Corinthians 15:1-4 he tells us, "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the GOSPEL </div> <div> which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By </div> <div> which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless </div> <div> ye have BELIEVED IN VAIN. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also </div> <div> received, how that Christ DIED for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he </div> <div> was BURIED, and that he ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures".</div> <div> Paul went on the say in II Thessalonians 1:7-8, "And to you who are troubled rest </div> <div> with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. </div> <div> In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that OBEY NOT </div> <div> THE GOSPEL of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul told us that the told us that the gospel </div> <div> is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. </div> <bR> <div> How can we OBEY the death, burial, and resurrection? Ghost as we have previously </div> <div> explained. Notice that the Lord Jesus is to appear "in flaming fire taking vengeance </div> <div> on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel." It is absolutely necessary </div> <div> for every human being to obey the gospel by being BORN AGAIN. </div> <div> Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be BORN AGAIN" (John 3:7). </div> <bR> <div> Old Testament Speaks Of Born Again Plan.</div> <bR> <div> Let us consider another Biblical lesson given to us concerning this subject. The Bible </div> <div> teaches us that the things of the Old Testament were types and shadows of the things </div> <div> to come. When the priests of the law ministered by offering sacrifices, there were </div> <div> three major steps to their duties. </div> <bR> <div> First they slew the animal to be offered on the brazen altar. The blood here was shed </div> <div> and caught in a container for use in the Holy Place. The flesh of the animal was to be </div> <div> consumed by fire. This teaches us of the first step of salvation - repentance. when we </div> <div> repent, we present our bodies a living sacrifice, and our sins are covered by the </div> <div> blood of Jesus. </div> <bR> <div> After the shedding of blood, the priests were ordered to wash at the laver and to cleanse </div> <div> themselves with water in preparation for entering the Holy Place. The laver, a round </div> <div> fountain-like structure, was overlaid in the bottom with a looking glass. When the priests </div> <div> bent over to wash, he was able to see himself so that he could be sure that he was clean. </div> <div> When an individual is baptized, he should examine himself to be sure that he is leaving </div> <div> the world behind once and for all. </div> <bR> <div> We see then that the second step of the tabernacle ministration plainly teaches us of </div> <div> water baptism. Blood and water cleansed them to prepare them for entry into the Holy </div> <div> Place, even as blood and water cleanses us in preparation of receiving the Holy One </div> <div> into our lives! After cleansing, the priest would then take the fire from off of the brazen </div> <div> altar and would enter through the veil into the Holy Place. The Holy Place had no doors </div> <div> or windows through which light could come. The only light to be provided here was to </div> <div> come from the golden candlesticks.</div> <bR> <div> These candlesticks consisted of seven wicks fed by oil from seven bowls. The wicks had</div> <div> to be lit with the fire brought by the priest from the brazen altar. The uniting at the </div> <div> candlesticks of the oil and fire to produce light is a perfect type of the Holy Ghost and fire </div> <div> promised to New Testament believers. </div> <bR> <div> (Matthew 3:11). Without the light of the Holy Ghost, we could not see to live in the </div> <div> Holy Place which is where every Christian should live. God spoke of His great plan of </div> <div> redemption in the Old Testament in types and shadows; and then in the New Testament </div> <div> He spoke plainly to us so that we would have no doubt of His will! Once again we recall </div> <div> the words of 1 John 5:8, "There are three that bear witness in the earth, the SPIRIT, the </div> <div> WATER, and the BLOOD; and these three agree in one". This Old Testament lesson </div> <div> beautifully reaffirms to us the absolute necessity of the full Born Again plan in each life </div> <div> for salvation! </div> <bR> <div> Some Common Misconceptions.</div> <div> Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ</div> <bR> <div> Acts 16:30-31 reads this way, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And they said, </div> <div> "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." </div> <div> Many have taken this scripture to teach that all that is required for salvation is to </div> <div> believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world; and from that point on, the </div> <div> individual is saved. It is definitely true that an individual must believe that </div> <div> Jesus is the Savior in order to be saved. However, Paul, who spoke these words </div> <div> in Acts 16, has some further teaching on the subject in Romans 10:13-15. </div> <bR> <div> Let's consider the text: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall </div> <div> be saved. How then shall they call on him OF WHOM they have not heard? </div> <div> and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, </div> <div> except they be sent?" If we wanted to be absurd, we could take this thirteenth </div> <div> verse to teach that all an individual must do for salvation is to call out the name </div> <div> of Jesus one time and he has received salvation. Paul tells us they can't call on him </div> <div> in whom they have not believed. </div> <bR> <div> Furthermore, he said that they can't believe in him OF WHOM they have not heard. </div> <div> We cannot merely believe. We must believe SOMETHING about Christ. When Paul </div> <div> told the jailer in Acts 16 to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he went on to speak unto </div> <div> him the word of the Lord (verse 32). The word which Paul spake was apparently the </div> <div> GOSPEL; for the result in verse 33 was that the jailer and all his house were baptized </div> <div> at midnight. That's how essential baptism is for salvation. </div> <div> Paul took all these people out AT MIDNIGHT and baptized them! </div> <bR> <div> Some would object here by saying that we are saved by faith alone. It is true that we </div> <div> are saved by faith, but it is also true that true faith always produces action on the part </div> <div> of the believer. Let's study from James 2:14-22 to verify this point. </div> <div> "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? </div> <div> can faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And </div> <div> one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding </div> <div> ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even </div> <div> so faith if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, </div> <div> and I have works; shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith </div> <div> by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also </div> <div> believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works </div> <div> IS DEAD? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered </div> <div> Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thus how faith wrought with his works, and </div> <div> by works was faith made perfect?" </div> <bR> <div> When an individual believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, what do they believe about him? </div> <div> They believe the gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection </div> <div> (I Corinthians 15:1-4). James teaches us that faith without action is dead, or it is not </div> <div> really faith at all. When a sinner hears the true gospel and truly believes, he will obey </div> <div> the gospel. An individual obeys the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ by </div> <div> repentance, baptism, in Jesus' name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by </div> <div> speaking with other tongues. (Write for our free booklet "Tongues - Devilish or Divine"). </div> <div> This is the salvation of Calvary! "Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by </div> <div> works was faith made perfect?" (or complete). </div> <bR> <div> If you are still having trouble conceding to this teaching because of the element of works </div> <div> involved, let's reason concerning one more point. Being born again is not considered by </div> <div> God to be a work. In Titus 3:5 we are taught, "Not by works of righteousness which </div> <div> we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, </div> <div> and the renewing of the Holy Ghost;". This scripture tells us that regeneration which is </div> <div> being born again is NOT a work of righteousness. </div> <bR> <div> Concluding this matter, we will cite a familiar Biblical example. In the great revival at </div> <div> Samaria in Acts 8:5-23, a sorcerer named Simon heard the preaching of Philip. He </div> <div> believed and was baptized and continued with Philip beholding the signs and miracles </div> <div> which were done. Many people would say that because Simon believed, he was saved. </div> <div> Yet the Apostle Peter said of him in Acts 8:23, "For I perceive that thou art in the gall </div> <div> of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." </div> <bR> <div> It is impossible for anyone in the bond of iniquity to be saved; for the scriptures tell us, </div> <div> "if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). </div> <div> Simon believed and was baptized, but he had not received the Holy Ghost, </div> <div> therefore, he was not born again. We cannot be half-born and survive. The entire </div> <div> work of Calvary is necessary for our salvation. </div> <bR> <div> The thief on the cross.</div> <bR> <div> Many have asked, "If an individual must repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy </div> <div> Ghost for salvation, how was the thief on the cross with Jesus saved?" </div> <div> (Luke 23:38-43). First of all, it was impossible for anyone to be born again at this </div> <div> time, for the born again plan was not yet complete. Jesus had not died, been buried, </div> <div> and risen again. God has always had a plan of salvation for each dispensation of time. </div> <div> In Noah's day the only way of salvation was to get in the ark. In Moses' day the only </div> <div> plan was the law. In the church dispensation, the only way to be saved is to be </div> <div> born again. Jesus told Nicodemus, "Ye MUST be Born Again." </div> <bR> <div> Conclusion </div> <bR> <div> May we point out as we conclude this study that we have been given the first church </div> <div> and the Apostles after which to pattern our teaching and practices. </div> <div> In each recorded account of conversions under the Apostles' ministries, the three </div> <div> steps of being born again are evident. In Acts 2:38, it was repentance, baptism, </div> <div> and the Holy Ghost. </div> <bR> <div> In Acts 8:12, Acts 10:44-48, and Acts 19:1-6, we find the born again experience </div> <div> taught and received. Why should we vary from this practice when we are to be built </div> <div> on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being </div> <div> the chief cornerstone? </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id26_m.htm" TITLE="Are you born again?"><U><B>Top of Page</b></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>