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From Time To Eternity 

                                                         Rev. Reginald Stevens 

                                                                                                            April 4, 2018 

You Must Be Born Again 

Greetings my friends, grace, and peace to you in the name of our great God,  in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I thank God for you and this opportunity that He has given me to share His word with you, to increase your knowledge in His word, to enable us to defend the gospel, with wisdom and understanding, so that you can be instrumental in helping others to make a conscious decision to born again by choosing Jesus as their savior. Lord, please bless this effort in Jesus name Amen. 

I have asked numerous people if they had been saved. Many of their answers were very interesting. Their answers were similar.  One of the answers is, I use to go to church when I was young. Or my grandmother would take me to church with her when I was a kid. If I would have asked is your grandmother saved, the answer would be a definitive yes. This is similar to the Jewish people claiming their salvation is guaranteed because of their being descendants of Abraham (John 8:39).  This is erroneous and fatal. 

Along with this erroneous thinking, we devise our own plan of salvation just in case the grandmother theory doesn’t work. We seem to have some knowledge concerning salvation. This knowledge is innate. Such as, we know that God exists, with that knowledge we know that we are accountable to God for our actions (Romans 2:15). God wrote His laws upon our hearts, this is the reason God knows that we know the difference between right and wrong.  Our plan is to experience life and the things that the world has to offer. Then I will do a lot of good works, such as help the sick, feed the poor, and just be a good Samaritan. I figure that I won’t have to depend on what God did for me before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4). I won’t have to rely on the provisions God made for me out of His love for me, God may change his mind. This is what I devise to do, I will do so much good that when God compare my goodness with my evil works, He will be obligated to allow me a seat at the table in heavenly places. This is an erroneously devised plan and an eternally fatal mistake. Jesus said, “I Am the way and the truth and the life, no one can come to my Father unless it is by Me. 

My friends God is not obligated to anyone for anything. God isn’t dependent on anyone for anything. The fact of the matter is everything and everyone is dependent on God. The one thing we would like to be assured, just as Nicodemus wanted to be assured that what He had been doing is acceptable before God ensuring his place in heaven. Jesus Told Him you must be Born again. Nicodemus was perplexed, He was confused and couldn’t understand how a person can be born again. The Birth that Jesus is referring to is spiritual.  The only way you can be born of the spirit is to believe in God’s Son and the work He did on our behalf, by dying on the cross for our sins. The moment you believe in Jesus, that is when you are born again. It is not dependent on any work you have done to earn it. The new birth is a work of God. Everyone comes the same way, and that way is through Jesus. The moment you are saved the Holy Spirit baptizes you into the Church (Acts 1:5).  You are permanently indwelled By the Holy Spirit, and you are sealed by the Holy Spirit which is a guarantee of your salvation (Eph 1:11). Jesus said ” unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1Cor 15:50). 

My friends face the facts, you must be born again. God has done all the work all you have to do is believe in Jesus. To you the new birth is a gift, to God, it cost the life of His Son.  Do you believe?  Brothers and sisters, I hope this message has encouraged you to reach out to the lost, Jesus is coming soon, Amen. 

God Bless You 

Rev Reginald Stevens