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Faith by Debbie Wallis
“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again!’” John 3:3. Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin; the ruling body of the Jews. Nicodemus wasn’t like most of his peers because he recognized Jesus as the Messiah when most all others saw Him as a mere teacher. Jesus knows our hearts. There were many people in Jerusalem that put faith in Jesus because they had seen Him work miracles. “But Jesus knew what was in there hearts, and He would not let them have power over Him. No one had to tell Him what people were like. He already knew,” John 2:24-25. He is still the same today and He knows your heart. You can have faith in many things because you see them consistent or true. I have faith that my chair will hold me up. I have faith that the switch on the wall will turn on my light. I have faith in the law of gravity and that what goes up will come down. Faith alone will not save you. You must be spiritually born again. The
Monday, January 11, 2016 phrase “born again” literally means “born from above”. Nicodemus had a real need to change his heart, a need for spiritual transformation. Being born again is an act of God imparting eternal life to those who trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. Why does a person need to be born again? The apostle Paul explained, “At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You followed the ways of this world and by default obeyed the devil. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will and rules everyone who doesn’t obey God. At one time you were all like that. You were selfish and did whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted to do. You were children headed for punishment just like everyone else,” Ephesians 2:1-3. Sinners are spiritually dead; we are all born in a sin nature because of the fall of Adam. We are all born spiritually dead. “Nicodemus asked, ‘How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?’ Jesus answered, ‘I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit,”’ John 3:4-6. You can be spiritually born again through a personal acceptance that Jesus is the Son of God and that by His death on the cross you were saved because He paid the price for your sins which is death, and now He sits at the right hand of God. He went to prepare a place for you in Heaven and only through Him can you get to God the Father. Only those who are born again can have their sins forgiven and a relationship
with God. God is merciful. He brought us to life with Christ while we were spiritually dead. He did this because of the great love that He has for us. Salvation is God’s gift to mankind. It’s not something you could do on your own. You cannot be perfect enough to achieve salvation on your own. Salvation is God’s accomplishment for you through Jesus. It’s His Holy Spirit that calls you to Him. Trust and obedience to the Holy Spirit is your decision. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer. Saying this prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Jesus that can save you from the penalty sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation. "God, I know that I have sinned against You
Page #8 and am deserving of punishment. I believe that Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your grace and forgiveness and I except Your gift of eternal life. Come into my life, Jesus, I want You to be my Lord." If you prayed this prayer, tell someone. Get evolved in a local church. Turn from what held you back from Christ and move forward to where He leads you. Make 2016 a year for new birth and new growth. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing,” Isaiah 43:18-19. If you don’t have a Bible contact me at sfadebbie@yahoo.com and I will provide you one.
