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You must what? If your boss at work said, “You must make this sell in order to keep your job,” you would not take this as a suggestion, would you? Whenever someone says “you must,” you understand it is important and is not a suggestion but a direct order. Let us now take this to an entirely new level, to your supreme authority. What if God Himself says, “you must”? Would you take this as a suggestion or put a great weight on it as something you want to hear, understand, and do? Please understand that this is not something I am saying is a must, but God is saying it is a must.
In the Gospel of John, a very religious man, named Nicodemus, came to Jesus one night privately, wanting to have a question in his heart answered. Jesus, being 100% God and 100% man, knew this man’s heart perfectly. Jesus knew what the question was before Nicodemus even asked it. Jesus Christ told Nicodemus in John 3:3-7, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” There is the “you must” that Jesus gave the man. Notice that the word “ye” is what we find in the Bible. This is the plural form of “you.” Even though Jesus was speaking to one man, this “you must” is actually given to everyone, including you. YOU MUST be born again.
We were all born once, physically, as Christ said in the verses above. We were born of flesh, as humans. The problem is that to have your sins forgiven and enter in to God’s kingdom, you have to have a second birth. If you are reading this, you’ve had a first birth. While you were born physically alive, you were born spiritually dead because you are a sinner. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Those who are born again and have spiritual life and are no longer “dead in sins,” as Ephesians 2:5 tells us.
Friend, do you know what the meaning of life is? Every human’s purpose in life is to glorify God. The problem is that we cannot do anything to please God because we are sinners, ALL of us. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away” (Isaiah 64:6). “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Going to church, being baptized, or trying to do good cannot please God or earn you a ticket to heaven. Unless you are spiritually alive, you cannot do anything righteous in God’s eyes, nor can you truly worship Him.
Usually when people say “you must,” there is an “or else” that follows. What is the “or else” that God gives all of us if we are not born again? Jesus Christ said that unless you are born again, you “cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” What’s the alternative? John 3:18 and 3:36 use the words “condemned” and “wrath of God.” Christ talked about a literal place called hell. While this place was created for Satan and his fallen angels, it is also the place for those who are have not been born again. So how does one become born again? I’m glad you asked.
Nicodemus asked the same question. Jesus gives him the answer. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him [Jesus Christ] should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18). John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” You can see from these verses what makes a person spiritually alive: belief. This is the means of being born again of the Spirit of God.
You must believe that you are a sinner and deserve hell. You must believe that you have lived a life against a holy God who will judge your sin one day. You must turn from trusting in your own goodness to trusting in Christ’s righteousness. This is called repentance. You must believe that because of your sin, Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay for your sin. I Corinthians 15:3-4 tells us 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.” You must believe on Jesus Christ as One who died and paid for YOUR sins. He promises to save you if you depend on Him to save you from sin and give you spiritual, eternal life. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Have you been born again? If not, why not today? Why not now? Talk to Christ in prayer and tell Him what you believe about yourself being a sinner deserving hell and that you believe Jesus Christ paid for your sins on the cross. Once you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have been born again. If you have any questions or have just been born again because of what you’ve read here, please email me at dsgross2004@juno.com. May God bless you.
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