You must be BORN AGAIN to go to Heaven!

John 3:3 - Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Jesus said you must be born again. This is not a religion. It is a life changed by God.

Truth is, we are all born into sin. We are all born as children of the devil. That is why we must be Born Again, where God gives us a new heart and makes us a new creation as a child of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

What does it mean to be Born Again?

What is the difference between a Born Again, True Christian and a Religious, False "Christian?"

How can I know if I am Born Again?

Here are some "mind maps" to help. Take a look and see which path your life is on. Then you tell me, are you Born Again?

"But I'm a good person! I'm fine!"

I've got bad news for you. You've been trusting in your own goodness, and you've deceived yourself.

Mark 10:18 - And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

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Let's take a look at the Ten Commandments and see how you measure up.

Have you ever lied? Stolen? Looked at someone with lust? Hated someone? Used God's name in vain?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are guilty of breaking God's law, as has everyone else. You are a sinner. And the punishment for sin is death.

Romans 6:23a - For the wages of sin is death

Looks like you are not so good after all, huh? Nobody is "fine" or "good" or Heaven bound UNTIL ONE's HEART & MIND ARE CHANGED BY GOD's HOLY SPIRIT UPON BEING BORN AGAIN.

So wait, Church is not what saves me?

Jesus is the only way to Heaven.

John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Before one can have true saving faith in Christ, one must first Repent / Turn From Sin / Self. Turn from the false faith of "good behavior," "good works," church attendance/affiliation, church "membership," faith in a pastor's baptism, faith in church "confirmation," charitable donations, etc.

Turning from false faith in what everyone / everything you can see, humbly repenting / turning from your sins, surrendering your heart / life to Christ, and trusting only in salvation by Christ alone that is unseen.

Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Water baptism is an outward public proclamation in water of going from "death to life", being buried in death and raised to new life in Christ. It is meant to be a symbol of already being Spiritually reborn BEFORE WATER BAPTISM.

Pastors often baptize people, even youth or infants, without examining or even asking them if they have been born again. This is why most people that are baptized by pastors today, to become a "member" of their church, GET WET... BUT NOT SAVED. They tragically have a false faith in just water baptism and "church membership" that can have ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES.

Unfortunately, many churches are leading people to hell by omitting the truth. They are not preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ that leads to repentance and salvation.

Unfortunately, many churches shy away from the Truth

THIS IS WHY MOST CHURCH PASTORS DON'T PREACH THESE WORDS OF JESUS,..."YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN." Christ and his disciples established ONE CHURCH made up of ONLY THOSE BORN AGAIN.

In fact, new converts, like Paul on the road to Damascus in Acts 9, were required to convince the church leaders that he had been BORN AGAIN, before he was admitted, because TRUE BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS WERE BEING PERSECUTED AND EVEN KILLED BY THE FALSE CHURCH LEADERS. But over the centuries, the ONE TRUE CHURCH SPLIT into countless "denominations" THAT NOW COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER TO ATTRACT "MEMBERS" AND DONORS TO PAY THEIR SALARIES, some much HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE MEMBER!

MONEY ALWAYS AFFECTS MOTIVE in humans, whether it's a people-pleasing politician or a PEOPLE PLEASING PASTOR FOR PROFIT. Most pastors today have REWRITTEN THE TRUE GOSPEL by preaching that one can simply "accept Jesus," get baptized, and become a church member ...in order to go to heaven. THIS IS FALSE TEACHING! One doesn't "accept Christ;" one must FULLY HUMBLY REPENT to be BORN AGAIN and RECEIVE GOD's HOLY SPIRIT, which is a SUPERNATURAL ACT OF GOD. We don't "choose" Him...HE CHOOSES US!

Paul and the disciples WORKED DAY AND NIGHT to keep from accepting money which alters one's motives, so they could keep their hearts MOTIVATED ONLY BY LOVE.

When a church is run as a "nonprofit business" that funds the salaries and livelihoods of its leaders and their families, it becomes IMPERATIVE that the ATTENDEES LIKE THE LEADERS AND ENJOY THE CHURCH "EXPERIENCE," so that ATTENDANCE and DONATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO FUND "THE BUSINESS."

This also leads pastors to AVOID DIVISIVE SCRIPTURES SUCH AS BEING "BORN AGAIN" (John 3:3), "WIVES SUBMIT TO YOUR HUSBANDS AS TO THE LORD" (Ephesians 5:22), and church discipline for the SEXUALLY IMMORAL (1 Corinthians 5:9). Therefore, most people that are baptized, donating, "members" of a church are never asked about nor required to be "born again" before baptism and are thus, DECEIVED INTO HAVING FALSE FAITH IN THEIR CHURCH, NOT TRUE SAVING FAITH THAT ONLY COMES FROM BEING BORN AGAIN.

This is also why the WORSHIP TIME during most churches is largely DEAD with mostly spectating like a concert rather than singing praise and worship to the GOD WHO SAVES, BY REBIRTH. Yes, most churches today are competing for "members" and there aren't enough true born again worshipping Christians to pay the salaries and bills, so the membership requirements are made much easier, "pray a prayer, get baptized, take a membership class," then one is expected to be a DONATING "COVENANT MEMBER."

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The TRUE CHURCH is ONLY ALL THOSE WHO ARE BORN AGAIN, REGARDLESS OF "CHURCH DENOMINATION OR MEMBERSHIP." When Christ RAPTURES HIS CHURCH, HE WILL TAKE ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN BORN AGAIN, leaving behind many church members, pastors, priests, and even popes, THAT WERE NEVER BORN AGAIN, only to hear, "Depart from me, I never knew you."

"I don't know about that. Seems kind of judgmental, doesn't it?"

Let's see what the Bible says...

We're not on this Earth to please people. We are here to please God.

What is your source of TRUTH?" Yourself?, parents?, pastors?, philosophers?, internet?, ...or the Word of God, the Holy Bible? You were born trusting YOURSELF, your Greatest Enemy, because you are a SINNER by nature and choice, violating your God-given conscience, SO YOU LIE TO YOURSELF. Therefore, we all need a source of Truth that we can TRUST 100%, the Bible, which teaches to LIVE THE OPPOSITE OF THE WAYS OF THE WORLD.

Galatians 1:10 - Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Jesus calls us to be different from the world. We are called to be set apart. That is why we must leave our old life behind. We must be born again.

"But I thought all I had to do was believe!"

The Bible says that even the demons believe. But they are not saved.

James 2:19 - You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

True faith is a faith that produces good works. The Holy Spirit is what changes your life when you are born again. That change gives you true saving faith in Christ.

Matthew 7:16-20 - By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

With that now said, let's go back to the Bible

This scripture, Galatians 5:19-23, should now sound familiar...

① - Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

② - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Now, one is either "chained" to paragraph ①, or one is "chained" to paragraph ②. Which is it for you? But then some may say, "Well I live in paragraph 1, but I've received forgiveness". Are you sure?

Matthew 6:15 - But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

1 John 4:20 - If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

1 John 5:18 - We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.

So, what does it mean to be Born Again?

It means that you have a new heart and a new spirit. You are no longer the same person you were before.

It means that you are no longer living for yourself. You are now living for God.

Like a butterfly, you have been transformed from a caterpillar into a new creation. You are no longer the same person you were before. Your life will bear the fruit of the Spirit, like we saw above in Matthew 7 and Galatians 5.

"Okay, so how does one become Born Again?"

The image below outlines the first steps to becoming Born Again.

James 4:7-10 - Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

It is an act of God that gives you a new heart and makes you a new creation as a child of God. It is not something you can do on your own. But you must be willing to repent and surrender your life to Him.

How Churches Should Be

The images below outline how churches should be. It is a great example of what it means to be a church that preaches the true gospel of Jesus Christ.