This question may seem a little strange to someone who has never had this experience. But, to all of those who have had this experience their lives have been changed and will never be the same again. There is no other experience in any religion that can even compare to it. Christianity is the only religion in the world that experiences this process in the human heart.

It is not to be compared to turning over a new leaf or a New Year resolution to make a change in our life for the better. It is a work of God that changes the whole person and gives a brand new heart, not a natural, but a spiritual rebirth in the heart. It frees a person from guilt and opens the eyes of the heart to see everything around them from a new perspective. Paul said that old things are passed away and all things become new. Our past is forgiven and we are given a brand new heart without the bondage, or desires to do bad things. This experience also comes with the promise of eternal life.

In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus that a person cannot see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again. This has two meanings to it. The first of these two meanings is that we cannot see, or understand what the Kingdom of God is until we are born again and enter into it. The other is that we will never see the Kingdom of God in heaven if we do not go through this process of being born again. Through this process or work of God we become the children of God, which is also called the children of the Kingdom of God.

It is not an option it is mandatory. You can go to church, become a member, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School or even Pastor a church but if you have not been born again you are not going to Heaven. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:7 that a person must be born again. He said that a person must be born again by the water and the Spirit. Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus that we are born of man when we come into this world being born of a woman, but we must also be born of God by the Spirit of God. This must happen to us in order for us to be able to keep God's commandments and in order to have the abundant life that Jesus spoke of. Believe me when I tell you that when this happens you won't have to ask someone if it has happened to you. You will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have been changed.

The scriptures are pretty simple concerning this. The Prophet Joel prophesied concerning salvation and said:

Paul said it again in Romans the 10^th chapter.

But there is something that we need to recognize before we call upon the name of the Lord.

In the following scripture the servant of a Queen had accepted Jesus and wanted to be baptized. He saw some water and wanted to know if he could be baptized. The Philip replied:

Acts:8:37: And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

We must ask ourselves, do we believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Once we have settled this question in our hearts we should ask Jesus to forgive us of our sins and ask him to come into our hearts. He will, if we are truly serious with him. There will be an immediate change in your life. We should thank Jesus for this and realize that your name has been written down in the Book of Life. Jesus said that he would never leave us or forsake us. He also promised that he would not turn down anyone who sincerely comes to him.

You will be born again. You will be a new creature in Jesus Christ. Jesus will destroy the sinful nature that is in your flesh and has already nailed it to the cross with him. You will have a new heart and Jesus will take everything out of your heart that is not clean or sinful. He will make you "good ground" so that you can "bear fruit." Which means that you will be able to keep his commandments. Jesus will live in your heart to keep you. He will forgive all of your past sins and cast them into the sea of forgetfulness to be remembered no more. You will be a child of God. The door to a new life will be yours. After you have done this ask the Lord to direct you to a good church and be baptized. Be sure to get yourself a Bible and ask the Lord to teach you His Word.

Your brother in Christ,
Tommie Spurgeon

Printer-Friendly version..