The title is not meant for shock value. It is the truth.
You can't purchase it.
Religion doesn't guarantee it.
You are born without it.
You MUST have it.
You will die without it.
John 3:3 (AMP) - Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
"Unless" and "Cannot". These are two words we must become acquainted with in order to make sure we do not miss the Truth in what Jesus is saying here.
The major Truth in this verse is that "You must be Born Again".
There it is.
YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
Do not think for a moment that you can escape this. You cannot. MUST means MUST.
Do not think for a moment that your personal religion will circumvent this. It will not.
Let me make this plain.
Every Buddhist. Every Muslim. Every Jew. Every Hindu. Every athiest. Every agnostic. Every new ager. Every craftsman and partaker of whatever strange belief that has ever come down the pike.
ALL MUST be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God.
ALL. Them. Me. You. Us. ALL.
Yet...there is a great faltering.
The world is surprised.
"I have been a good person all of my life." Not good enough!
"I give to charity and volunteer my time to a soup kitchen." Not good enough!
"I have been going to the same church my parents did since I was born." Not good enough!
"I have read the Bible cover to cover ten times." Not good enough!
"I sing in the choir...give to the poor...coach baseball...love animals...blah...blah...blah...yadda...yadda...yadda..."
NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
You will die forever unless you wrap your heart around Jesus.
You will. I wouldn't lie to you.
The forever death. Not merely the dirt nap some folks think is it. There is the long and forever SPIRITUAL death that lasts...well...FOREVER! The concious, suffering in hell eternal death. The dirt nap would be inviting and pleasant compared to that. Forever nothingless? Silly rabbit...there is no plan C.
So...in this all pervasive astonishment the world suffers from, which is the counterforce to faith and believing, Jesus speaks LOUDLY.
John 3:7 (AMP) - Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).
Marvel not that You Must Be Born Again.
We have been guilty at times of not making this sound like the major priority it is.
Jesus thinks it IS the MAIN THING we must do in our life. The absolute MAIN thing. He bled out and died to complete His part.
It is something YOU MUST DO.
I wish I could make it sound a bit more appealing, as no one knows better than me how hearing we must do something can make a person bristle and refuse to cooperate.
I apologize that I cannot. So...Marvel. Bristle. Stomp your feet. Refuse. Rebel. Throw a tantrum. Tell God what your parents, priest, pope, church, teacher, neighbor, friend, pastor, imam, guiding light, monk, taught you. Try to convince Him why you don't need to be Born Again.
At the end of the day? You were either that or not. Not doesn't end well. It doesn't. All those folks were wrong as well meaning as they might have been. They were wrong. Jesus was right. He is ALWAYS right.
You must be born again, which simply means leaving this present way of doing things apart from Jesus and opening your spirit and soul to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to come in and create a new spirit in you.
Born again. You were born once. Now you must be born again in Jesus. Quite simple actually.
Talk to Him. Tell Him you believe in Him and you want Him in your life as your Lord and Savior. Tell Him you want to live forever. Tell Him you are sorry for ignoring Him and going your own way all of these years Turn from the past and turn toward Jesus.
Turn toward Jesus. Don't sweat the details. They will unravel as you walk the journey.
Jesus never fails.
Pass it on if you know someone who needs Him today.
Keepin' it Real,
Pastor Kevin <><
~SoZo~
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