Old Paths Baptist Church
"Sticking to the old time way in a new day"
DO YOU KNOW FOR SURE THAT YOU WILL GO TO HEAVEN?
We all want to know if we are on the right path in life. We fill our lives with material things trying to reach that goal of peace but never attain it. The only true way is the Jesus Christ! He said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the father, but by me." He is the pathway to eternal life and an eternal home in heaven. The eternal home can be yours through the new birth.
What Does It Mean to Be "Born Again"?
To be born again means that you receive a spiritual birth and new life through Jesus Christ. You cannot become a Christian by attending church, by living a good moral life, by being raised in a Christian home, or by being baptized. The only way to become a Christian is by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ by being born again. This is why Jesus said,
"Verily, verily, I say until thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." - John 3:3
It Is A Spiritual Birth
It is hard for non-Christians to understand the new birth. When Christ first told Nicodemus that he had to be "born again" to inherit eternal life, Nicodemus did not understand that Christ was talking about a spiritual birth. Just as a person becomes part of the human family through a physical birth, he becomes part of God's family through a spiritual birth. Christ explained the process of the spiritual birth and compared this to the wind.
"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it gowth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8
You cannot see the wind, but you know it is real by the sound it makes and the evidence it leaves of its presence. You cannot see the new birth, but you know when it has taken place because of the moral and spiritual changes it has made in your life. Just as a mother goes through pain and agony to bring a child into this world, so did our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffer on a cross for you and me that we may all, upon repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, be born again.
It Is A Supernatural Work
Christianity is not adhering to a creed, attending a church, or having an understanding of Jesus Christ. It is Christ coming to live within a person and making marvelous changes from inside out. When Adam and Eve sinned, they died spiritually and their rebellion plunged the entire human race into spritiual death and darkness. This state of spritual death remains for all mankind (Romans 5:12) until a person is made "alive" through the nw birth. It is a supernatural work of God that takes place in the heart of a person when he becomes born again. Drunkards become sober, liars become honest, marriages are mended, and lives are changed. Salvation is not self-improvement; it is a completely supernatural work of God.
"Therefore is any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." - II Corinthians 5:17
Satan tries to convince people that they do not need to be born again. He deceives them into believing that they live good lives and are good honest people; but that does not take away from the fact that every person that lives and breathes is in need of Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:10-12 and 23 tells us that everyone is in need of the forgiveness of sin resulting in peace with God and a Heavenly home.
Where Do I Go From Here?
Through the ages, God has been calling people to Himself. It is his desire that all would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and receive eternal life through the new birth. There must come a time in everyone's life when he must realize the truth of the Gospel and determine that he will believe.
There must come a time when you realize your need of a Saviour. This is where most people have a problem. They can not see because their minds have been blinded by the devil. Jesus did not come to establish a religion, to work miracles, to set an example, or to teach beautiful truths, though he did all of those things.
Jesus Christ came to die on a cross for the sins of all mankind. He rose from the grave to offer forgiveness and everlasting life that you may receive upon your repentance to God of your sin and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. You must realize that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23); that you will never make it to heaven the way you are or by any effort on your part (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9); that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven (Romans 5:8); and that at some point, you must believe and call upon Him to save your soul (Romans 10:9-10). What you do with Jesus and this truth will mean everything one day.