Victory Baptist Church
Are You Born Again?
Your answer may not be what you think it is, one way or another. The past few decades have proven that people are confused on what born again is. The term has come to describe a type of Christian that has lived in open sin, but has repented and has begun their walk with Jesus afresh. This understanding is a fabrication that does not exist inside the Scriptures. Plainly, born again is a requirement to be received into God's Kingdom: John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The Bible teaches that if any man (person) will see the Kingdom of God then he must be born again. Clearly, born again isn't a type of Christian, it is the instance of making a Christian.
Why then the confusion? There are two major reasons (with several subcategories that could be explored): 1) The biblical steps to salvation are thought to obsolete or too complicated, 2) People believe that Christians can live in habitual, unrepentant sin.
Generally today, and certainly in the last half century of American Christendom, if someone asked how to be right with God they are given a cliché: give your life to Jesus, make a decision for Christ, or ask Jesus into your heart. If a person has already learned the biblical steps to salvation then they may very well be saved when they say; “Jesus I give my life to you,” or repeat a sinner's prayer. It is not a matter of saying just the right words. Consider the thief on the cross dying next to Jesus. He had no preacher to lead him the the Lord. He didn't have a tract telling him what to pray. He didn't even have eloquent words. He simply said to Jesus: “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” This thief, now Christian, had something that the cliches did not. When it comes to the sinner at the altar, in many cases they will go through the ritual and not be saved because they did not experience and express these two biblical steps (not works) to salvation: Acts 20:21 "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
Many a person once walked the isle of their church house to speak to the preacher about salvation, was then led in a sinner's prayer, pronounced saved before the congregation, and dunked under the water, only to be truly saved at some point later. Praise God that they did get saved later! Once again what was missing from their ritualistic dedication was repentance and faith. Many that have gone through a similar act have never really had an intention to leave sin. They want to escape hell, they even like Jesus, but they are not willing to turn from their sin. Some wouldn't know it's required because it's very possible that the preacher didn't even tell them that they needed to repent. It's not uncommon for the person inquiring about salvation to be asked if they want to go to heaven or if they realize that they need to give their life to the Lord. There again many that go through such a ritual may have professed faith but never expressed a shred of faith to Jesus. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Some how this has come to be understood that if someone utters a prayer of salvation that Jesus must come and save them; that God is painted into some legal corner bound by the words. The term “call” doesn't merely mean to speak (in Greek it is epikaleomai, meaning to invoke for aid) it means rather to cry out for rescue. Imagine a lost child crying for it's mother, or a deer fawn in distress. This is the sense of the term. A person can not even come to the point of calling Jesus to rescue them unless they realize the impending judgment that their sin has brought upon them. So how can a person express faith in Christ to save them if they still intend to hold on to their sin? Think of the thief on the cross that Jesus saved. Matthew 27:44 tells us that the “thieves” (plural) berated Jesus. Luke tells us that one was saved. That means that the one that got saved moved from mocking Jesus to asking Him to remember him. The change of heart – leaving his mocking – is repentance. The act of asking Jesus to remember him was faith by trusting that Jesus was Whom He said He was and that He could actually do something about his impending judgment. This is far different than walking down an isle and repeating a prayer. This is someone that left their sin and their pride in order to come to the point of crying out for help. This isn't someone who merely wants to escape hell, or do the right thing by their religion, or make their parents proud, this is someone that needs Jesus.
The notion that a Christian can live in habitual, unrepentant sin prolongs the idea that only those people that have sinned openly, extensively, or grossly have need of becoming born again. After all, everyone sins, even Christians. It's true that Christians sin, and likely everyday. The difference in a regenerate person sinning and an unregenerate person sinning is that the Christian, having the Holy Spirit living inside of them, is convicted of sin, and is repentant for their sin. Upon salvation a person is given a new heart, with new desires. Even though they battle their nature to sin (the flesh), and lose occasionally, they regret it. They are not content living with sin as they were before they were converted. Rest assured that God does not let His children (Christians) run around sinning in ignorance. Hebrews 12:6-8 "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." The doctrine of sanctification teaches that Christians grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Growth is some thing that a Christian does. It is not caused by their own doing but by the Holy Spirit living inside of them and the desire of their new heart wanting the things of God. 1Peter 2:2 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: "Growth does not mean that one is perfect, rather, their life is becoming more and more conformed – not to the world – to the image of Christ. The Word that Peter tells Christians to desire is a key part to the growth process. Ephesians 5:25-27 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Being born again and subsequently growing in holiness produces what Apostle Paul called the fruit (singular- meaning that the total results are the fruit, not the manifestation of just one) of the Spirit. Galatians 5:19-24 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
A Christian grows in holiness. A Christian desires holiness. A Christian is disciplined by God when they live outside of holiness in order to keep them on the narrow path. Because modern, American Christendom has largely forgotten these facts, a habit of 'little' sins (unknown to others or not frowned upon by the world) that are committed repeatedly, committed without remorse, and committed without the consequence of God's chastisement, is not seen as a condition that warrants being born again. Nevertheless a radical change is part of every Christian's life. Those that make a decision for Christ, that profess faith in Christ and go on living life as they did before did not repent, they did not place their faith in Jesus, and they did not have a salvation encounter with God. Being born again means having new life, not the same old life with a new title.
Friend I would kindly ask you that question once more: Are you born again?
-- Pastor George Scruggs, Jr.
