Is Born Again a denomination ?

Some people think “Born Again” is a denomination within Christianity. Before I was a Christian, the first thing that came mind was "Wacky Extreme" of the Christian faith. However, all true Christians are born again. It’s an essential of the Christian faith whatever your denomination is. 

John 3:3

Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

When you are born again, you are indwelt with the Holy Spirit. God lives in you and nothing can take that away. 

Ephesians 1:13

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise

The bad news is that we are not holy and must be holy to go to heaven. God is Holy and Righteous and must judge sin. We are all guilty of breaking God’s law. 

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

People know they aren't perfect. We inherently know this. However, pride keeps people from confessing their condition to God. If you Realize you’re a sinner and confess it to God, Repent of your sins and Receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God’s promise is that you have eternal life. Repentance is making a U-turn on the road of life, moving away from what is wrong and moving in the direction of holiness, what is righteous in God’s eyes. What you do is not meritorious for salvation. We respond to what God has already done . Good works have been prepared for us to do.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Sinner’s Prayer

 “Jesus, I’m a sinner. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins, forgiving me and giving me eternal life. I repent and receive You as my Lord and Savior. Take control of my life and make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen.” Saying words can’t save you, but if you have said this prayer and meant it from the bottom of your heart, you are now a new creation.  It was planned before the earth was created. 

Ephesians 1:4

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love 

Jesus didn't die for those who reject Him. He is not a Universalist. He died for those who believe in Him.

John 3:16

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

Video - The Most Distorted Verse? - RC Sproul

It was the Holy Spirit that gave you the ability to choose Him. 

1 Corinthians 12:3

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

The good news (Gospel) is for those who believe and place their trust in Jesus. Our sins have been nailed to the cross and the righteousness of Christ has been placed on us. Positionally, God sees us as righteous, although practically we are still sinners in this current human existence. This foreign righteous has been forwarded to our account, activating our citizenship to the Kingdom of God; after death we will live eternally in His presence. Jesus did something more loving than anyone else has ever done for us. He died for us and suffered the punishment on the cross that we deserved. 

Why couldn't God just forgive us without nailing His Son to the cross? 

God requires a blood sacrifice for sin. In the Old Testament we read about the Jews bringing a lamb sacrifice to the alter for the forgiveness of sins. The lamb had to be without defect which points to the Jesus, the man who was without sin. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins once and for all. John the baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

Leviticus 4:32-34 

 ‘But if he brings a lamb as his offering for a sin offering, he shall bring a female without defect. 33 And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it as a sin offering in the place where they slaughter the burnt offering. 34 And the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and all the rest of its blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar.

John 1:29 

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

Hebrews 9:11-22

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the violations that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. 16 For where there is a covenant, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when people are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. 18 Therefore even the first covenant was not inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And almost all things are cleansed with blood, according to the Law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Why do Christians still sin ?

There is a tension that lives inside us between spirit and flesh. Christians are challenged to live a life loving God and serving others, not selfish pursuits. Christians follow Jesus and become more like Him by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we’re honest with ourselves, we find there is confusion and frustration when it comes to repentance. How can you repent of something you will always be? You will always be a sinner. Repentance is not change or transition out of the sin nature; it is a change of attitude and a U turn on the road of life. You are now moving closer to Jesus. Somewhere along the way you are surprised by grace, at the change God has made in your life. You will overcome sin and you will struggle with sin. This is the Christian life. 

Romans 7:14-19

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, that the Law is good. 17 But now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

"Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate."  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

An abuse of grace, or a said faith without works or repentance, is what unbelievers find unbelievable. When Christians lack conviction, faith doesn't seem real. Certainly if it is a said faith or just words, it is not real. God can see the hearts of those who profess faith;  we observe outward appearance, what the bible refers to as fruit. Don't be a self-righteous fruit inspector, but have the heart to disciple those who need direction. Certainly, we would have thought Judas was the real deal if we lived in the days that Jesus walked the earth. Jesus saw right to the heart of Judas and knew that he would betray Him. 

Matthew 26:23 

And He answered, “He who dipped his hand with Me in the bowl is the one who will betray Me.

On the other hand, if we focus or obsess over sin, we’ll be in bondage to it. Some fall back into legalism and therefore fall from grace. When we focus on grace and realize how amazing it is, then we experience freedom. God knows the hearts of His children. The Holy Spirit is the fire that burns sin from our lives and we have to be obedient to His voice. Sin is naturally appealing to us. If it wasn’t, there wouldn’t be a struggle. The struggle is in the spiritual realm. 

Ephesians 6:12

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Christ's sacrifice was prophesied 700 years before His birth. The Old Testament is complete with signs all the way to Adam & Eve with the sacrifice of animals used as a covering. 

Isaiah 53:6

Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all To fall on Him.

Genesis 3:21

And the Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.

Be Biblical, Not Politically Correct !

Christians, have you ever had conversation with a person who tried to move you away from your firm stance on Gospel Truth? This is the darkness going to battle against the Light. There is no need to dance around this issue or say "I don't wanna judge" because the Bible is clear on soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). If we clearly see somebody rejecting the Gospel, we know that person is in danger based on biblical truth; not based on self-righteous proclamations. We must reach out to the lost and not water down the Gospel message. Consider the exchanges in the following videos: 

Video - Billy Graham folds under pressure

Video - Joel Osteen fold under pressure 

Video - John MacArthur stands firm