From Beginning To End - Salvation

[Codi Weston]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

I need help. Trying to start over.

 

[HTacianas]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

I need help. Trying to start over.

First is the calling of God, which may be what you are responding to. After that comes faith in the sacrifice of Christ, then baptism in water for the remission of previous sins, and chrismation in the Holy Spirit. After that comes participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

That is what Christianity has always taught and is the process of salvation as recorded in the bible.

 

[Codi Weston]

I can say I want to believe in Jesus all I want.... but John 3:4-8 makes no sense to me at all.

 

[maintenance man]

I can say I want to believe in Jesus all I want.... but John 3:4-8 makes no sense to me at all.

When you accept that Jesus died for your sins and believe in his resurrection and trust Him as your Savior, you will turn away from your sin and begin a life following Jesus. This begins your journey into the Kingdom of God. You will not be physically transported somewhere else - you will be spiritually "born again." Starting a new life in Christ Jesus.

 

[Sabertooth]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

HERE is the page that tied it all together for me.

 

[Halbhh]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

I need help. Trying to start over.

Faith (saving faith) awakens from hearing (listening deeply, fully to) the words of Christ
Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

When you listen to all He says, you'll begin to see why, and His words come alive when you really listen.

Matthew 1 NIV
(The genealogy is for Jewish readers to show a prophecy fulfilled in their people)

 

[morse86]

Romans 10:17:
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 3:23:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Revelation 21:8:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Romans 6:23:
For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:21:
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

You hear the word of God, you believe, then you are saved and it is forever (everlasting). It's instant, right then and there.

 

[d taylor]

If you want eternal life (to be born again) Believe that Jesus in the New Testament is the promised Messiah from Old Testament prophecies. Trust in the Messiah (Jesus) for His gift of His eternal life. Look to Jesus and believe eternal life is in the Messiah.

The Gospel of John was written to tell people that eternal life is in the Messiah (The Christ).
Jesus is not here now in physical body so look to the person in the Bible in the pages of John's Gospel.

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

Believe for the Gift of eternal life

 

[Serving Zion]

I can say I want to believe in Jesus all I want.... but John 3:4-8 makes no sense to me at all.

Good on you for asking!

So it is about being spiritually "alive" - that is, to not only have a knowledge of the carnal reality, but also to know the spiritual reality. That makes you ask "what is spirit"?

Jesus said "God is spirit" and "those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth". By saying that, He is making a distinction between those who don't worship Him in spirit and in truth - they worship in some other way: "the futility of their thinking". They use their intellect to compute answers to the questions they get when they talk religion, but they haven't yet drank of the "living water" that Jesus says "if anyone drinks of the water I give them, it will become in them a fountain overflowing with life".

Jesus also says "it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh (self/ego/pride/mind etc) profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you, they are spirit and they are life".

So it is through words that the spirit can go into us and become that fountain of life. Jesus also said "you have been made clean by the word I have spoken to you, now remain in me so that you may produce fruit". In saying that, He shows that the ones who are "in Christ" (therefore they have been given the new life), have been "made clean" by the words He spoke.

What does that imply? .. only that the way we think is "dirty", "polluted" or "corrupted" and in need of cleansing by the words that give life.

Jesus said "you are my disciples if you keep my word, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" - so He is saying that the corrupted thinking is a thing that takes us captive, and that we can only be set free of it by coming to know the truth. Furthermore, He promises that if we keep His commandments, then we will come to know the truth.

It's interesting to see a detail of what Jesus said to Nicodemus: "unless a man is born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God". In other words, the kingdom of God is "in our midst" and it is a thing that can be seen, but only after we have been made alive in the spirit (aka: made clean by the Word of life).

So the Word of life is really important, and it is a thing that, evidently, not every person has.

Proverbs 18:21 says that the tongue has the power to give life and death (when we speak in terms of spiritual life and spiritual death). So there is a lot of people in this world who are not born-again: they do not perceive the kingdom of God (consider 1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Their words do not have the power to give life, because they don't know life (although, Jesus is able to speak through them and you will know that when you meet Him - but their faith is a blind faith. They do not "see" the kingdom of God).

So, ultimately, it is a thing that you cannot just go out there and get. It is a thing I cannot just give to you. But just as St. Paul said to the Greeks in Acts 17:27 : "they were to search around for Him and perhaps grope around for Him and find Him. Yet, He is not far from each one of us".

So that's what we are talking about: it is your thinking that has fallen into spiritual death through the corruption of the words of the ones who are spiritually dead - having been "lured by your desires into sin, and sin having come to maturity, bringing forth death" (James 1:14-15).

But Jesus is faithful, and through His work in the cross, He has made a way for us to be redeemed from the adversary who took us captive, so He continues to operate through us (when we purify ourselves to make ourselves fit vessels for His Holy Spirit, He is able to speak the words of life through us).

So as you go day by day, some of our words will be building your mind into His vision for your redemption and one day He will say just the right words to you that "the lights will go on", "a penny will drop", "the seed will take root" etc, and that is the new life (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). No longer will you be the one who is on the outside asking for His living water, but you will be on the inside sharing His water with others.

Now, what's important to remember when that happens, is the parable of the sower, through Matthew 13: the seed that we sow, it can grow, but it also can be snatched away. So that is why Jesus told the parable of the "pearl of great price", that when he had found the precious pearl, he hid it in a field and went and sold everything that he had, and bought the field.

If you like to stay in that sort of life-giving word, there is this booklet that I share with people: www.adonai-reigns.life/the-gospel, and most of that is text from the bible. As you go from page to page, thinking about what the bible is saying about each topic, the mind is brought to a place of awareness, and some people will keep following Him, while others will rather go back to their former life (because not everyone truly does want to be Christian).

Nice to meet you today!

 

[SinoBen]

I can say I want to believe in Jesus all I want.... but John 3:4-8 makes no sense to me at all.

Bless you Codi. There are quite a few of the folks here with very good offer of help for your OP. Your desire is already proof that the Holy Spirit is working in you.

Perhaps I can suggest for you to now not only to believe in Jesus, but believe what He and the Father said. Believe what God said.

John 3:4-8 is a difficult one there are about 5 ways you can take it. The one I lean more towards is to understand the "water" as being the Spirit. So the verse would read like this:

Unless one is born of water, even the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.​

Thus you must be born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. This is produced by the Holy Spirit (not by our own strength or will) when you believe Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.​

So this new birth is likened to wind. In the sense that
it is the will of God, we don't control it,
it is invisible, we can't see it happening except in the result of a person's life.

Now we can't see the wind blowing, but we can see its effect on say a sailing ship changing it's direction and speed. So in a way, we should also be able to observe a change in a person when they are born again. Changes of a born again person like this:

hating the evil things s/he formerly loved
loving Godly things s/he formerly despised
focusing and prioritising heavenly things rather than earthly things

 

[crossnote]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

I need help. Trying to start over.

This pretty much sums it up...

1. When I survey the wondrous cross
   On which the Prince of glory died,
   My richest gain I count but loss,
   And pour contempt on all my pride.
2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
   Save in the death of Christ my God!
   All the vain things that charm me most,
   I sacrifice them to His blood.
3. See from His head, His hands, His feet,
   Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
   Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
   Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
   That were a present far too small;
   Love so amazing, so divine,
   Demands my soul, my life, my all. When I Survey the Wondrous Cross > Lyrics | Isaac Watts

 

[Codi Weston]

Good on you for asking!

So it is about being spiritually "alive" - that is, to not only have a knowledge of the carnal reality, but also to know the spiritual reality. That makes you ask "what is spirit"?

Jesus said "God is spirit" and "those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth". By saying that, He is making a distinction between those who don't worship Him in spirit and in truth - they worship in some other way: "the futility of their thinking". They use their intellect to compute answers to the questions they get when they talk religion, but they haven't yet drank of the "living water" that Jesus says "if anyone drinks of the water I give them, it will become in them a fountain overflowing with life".

Jesus also says "it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh (self/ego/pride/mind etc) profits nothing. The words I have spoken to you, they are spirit and they are life".

So it is through words that the spirit can go into us and become that fountain of life. Jesus also said "you have been made clean by the word I have spoken to you, now remain in me so that you may produce fruit". In saying that, He shows that the ones who are "in Christ" (therefore they have been given the new life), have been "made clean" by the words He spoke.

What does that imply? .. only that the way we think is "dirty", "polluted" or "corrupted" and in need of cleansing by the words that give life.

Jesus said "you are my disciples if you keep my word, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" - so He is saying that the corrupted thinking is a thing that takes us captive, and that we can only be set free of it by coming to know the truth. Furthermore, He promises that if we keep His commandments, then we will come to know the truth.

It's interesting to see a detail of what Jesus said to Nicodemus: "unless a man is born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God". In other words, the kingdom of God is "in our midst" and it is a thing that can be seen, but only after we have been made alive in the spirit (aka: made clean by the Word of life).

So the Word of life is really important, and it is a thing that, evidently, not every person has.

Proverbs 18:21 says that the tongue has the power to give life and death (when we speak in terms of spiritual life and spiritual death). So there is a lot of people in this world who are not born-again: they do not perceive the kingdom of God (consider 1 Corinthians 2:14-16). Their words do not have the power to give life, because they don't know life (although, Jesus is able to speak through them and you will know that when you meet Him - but their faith is a blind faith. They do not "see" the kingdom of God).

So, ultimately, it is a thing that you cannot just go out there and get. It is a thing I cannot just give to you. But just as St. Paul said to the Greeks in Acts 17:27 : "they were to search around for Him and perhaps grope around for Him and find Him. Yet, He is not far from each one of us".

So that's what we are talking about: it is your thinking that has fallen into spiritual death through the corruption of the words of the ones who are spiritually dead - having been "lured by your desires into sin, and sin having come to maturity, bringing forth death" (James 1:14-15).

But Jesus is faithful, and through His work in the cross, He has made a way for us to be redeemed from the adversary who took us captive, so He continues to operate through us (when we purify ourselves to make ourselves fit vessels for His Holy Spirit, He is able to speak the words of life through us).

So as you go day by day, some of our words will be building your mind into His vision for your redemption and one day He will say just the right words to you that "the lights will go on", "a penny will drop", "the seed will take root" etc, and that is the new life (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). No longer will you be the one who is on the outside asking for His living water, but you will be on the inside sharing His water with others.

Now, what's important to remember when that happens, is the parable of the sower, through Matthew 13: the seed that we sow, it can grow, but it also can be snatched away. So that is why Jesus told the parable of the "pearl of great price", that when he had found the precious pearl, he hid it in a field and went and sold everything that he had, and bought the field.

If you like to stay in that sort of life-giving word, there is this booklet that I share with people: www.adonai-reigns.life/the-gospel, and most of that is text from the bible. As you go from page to page, thinking about what the bible is saying about each topic, the mind is brought to a place of awareness, and some people will keep following Him, while others will rather go back to their former life (because not everyone truly does want to be Christian).

Nice to meet you today!

Bless you Codi. There are quite a few of the folks here with very good offer of help for your OP. Your desire is already proof that the Holy Spirit is working in you.

Perhaps I can suggest for you to now not only to believe in Jesus, but believe what He and the Father said. Believe what God said.

John 3:4-8 is a difficult one there are about 5 ways you can take it. The one I lean more towards is to understand the "water" as being the Spirit. So the verse would read like this:

Unless one is born of water, even the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.​

Thus you must be born of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God. This is produced by the Holy Spirit (not by our own strength or will) when you believe Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour.

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.​

So this new birth is likened to wind. In the sense that
it is the will of God, we don't control it,
it is invisible, we can't see it happening except in the result of a person's life.

Now we can't see the wind blowing, but we can see its effect on say a sailing ship changing it's direction and speed. So in a way, we should also be able to observe a change in a person when they are born again. Changes of a born again person like this:

hating the evil things s/he formerly loved
loving Godly things s/he formerly despised
focusing and prioritising heavenly things rather than earthly things

I dont hate some sins. I dont find them to be abhorent. Other ones I do...

So I am not born again... by your logic correct?

If so... how do I correct this so that I find these sins to be disgusting...?

 

[hedrick]

I dont hate some sins. I dont find them to be abhorent. Other ones I do...

So I am not born again... by your logic correct?

If so... how do I correct this so that I find these sins to be disgusting...?

You probably don't. People's feelings about different sins depends upon their personal experience. Your status before God doesn't depend upon feelings. Rather, he asks us to follow him, which means to do what he said, with the understanding that God forgives us when we don't do that perfectly. I would say that statements about hating sin refer not to feeling revulsion equally at every sin, but rather to a commitment to accept God's help in dealing with any in your life. But that's a process that's going to take your whole life.

I'm not sure whether you're aware, but John 3:7 is one of those passages that's understood differently by different Christians. It can be translated "born again" or "born from above," and many think "from above" is more likely. In either case, Jesus' point is that being a Christians isn't something we do on our own. It's the result of the Holy Spirit working in us. But that's not something you need to make happen. If you want to be Christ's -- and it's clear you do -- the Holy Spirit is already at work in you.

My best advice is not to obsess about whether you're actually born from the Holy Spirit, but to understand that you already are and focus on living as Christ wants. That includes not just treating others right (although it is Jesus' focus), but doing things to build your faith: prayer, reading Scripture, participating in a Christian community. This doesn't mean that you have to obsess about whether your faith is enough, but that you should start with the small amount of faith you've been given, and help it grow.

It's also likely that "water and the Spirit" is a reference to Baptism. That doesn't mean that baptism somehow magically makes you a Christian. But it's a visible way to show that God has claimed you. Many Christians find it a reassurance. When Martin Luther was unsure of his faith, he found assurance in the fact that he was baptized, because it reminded him that God had claimed him, and that this claim didn't depend upon how he was feeling at the moment.

 

[SinoBen]

I dont hate some sins. I dont find them to be abhorent. Other ones I do...

So I am not born again... by your logic correct?

If so... how do I correct this so that I find these sins to be disgusting...?

Codi, I think for our purposes, one analogy to use is that of walking. Walking with Jesus leading the way. Sin would be going in another direction away from where Jesus is leading. Another analogy is that of a ship, you are the ship, Jesus is the Captain. So acknowledge that Jesus is the captain not you and you will go in the right direction.

The Holy Spirit is there also in your heart to convict you, gentle though He is, He will convict you if you are willing to listen and not continuously ignore. So you should try to listen and obey the Holy Spirit rather than ignore or justify your own choice in a matter.

Aside from inner conviction, the Holy Spirit will also bring to remembrance scriptures, God's words. This is why reading the Bible is like eating, because it is spiritual food. As you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will also take you to another level... you will begin to "delight" in God's words, you will see and discover insights like they are gold nuggets.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.​

Psalms 37:23-24 KJV

So you see, God is working in you to bring you to perfection or completion, but that right now you and I might fall or trip up from time to time, we can put our trust in God to help us. We are still an unfinished work. An analogy is that we are an empty canvas or a block of wood, stone or clay and God is the Artist or sculptor. We all still have rough edges, but He is faithful to complete the work in the end.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.​

Philippians 1:6 ESV

 

[FatalFantasy]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

I need help. Trying to start over.

Being born again can take some time, you have to go through a process of questioning, reasoning & learning. God will eventually bring you to a place that's suitable for you, some thing's will change other thing's will not. Freedom comes in small steps, and no one can run miles from the boundaries they have been captive in for years.

 

[AvgJoe]

Can someone guide me through finding God, believing in Jesus, and becoming a born again Christian?

I need help. Trying to start over.

Mankind’s Need of Salvation
​

What do I need to be saved from?
The wrath of God. (Romans 2:5-6)

Why do I need to be saved?
Your sin has cut you off from God. (Isaiah 59:2) To sin, means to “miss the mark.” The Bible declares, “all have sinned; all fall short of God’s standard.” (Romans 3:23)

What is God’s standard?
To perfectly keep His Law, the Ten Commandments, for your entire life. Keep all of the Law and God will let you enter Heaven. Have you ever:

• used God’s name as a curse word? _____Yes _____No
• stolen anything? _____ Yes _____No
• told a lie? _____Yes _____No

This is just three of the ten. Answer yes to any? Yes. You are guilty of breaking God’s Law. You have sinned. The “wages (penalty) of sin is (physical & spiritual) death.” (Romans 6:23)

If you die, without being saved, you will be eternally separated from God. After death, life does go on, either in Heaven (with God) or in Hell (away from God), depending on your acceptance or rejection of God’s plan of salvation.

God’s Plan of Salvation​

The Futility of Human Effort
The Bible teaches that no amount of human goodness, human works, human morality or religious activity can get anyone into Heaven. Being a good person, belonging to a religious family, being baptized, going to church, none of these can save anyone. Everyone still falls short of God’s perfect standard. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 4:1-5, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-7)


The Only Way
Jesus said to him, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) me.” (John 14:6)


What must I do to be saved?
1) Realize that you’re are a sinner. (Romans 3:23, 5:12; 1 John 1:10)

2) Change your mind about Jesus (repent).

• Jesus said: “…unless you repent (have a change of mind that results in a change of action), you will all perish and be lost eternally. (Luke 13:5)
• …now God charges all people everywhere to repent. (Acts 17:30)

3) Believe the Gospel, that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried and rose from the dead.

• We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in the same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed His blood, sacrificing His Life for us. (Romans 3:22, 25)
• For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

4) Go to God in prayer, confessing Jesus as Lord and your need for forgiveness of your sins. Give your life to Jesus, making Him the Lord of your life.

• For it is believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. (Romans 10:10)
• For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.(Romans 10:13)

What should I pray?
Following is an example:

Dear God,

I know I am a sinner. I have broken your Law and deserve to pay the penalty for my sins, which is eternal separation from you. God, I need your forgiveness. I believe that your Son, Jesus the Christ, is Lord of all, that He shed His precious blood as payment for my sins and that, on the third day, You raised Him from the dead. I am willing to turn from sin. Jesus, please come into my heart, to be the Lord and Savior of my life. Live your life through me. In Jesus Christ name, Amen.


If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you are now saved and the newest member of God’s family. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn! (John 1:12-13)

Your acceptance or rejection of Jesus is the most important decision you will make in this life. It is a matter of eternal life and eternal death.


I accepted God’s plan of salvation, what next?
A good place to start: Bible Truth - New Convert's Class