How to be Born Again

Our greatest desire is for people to come to know God personally. The simple truth is that there is a God who created you and loves you very much.

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” He gave us life and deserves our gratitude and love.

We, however, have chosen to disobey Him and sin against Him; all of us have done wrong and failed to do what is right. Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” We may not be more sinful than our neighbor, or we may be far worse than anyone we know, it does not matter. Either way, we are guilty before God. 1 John 1:8 – “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

God is perfect, completely good, always right and fair. He cannot tolerate sin. He cannot simply overlook the fact that we have chosen to disobey Him. Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This means that the fair payment for our rebellion against God is death. It is the punishment that we deserve.

Jesus, the one and only Son of God, came to earth and lived a perfect sinless life. He was crucified even though He was completely innocent. He received the punishment that we deserved. He was the perfect sacrifice, He was put into our place and took on Himself the sentence of death that should have been ours. Romans 5:8 – “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus did not, however, remain dead. After three days, He rose from the grave and later ascended into heaven. He will return for all those who are trusting in Him as their Savior.

Jesus died for you. You can be saved by asking Him for forgiveness from your sins. If you are willing to repent of your sin, He is waiting to forgive you. It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past, if you cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will not reject you. The word “repent” literally means “to turn away from.” You need to look at your life, admit that you are a sinner, genuinely desire to turn your back on that sin, and ask Him to forgive you. If you do this, He promises to forgive you.

True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or how your parents raised you, or what country you were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It’s not good enough that your priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself.

Jesus is everywhere all the time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don’t miss this opportunity. If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something like this:

“Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I know that I have earned punishment from You, and that the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I am relying totally and only on You. You are the only one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in a way that is right and pleasing to You.”

If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, innocent in the eyes of God. Welcome to the family of God!

It is important for you to start to grow in your relationship with Jesus. Just like any relationship, you need to spend time with someone if you want to know them well. The way to know God is through the Bible. We have a few different Bible studies here that will help you get going. It’s also important to find a church you can attend where they teach the Bible. This will allow you to talk with a pastor who will help explain questions you might have, and it will give you a chance to spend time with other Christians who can encourage you.

You can start to study the Bible by going through our New Believers Booklet directly below. Also available for download is this booklet, How Can A Man Be Born Again (pdf). After that, we recommend that you start a Bible study through the Gospel of John; and find a Christian church that teaches through the Bible.

New Believers Booklet

A New Life

Praise God! Because He is so merciful. He’s given you new life, and true hope for the future as well as the certainty of living in heaven with Him forever! Until you’re there, He is with you and will always protect you. He loves you! See (1 Peter 1:3-8).

The Problem

In the beginning, man disobeyed God and followed the leading of the devil.
“…For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23)

This was an extremely serious problem because the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
God had an answer…
God had prepared for this and was willing to give his Son’s life to pay for our sins. (Romans 5:8)

Jesus tells us…
That we must be born again to inherit the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
He came to give us real life, the best life possible here on earth and then in heaven with Him. (John 10:10)

Holy Spirit

The moment you received Jesus, God placed within you His Holy Spirit.
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 1:13)

How do we allow God’s Spirit to work in our lives? (Romans 12)
Learn to depend on the Holy Spirit to grow up in your new faith and overcome sin.
“Now to him (God) who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his (Holy Spirit) power that is at work within us…” (Ephesians 3:20)

The ability to follow God comes from outside of us – it is his Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)
As you grow, you’ll find more of God’s love! (Romans 5:5)

Prayer

Prayer is talking with God and He is always ready to listen. (Psalm 55:17).
The Bible commands us to talk to God all the time, anywhere! (I Thessalonians 5:17-18)
Prayer involves listening also. (Jer. 33:3)
Prayer will bring answers and direction for life.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Prayer is powerful! (James 5:16)

The Word

Physical growth requires food, doesn’t it. It also works that way spiritually. (Matthew 4:4)
The Bible compares the desire for spiritual food to a newborn baby desiring milk. (I Peter 2:2)
Ask God to give you that appetite for His Word! God’s Word is also light for us in this dark world. (Psalm 119:105)
Most of all, God commands us to obey His Word!

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21-22)

Sin

Sin no longer has to rule your life! (Romans 6:6-7)
Here’s more great news: You have also been set free from the condemnation of sin and guilt. (Romans 8:1-2)
God now sees you as perfect in Christ, not as a sinner. (Romans 6:16-18)
What do we do when we sin, when we disobey God’s Word? Look at I John 1:9 for the answer.
God hates sin; God desires obedience. (Romans 6:12-13)
To keep from sin, read God’s Word.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:9-11)

Assurance

Satan wants you to doubt God’s love for you and the forgiveness of your sins. (Revelation 12:10)
But assurance of God’s love and forgiveness comes from God as we: *Obey God *Confess our sins to God (I John 1:6-10)
God has made you His child, and He will keep on changing you to become more like Jesus. It’s His work! (Philippians 1:6)
He won’t let go!

“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:11-13)

Abiding In Christ

God wants us to be more like Jesus every day. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
How does that happen?
John 15:4-8 describes it as staying attached to Jesus.
We can’t do anything in this life without Him. (John 15:5)

But…

We can do everything with Him! (Philippians 4:13)
Whatever we need for our spiritual life, God will supply it.
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

Fellowship

God desires a close relationship with you. (James 4:8)
It starts by reading His Word and doing it! (Psalm 119:66-68)
That relationship grows as we continue to obey Him and His commands. (I John 1:6-7)
When we gather with other Christians, we are strengthened in our life with Christ.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Life With Christ Begins Today!

The kind of life He wants for us is revealed by His Spirit, in His Word. (I Corinthians 2:9-10)
It starts today, not tomorrow.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

You are invited to New Believers Fellowship to study God’s Word and discover that new life in Christ!

It’s a great way to make new friends, ask questions, and get to know Jesus.

What The Bible Says About…

· Adultery: Exodus 20:14, I Corinthians 6:9-10, Hebrews 13:4
· Alcohol, Drug abuse: Ephesians 5:18, Gal. 5:19-20, Rom. 13:12-14, I Cor. 6:19-20
· Anger: Eph. 4:30-32, James 1:19-20, Prov. 29-22
· Anxiety: Matt. 6:25-34, Phil. 4:6-7, Prov. 12:25, I Pet. 5:6-7
· Assurance (of salvation): I John 5:11-13, John 5:24, Rom. 8:37-39, Phil 1:6
· Bitterness: Heb. 12:14-15, Eph. 4:30-32, Acts 8:22-23
· Comfort: Ps. 23, 2 Cor. 1:3-5, Ps. 103:1-14
· Conduct: I Pet. 1:13-17, Eph. 5:8-11, Titus 2:11-13, Ps 1
· Covetousness: Exod. 20:17, Eph. 5:3-5, Luke 12:15, Heb. 13:5
· Death: 2 Cor. 5:6-8, Psalm 116:15, John 14:1-4
· Depression: 2 Cor. 4:16-18, Ps. 42:5-6, 2 Cor. 1:3-5, Isaiah 40:28-31
· Discipline: Job 5:17, Prov. 3:11-12, Heb. 12:5-11
· Divorce: Mala. 2:16, Matt 19:3-9, Rom. 7:1-3
· Example, Good: I Tim. 4:12, I Pet. 2:17-25, John 13:1-17
· Faith: 2 Cor. 5:7, Rom. 10:17, Heb. 11:1-6, Jude 20-21
· Fear: Ps. 23:4, Ps. 27:1, 2 Tim. 1:7, Rom. 8:15
· Fellowship: Ecc. 4:12, Heb. 10:24-25, Col. 3:16, Gal. 6:10
· Forgiveness: I John 1:6-9, Ps. 103:1-5, Isaiah 1:18, Col. 2:11-15
· Fornication: Eph. 5:3-5, Gal. 5:19-21, I Cor. 6:9-11, Mk. 7:21-23
· Gossip: Lev. 19:16, Prov. 11:13, Prov. 20:19, Prov. 16:28
· Grace: Eph. 1:7-8, Eph. 2:8-9, Rom. 5:8
· Guilt: Rom. 8:1, Rom. 7:18-25, John 8:36, Phil 3:13-14
· Hate: I John 2:8-11, I John 3:15, Gal. 5:19, I John 4:20
· Homosexuality: Rom. 1:24-32, I Cor. 6:9-11, 2 Pet. 2:4-9
· Hope: I Pet. 1:3, Rom. 5:5, Ps. 71:5-6, Rom. 12:10-12
· Humility: Col. 3:12, Phil. 2:3, Isaiah 66:2, I Pet. 5:6
· Immorality (Sexual): I Cor. 6:18-20, Gal. 5:19-21, I Thess. 4:3-8
· Kindness: Gal. 5:22, Col. 3:12, 2 Pet. 1:7, Gal. 6:10
· Laziness: Prov. 6:6-11, 2 Tim. 2:15, Prov. 15:19
· Loneliness: Heb. 13:5, Matt. 28:18-20, Ps. 40:1-5
· Love: I Cor. 13:4-8, Gal. 5:22, Col. 3:12-15
· Lust: Rom. 13:13-14, I Pet. 1:13-16, I Pet. 2:11-12
· Lying: Exod. 20:16, Eph. 4:23-25, Prov. 12:22
· Mercy: I Peter 1:3, Titus 3:5, Psalm 51:1-2
· Obedience: I Sam. 15:22, John 14:21, I John 2:3-6
· Joy: Gal. 5:22, John 15:10-11, Ps. 16:11
· Patience: Gal. 5:22, Eph. 4:2, Col. 1:11, Col. 3:12
· Peace: Gal. 5:22, Isaiah 26:3, Rom. 8:6, Col. 3:15
· Persecution: John 15:18-21, Matt. 5:10-12, 2 Tim. 3:10-12
· Prayer: Matt. 6:9-13, Phil. 4:6-7, I Thess. 5:16-18, James 5:16
· Pride: Prov. 8:13, Mark 7:21-23, I Pet. 5:5-6, Prov. 29:23
· Repentance: Joel 2:12-13, 2 Cor. 7:10, Isaiah 55:6-7
· Rest: Matt. 11:28-30, Ps. 4:7-8, Jer. 6:16, John 14:27
· Self-Centeredness: I Cor. 13:5, James 3:14-16, Matt. 16:24:26
· Self Control: Gal 5:22-23, 2 Tim 1:7, 2 Pet. 1:6, Prov. 14:29
· Sin: Num. 32:23, Gal. 6:7-8, James 4:17, Isaiah 59:1-2
· Suffering: I Peter 4:13, John 15:18-21, Rom. 8-18
· Temptation: I Cor. 10:13, James 1:13-15, Matt. 26:41, 1 Pet. 5:8-9
· Trials: 2 Cor. 12:7-10, I Pet. 1:3-7, John 16:33
· Trust: Prov. 3:5-6, Isaiah 26:3-4, Ps. 37:3-5, Prov. 16:20
· Worldliness: Col. 3:1-2, I John 2:15-17, Matt. 6:33, Rom. 12:1-2