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A New Life!!!

There are a lot of misconceptions today about becoming a Christian. One of those is that when we ask Jesus to come into our heart, we become a Christian. I Would like to challenge that today by saying that the Bible does not say we become a Christian by asking Jesus into our heart, we become a Christian by being born again. Jesus told us that unless we are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3). Saying a prayer or making a public commitment or signing a decision card will not save us. Only being born again will do that.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he s a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

The apostle Paul says here that when you are "in Christ," the old things pass away. In the moment of our salvation, every sin we ever committed is forgiven. Healing for every hurt we have ever suffered is available. Love and acceptance are ours despite every failure we have experienced. Our past, no matter how difficult or painful, is completely and thoroughly provided for. So now you are asking, "Okay, how do we get in Christ, how can I be sure of my salvation?" Our answer can be found in Romans 10:9-10:

""That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

We are saved by grace through faith! That means that we believe and confess that Jesus lived, died on a cross, was buried, and on the third day was resurrected, he ascended and is coming again. We are born again and live in Christ when we believe through faith and confess that He is Lord as the Scriptures state. You can be sure of your salvation when you believe and confess.

However, some people will seek to diminish the awesome reality of our spiritual rebirth. We might hear them say things like, "Even though you are now a Christian, you must still undergo years of counseling to overcome the hurts you have experienced" or "You may be born again, but you will continue to struggle with your sin, hopefully you will eventually gain victory in areas of your weakness." Don't believe them or fall into that trap. The Bible says that we can do all things through Christ!

Friends, the problem is that we seek changes by our own will rather than by turning our lives over in faith to the One Who has given us new life. The profound testimony of Scripture is that the blood of Jesus Christ and the death of the Son of God is sufficient to completely free us from our sin and anguish. Satan will seek to convince us otherwise. As we move through this week and closer to Easter, I challenge you to examine yourself and ask, "Am I really in Christ, or am I still trying to live life my own way?" There is either the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Word, or the devil and his lies. Whom will you believe?

May God richly bless you today!! H Trent!

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