Saints Are All Heirs With Jesus Christ

Romans 8:15-18, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

This is such a beautiful and encouraging truth. As believers, we have the glory of God working in us. If you are a born again child of God, then you are a heir with Jesus. Jesus is the one and only begotten (biological) son of God. Every saint is an adopted son of God. We will one day in Heaven fully enjoy all the same blessings, splendors, joys and privilege's to which Jesus Himself is entitled. I looked up the meaning of the word “heir.” According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a heir is:

noun

1. A person who inherits or is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another.
2. A person who succeeds or is in line to succeed to a hereditary rank, title, or office.
3. One who receives or is expected to receive a heritage, as of ideas, from a predecessor.

Romans 8:15, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.” God has only one biological child, Jesus. That is why I make a fuss over these modern corrupt Devil's bibles that remove every mention of Jesus being the only “begotten” son of God. 

Dear friend, I get excited thinking about all that God has in store for me in Heaven as His adopted child. ...

1st Corinthians 2:5-9, “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”

As I grow older I love and run to the inspired Holy Bible more and more, like a starving man. Let not your faith stand in the wisdom of men, but in the wisdom of God. It is so easy to get caught-up into this sinful world's thinking.

For example: I recently heard a divorced woman say concerning remarrying her husband (whom she divorced many years ago), quote: “Me and my husband will get back together if it is meant to be.” I HATE that corrupt worldly philosophy. “Oh well, if it's meant to be, it will be; if it's not, it's not.” That is heresy! I know that the divorced woman in question hasn't made the slightest effort to reconcile with her husband, whom she abandoned and divorced against his wishes. He didn't want the divorce, but she refused to reconcile with him. God hates divorce. Jeremiah 3:20, “Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.”

It is foolishness to go around saying: “If it's meant to be, it will be; if it's not, it's not.” It is foolish because if you refuse to do your part, to lift a finger to make something happen, I can guarantee you that it won't happen. That is common sense, which most people sadly lack. Dear reader, if it is meant to be, then you need to work hard to make it happen. Will people get saved if it is meant to be, while we sit idle and don't carry the Gospel to them? No way!

That is why we read in Romans 10:15, “And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” Why does the Bible mention the “feet” instead of the lips, tongue or mouth? I mean, we don't preach the Gospel with our feet! The simple answer is that the most eloquent words spoken by the most skilled orator are WORTHLESS, if that person is unwilling to walk with their feet to bring the Gospel to lost sinners who need it. Amen.

I got saved as a 13-year-old lad in Chicago. I had no idea at that time that I was now a heir with Jesus Christ! What a wonderful blessing!!!The following Scripture passages teaches that the promise which God made to Abraham, that the nation's of the world would be blessed through him, was by faith and not works. If it were possible for anyone in human civilization to be saved by works, then Christ died in vain! What good would faith have been, if people in the Old Testament under the Mosaic law were saved by their works? Obviously they couldn't be saved by works...

Romans 4:13-15, “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.”

Salvation has ALWAYS been by faith alone, and it will ALWAYS be by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:26, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”

The Gentiles (non Jews) can be made heirs of Jesus Christ by faith, just like God's people, the Jews. Ephesians 3:6-7, “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.” Boy, I love that! God's free gift of eternal life is freely offered to all humanity, by simple childlike faith in Jesus Christ. That silences all the naysayers!

If you are saved friend, you won't have eternal life  someday, you already have eternal life right now! That is what the Bible means in 1st Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” We ought to LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE. That is, since we already posses eternal life, we ought to live in such a manner that we lay up treasures in Heaven by preaching the Gospel to lead lost sinners to Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, contend for the faith, help the poor in Jesus' name, and whatever we can do with what talent and resources God has given us to serve Him.

We are heirs with Jesus Christ, of all that is His. Romans 8:32, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Make sure dear reader that you don't miss out! Have you been born again? Most Bible students think that when the Bible mentions "gnashing of teeth, weeping and wailing," it is speaking about the pain and agony of the fire in Hell. But dear reader, pay close attention to the following Scripture. Luke 13:28, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.” Wow! These poor souls who will be rotting in Hell forever, won't be gnashing their teeth and weeping because of the unbearable intense burning pain from the scalding molten brimstone and fire, but because they now too late realize the wonderful life of joy, possessions, friends, love, peace and eternal bliss that they foolishly forfeited by rejecting Jesus as their personal Savior.

THE GOSPEL IN JUST ONE MINUTE
(Pastor Max D. Younce)

Let's Keep The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Very Clear

 1st Corinthians 15:1-4, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”

I have noticed over the years that soulwinners tend to emphasize Jesus' death much more than His burial and resurrection. I have learned over the years to emphasize all three elements of the Gospel. When witnessing to lost sinners, I humbly suggest that Christians mention that the word “Gospel” means, “Good News.” And then kindly explain to the listener what the Good News is. 

The Apostle Paul defines the “Gospel” in our text Scripture passage as:

1. Jesus DIED on a cross for our sins.
2. Jesus was BURIED.
3. Jesus bodily RESURRECTED from the dead three days later.

I like to stay close to this definition when teaching the Gospel, because there are many heresies floating around on social media. Humbly said, most presentations of how to be saved on social media are so vague that it is easy for a lost person to miss the truth of the Gospel.

For example: Pastor Bob Wilkin of the Evangelical Grace Society (EGS) errantly teaches that a person can simply “trust Jesus” without believing the facts of the Gospel. My ministry friend, Pastor Max D. Younce of the heritage Baptist Bible Church in Walnut Grove, Minnesota wrote an article titled: "THE CROSS-LESS GOSPEL," exposing this heresy by Bob Wilkin, which I think you will find edifying.

You did mention the cross in your video, so that is good. Another example is that the cult of Jehovah's Witnesses errantly teach that Jesus only raised up from the dead in Spirit, bit not physically in His body. JW's errantly teach that World Wars I and II were outward manifestations of Jesus' return, and that the Watchtower organization are God's vehicle by which He is ushering in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ. We know that JW's are unsaved heretics, denying Jesus' deity, the Godhead and Christ's bodily resurrection. Shockingly, 25% of all professed Christians in Europe deny Jesus' bodily resurrection.

So for those reasons, and many more, I always try to make it very clear what THE GOSPEL is, by which we are saved. People oftentimes ask me how to witness to different religious groups. My answer is simply to give them THE GOSPEL. Romans 1:16 teaches that "the gospel" is the POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION, unto them that BELIEVE IT! It is not by our eloquent words, cunning wisdom or skilled oratory abilities that people get saved, but by THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. The simple truth, the "GOOD NEWS," that Jesus is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God (John 20:31), who DIED on a cross for our sins, was BURIED and bodily RESURRECTED three days later, is THE POWER that saves whosoever BELIEVES IT!

Like I said, there is nothing wrong with your presentation, but I want to help you make it better (in my humble opinion). I love when I hear a Gospel presentation where Jesus' death, burial and resurrection are strongly emphasized.

What saith the Scripture? 1st Thessalonians 4:14, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." I love that Bible verse. If you haven't read it yet, I cannot recommend enough that you read: "I NEVER KNEW YOU" by Michael P. Bowen. Hard copies are available on Amazon, but here is the free version in .pdf format.

This book WILL help you immensely to hone your Gospel presenting skills. This is one of my favorite books authored by a man.

I also love Pastor Curtis Hutson's excellent book titled: "SALVATION CRYSTAL CLEAR," which I just ordered another copy from Amazon. Sadly, there is no free version yet.

Of course, the inspired Holy Bible was authored by God alone (which is what "inspired" means). They are God's pure Words, untainted by sinful men.

I also highly recommend reading this simple Gospel presentation by military chaplain, David Rutkin.

One of my favorite preachers is Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951). Dr. Ironside was 100% free grace! He pastored Moody Church in Chicago between 1930 to 1948. I love this Gospel tract by Pastor Ironside, titled: "WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?"

These resource will help you tremendously. The Gospel of John is God's Gospel tract according to John 20:31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." At least 85 times in John we find the word "believe," but the word repent is not mentioned once. That is because repentance is automatic, a simple change of mind. I heard someone this week correct the King James Bible, claiming that the 54 translators in 1611 got it wrong.

No, they got it right! The person claimed that the KJB translators should have transliterated the New Testament Greek word "metanoia" (noun: a change of mind) into the English language; just the same as the Greek word "baptizo" in the New Testament was transliterated (directly carried over) into the English language. But at the time of the translating of the King James Bible, the word "repent" still meant a change of mind. It wasn't until later that the English dictionary began to define the word "repent" as "to turn away from your sinful ways." There is nothing wrong with the King James Bible, our English language has changed, following the corrupt religions of this world. My father used to say: "Religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world." Dad was right!

We sure need more free grace truthers to preach the Gospel accurately.

I listen weekly to the YouTube sermons of one of my favorite free grace preachers, Pastor Ralph Yankee Arnold. I love this guy! More than any other of today's preachers, Yankee Arnold gets the Gospel 100% accurate. One of the biggest threats to the Gospel today are sincere but misled bad pastors, who are incompetent, who embellish God's simple plan of salvation with add-ons.  The inspired Word of God plainly teaches in hundreds of passages that we are saved by faith alone in Jesus Christ. Yet, we are hearing all sorts of perverse teachings todays which insist you must turn away from sinful living, follow Christ as the 'Lord' of your life to obey Him, surrender all and pray some prayer to get to Heaven. 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."

I hope this information is helpful. I love helping others for Christ, so please don't hesitate to ask questions if you have any, that is why I am hear on social media, to be a blessing for Jesus. Your video is acceptable, as I mentioned, but I would redo it and include equal emphasis on all three elements of the Gospel.

How To Be Saved

 

The Bible declares, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Because of sin, none of us can pay the price to enter Heaven. Despite our “good” works, we are still sinners by birth, unable to merit the favor of God. Thus, we have come short of God’s righteous standards.

The Good News is that, through the finished crosswork of Jesus Christ on Calvary, we can be made “the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). We can receive God’s righteousness as a free gift which blesses us with eternal salvation from our sins!

“What must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30, 31).

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5).

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

“The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

“In whom [Christ] we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).

Salvation = Faith + Nothing. It is free to you because Jesus Christ paid the price. Do you believe that? Have you fully trusted in that alone for salvation?

Jesus Christ (God manifested in human flesh), in His great love, grace, and mercy, paid the penalty for our sins. The Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24) which saves lost mankind is: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). The Lord Jesus Christ shed His sinless blood to forgive us our sins, but the Bible declares that anyone who rejects the Gospel of Grace will have to pay for his or her sins in the lake of fire for all eternity.

When you trust exclusively in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, Jesus Christ’s righteousness will be applied to you. Jesus Christ is perfect, so His righteousness imputed to us is our only means of getting into Heaven.

Will you trust in Jesus Christ alone as your personal Savior?

Pastor Rick Warren's Counterfeit Gospel

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

I love pastors and preachers. I don't enjoy exposing corrupt clergy, but I do enjoy contending for the Christian faith. Today's spotlight is on Rick Warren, longtime 42-year senior pastor of the Saddleback Valley Community Church in California, which he founded. Sadly, Warren is a member of the apostate Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). The SBC presently is comprised of about 45,000 member churches. There is much doctrinal as well as moral corruption in the SBC. The following helpful excerpt is from Christian author Michael P. Bowen's helpful book titled: 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' beginning on page 57...

As children, most of us were told the tale of the Pied Piper, a story about a man who played a type of flute who led little children away from the care of their families and ended up drowning in the river. Like the Pied Piper, Warren plays an irresistible tune that no one can ignore. Once people hear what he has to say, they are hooked. Warren digs down into the cores of our individual beings, down into our deepest desires of wanting to forget our pasts, our mistakes and failures, of wanting to make our present lives the best that they can be, and by telling us that if we invite Christ into our hearts and give ourselves to Him that we will go to heaven; however, like the fictional Pied Piper, Warren leads every mesmerized believer of this false gospel to a place of drowning, but not in a river of water; instead, it is the eternal lake of fire, according to the bible. 

Jesus Christ offers a very different plan of salvation. Jesus said that the will of the Father was for everyone to recognize Christ as the Messiah and to believe on Him alone for the gift of everlasting life. “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40). To make it ever more succinct, Jesus then said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:47).

The gospel message is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we believe that Jesus died for us and came back to life three days later, He knows it — He knows all of your thoughts — and He knows the very instant that you believe His gospel message. The instant you believe His message, Jesus saves you. Time and time again we see in the bible that when people heard this message, they “believed.” When they believed, they were saved that very same instant. They did not pray prayers of salvation asking Jesus into their hearts. They did not commit their lives to the Lordship of Christ. They did not determine to follow Him all the days of their lives in obedience to His Lordship or to the practice of discipleship. They simply believed on Christ alone as their savior. 

It doesn’t matter how successful a ministry is, or how beautiful and satisfying their particular plan of salvation may be. If what they say about salvation does not match with what Christ said about salvation, their plan is counterfeit and falls under the label of an “accursed message.” Galatians 1:8-9 says, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” 

If you were to have asked Paul how to be saved, he would have told you the same thing he told the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:31: “...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” And if you were to ask Jesus Christ how to be saved, He would tell you the same thing that He told Nicodemus in 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.”

SOURCE: Michael P. Bowen, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU,' pp. 57-59

The counterfeit plan of salvation peached by Rick Warren is the same junk taught by Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, Pat Robertson, Jimmy Swaggart, Mike Murdock, Peter Popoff, Benny Hinn and countless other infidels. These false prophets all preach a perverse gospel of partial faith in Christ plus something else. My father was right, who taught me that religion is the worst thing that ever happened to this world. Dad was so right! ...

Matthew 7:13-15, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”

There is nothing in this universe as important as God's simple plan of salvation for mankind. Sadly, hellbound neo-evangelicals like Pastor Rick Warren pervert God's free grace, because they are caught between grace and works. Remember, faith is the only righteous thing that I can do. Jesus is precious!!!

George Harrison's Futile Search For God

2nd Timothy 3:5-7, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

George Harrison In India With A Hindu Cult

“Everything else can wait, but the search for God cannot wait.” —George Harrison, The Beatles

It saddens me to know that George Harrison (1943-2001) almost assuredly went to Hell. Unless he experienced a deathbed conversion, George died in his sins without Jesus Christ. John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Jesus warned the Jews in John 8:24, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Jesus Christ is the ONLY Way To Heaven!!!

I watched a 1997 documentary on YouTube about George Harrison. It was his last public interview before his death in 2001 from cancer. I am a musician myself, so I have always loved other musicians and am curious about their lives and talent. In his interview, George opens up about his search for God in his life. Sadly, Harrison rejected Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, choosing rather to put his trust in Hare Krishna.

I found this information about Harrison's faith in Hare Krishna and Hinduism...

 Harrison Traveled to India and Embraced Hare Krishna

Harrison embraced the Hare Krishna tradition and remained a plainclothes devotee or 'closet Krishna', as he called himself, until his last day of earthly existence. The Hare Krishna mantra, which according to him is nothing but "mystical energy encased in a sound structure," became an integral part of his life. Harrison once said, "Imagine all the workers on the Ford assembly line in Detroit, all of them chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna while bolting on the wheels..."

Harrison recalled how he and Lennon kept on singing the mantra while sailing through the Greek islands, "because you couldn't stop once you got going…It was like as soon as you stop, it was like the lights went out." Later in an interview with Krishna devotee Mukunda Goswami he explained how chanting helps one identify with the Almighty: "God's all happiness, all bliss, and by chanting His names we connect with Him. So it's really a process of actually having a realization of God, which all becomes clear with the expanded state of consciousness that develops when you chant." He also took to vegetarianism. As he said: "Actually, I wised up and made sure I had dal bean soup or something every day."

He Wanted to Meet God Face to Face

In the introduction Harrison wrote for Swami Prabhupada's book Krsna, he says: "If there's a God, I want to see Him. It's pointless to believe in something without proof, and Krishna consciousness and meditation are methods where you can actually obtain God perception. In that way, you can see, hear & play with God. Perhaps this may sound weird, but God is really there next to you."

SOURCE: The Spiritual Quest of George Harrison in Hinduism

Tragically, George Harrison was a confused man. George spent his life searching for God, but died in woeful ignorance. The reason why is because when you pass up the light of the truth of Jesus Christ, you have fallen from grace. That is, you have missed the only bus that is going to Heaven. Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” Sadly, George Harrison put his trust in Hinduism, which has over 3,000,000 different pagan gods to worship.

From everything that I have read and seen about George Harrison, he was a sincere, generous, loving and good man, as far as lost sinners go. Unfortunately, he spent his life searching for a God created in George's own image. 2nd Timothy 3:7, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Harrison was a notorious adulterer, as confirmed by fellow band member Paul McCartney in a public interview. John Lennon and Paul McCartney have openly admitted publicly to their sexual indiscretions. I'm not sure about Ringo Starr.

Paul wasn't criticizing George in the interview, he was just telling the truth that his friend George was “a lady's man.” I am not condemning those men, because we are ALL dirty sinners in God's sight. John 7:7, “The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” John 3:20, “For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” The Bible teaches that lost sinners won't come to Jesus Christ to be saved, because of their love for sin. Although a person doesn't have to forsake their sinful ways to be saved, you do have to admit you are a guilty sinner to get to Heaven. You need to know what you're being saved from. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23-24, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

It is horrifying to know that George Harrison is burning in the fires and torments of Hell forever and ever without hope. Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Billions of people will spend eternity burning in Hell, fire and brimstone because they put their faith in something other than Jesus Christ. George had a form of godliness, but denied the power thereof (2nd Timothy 3:5), which is THE GOSPEL (Romans 1:16).

I am sad, not glad, that George Harrison went to Hell. The Lord has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). God desires for all mankind to repent of their unbelief to be saved (2nd Peter 3:9). Tragically, Harrison pursued his own ideas, following false religion instead of the inspired Word of God. Like billions before him, the heathen world wants nothing to do with Jesus Christ, because He is the Word of God (John 1:1-3, 14; Revelation 19:13). John 15:19, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” The world has always hated Christ and His disciples.

Dear reader, please don't make the same foolish mistake that George Harrison made, of searching for God in all the wrong places. In Harrison's last public interview, which I linked to at the beginning of this blog, he quotes Jesus from the Bible. Yet, why didn't George accept Jesus as his personal Savior? The reason why is because naming the name of Jesus brings reproach. You can tell society that you are a follower of Buddha, Zoroaster, Hare Krishna or Muhammad and nobody will persecute you; but if you confess publicly the name of Jesus, and live according to the inspired Holy Bible, the lost world will persecute you. 2nd Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

We read in James 2:19 that the demons believe in God, but tremble. George Harrison believed in God, as do the fallen angels. To get to Heaven, Jesus warned that a man must be born again. 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.” Harrison seemed to believe in everything, yet nothing. His teachings on God and religion were pure new age heresy. George believed in the inner goodness of humanity, and that through the ritual of meditation man could rise to a new level of illumination and betterment. In sharp contrast, the inspired Word of God teaches that the human heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all else (Jeremiah 20:9).

Thankfully, God has made a way of escape through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” George Harrison was a good man, as far as sinners go. But being good is not enough to get into the Kingdom of God. You have to be 100% perfect and sinless. That is why Jesus needed to die on the cross to pay our debt of sin. By faith anyone can be born-again, simply by accepting Christ's sacrifice on the cross, as payment for one's sins.

Has Being Born Again Become A Thing Of The Past?

John 3:1-3, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 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.”

1st Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

I am saddened as a redeemed adopted child of God that it is rare nowadays to hear preachers use the Biblical phrase that Jesus used in John 3:3b, “Ye must be born again.”

I triple-dog dare you dear reader to examine the ministry websites of all big name preachers; namely, Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron, Billy Sunday, Joyce Meyer, Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, et cetera. If you compare what all of these heretics teach concerning what it means to “repent” to get to Heaven, you will sadly find that they are all in diabolical agreement with the pseudo-Christian cults (i.e., Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutherans, Methodists, Churches of Christ, Roman Catholics, et cetera). Birds of a feather flock together. 

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous, it is a gift for the guilty! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. Turning away from sinful ways would be a work. Faith puts all of the merit where it belongs, on the object of our faith, Jesus and His work. If to “repent” means to forsake our sinful ways TO BE SAVED, but Jesus already paid for our sins by dying on the cross, then what are we repenting from? The true Gospel always points you to CHRIST; a false gospel always points to YOU. We must stay true to the simplicity of the Gospel!! Repentance regarding salvation is a change of mind from unbelief to belief!!! We must earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).

Jesus warned that to enter into God's Kingdom, a man must be born again. 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.” Being born again is NOT optional to get to Heaven. What does it mean to be born again? It simply means that since you were born spiritually dead, you need to be reborn of the Holy Spirit of God. When our ancestor Adam sinned, he consequently opened the floodgate of sin and death upon the human race. Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.”

The inspired Word of God teaches that we were all born spiritually dead into this earthly world. Ephesians 2:1, “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;” The word “quickened” in the preceding Bible verse means “made alive.” The moment that a lost hellbound sinner puts their childlike truth (faith, confidence) in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, their old spirit which was dead in trespasses and sins, is now and forever born anew from above by God's Holy Spirit.

A good way to explain it, I humbly think, is to compare the new birth to our earthly biological parents. We are not them, and our parents are not us; but genetically we have the DNA of both parents in us, so that they are a part of us, and we them. Likewise, I am not God, and God is not me; but I have some of God's DNA (the blessed Holy Spirit indwelling me), and I am in Christ, an integral part of the Body of Christ, of which Jesus is the head.

When you listen to a preacher and never hear him mention the words of Jesus, who said: “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN,” something is very wrong! I cannot help but serious wonder if becoming “born again” has already become a thing of the past. Revelation 3:2, “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” I cannot think of anything more important than Jesus' words, “Ye must be born again.” Yet when is the last time that you heard a preacher use those words?

Instead, what most people are hearing is a bunch of unbiblical tommyrot; such as:

1. Repent “of your sins.”
2. Turn away from your sins.
3. Surrender control of your life over to Christ.
4. Receive Jesus as “Lord.”
5. Follow Jesus no matter what the cost.
6. Confess the name of “Jesus” publicly.
7. Call, pray or ask Jesus to save you.
8. Invite Christ into your life.
9. Get water baptized.
10. Forsake a lifestyle of sinning.
11. Give up the old ways.
12. Live a changed life.
13. Be willing to turn from sin.
14. Pick up and carry your cross.
15. Do good deeds.

All of the aforementioned things have their proper place in the Christian life, but they have NOTHING to do with being saved. You can do all of these things and yet never have been born again at all. Satan's greatest weapon is to con people into living the Christian life without ever being born again. John 3:7, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Dear friend, have you been born again? ...

• I didn't ask if you prayed a sinner's prayer in the past. Have you been born again? 
• I didn't ask if you have been baptized in water. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you attend church. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you are a good person. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you love God. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you love your neighbour as thyself. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you live the Christian life. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you keep the Seven Sacrament of Catholicism. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you live a changed life. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you are active in your religious denomination. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you give money to a church. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you have a relationship with Jesus. Have you been born again?
• I didn't ask if you had a religious experience in the past. Have you been born again?

That is the $64,000 question—Have you been born again?

There are an estimated 350,000 churches across the United States. Yet, how many of them preach the Bible truth: “YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN?” You won't hear Ray Comfort using this term much, and when he does he corrupts what it really means. There is a disturbing trend among evangelicals to explain being “born again” as an “EXPERIENCE,” instead of as a supernatural miracle of God in response to a man's faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have a copy of Ray Comfort's “THE EVIDENCE BIBLE” in front of me. I bought it a few years ago. On page 1529, under the commentary section, “How Can You Know That You Are Saved?,” The Evidence Bible states:

Christians believed in God's existence before their conversion, however, when they obeyed the Word of God, turned from their sins, and embraced Jesus Christ, they stopped merely believing. The moment they reached out and touched the heater bar of God's mercy, they moved out of belief into the realm of experience. This experience is so radical, Jesus referred to it as being born again. [emphasis added]

SOURCE: The Way of the Master Evidence Bible, by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, page 1529; ©2003 by Bridge-Logos Publishers.

May I say, being born again is NOT an “experience.” Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron wrongly understand being “born-again” as an EXPERIENCE that involves forsaking one's sinful lifestyle and “EMBRACING” Jesus Christ. Ray Comfort gets this idea from an errant understanding of James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” Many foolish Bible teachers misinterpret James 2:19 to mean that simple BELIEF on Christ is insufficient to be saved. This is not what the Bible is saying here. It simply means that no one is going to Heaven just because they believe there is a God.

This is why Jesus told His disciples in Luke 13:23-24, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” You can believe in God all you want—you can serve Him, go to church, tithe, sacrifice and do good all your life, and then go straight to the Lake of Fire forever to burn!!! Jesus said, “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).

What did Jesus mean by “born again?” The question is answered in John 3:6, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” When you were born the first time into the world, that was of the flesh; but the new birth (or second birth) is when the Holy Spirit of God comes inside your body to indwell you (upon your faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ). Being “born again?” means that you have been born into God's family! Whereas all men are born spiritually DEAD from birth (Romans 5:15), in order to enter into the Kingdom of God a person must be born for the second time, spiritually (John 3:6-7). The first birth is PHYSICAL, earthly; The second birth is SPIRITUAL, by the Holy Spirit of God (John 1:12-14).

Biblically, mere childlike BELIEVING is all that God requires to be saved. This is what Jesus said in John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.”

In Mr. Comfort's broken thinking, being “born again” means moving from the realm of merely believing in God, to the realm of leaving one's sinful ways and clinging to Christ. Mr. Comfort recognizes this as an EXPERIENCE, which to him means being born-again.

The Word of God teaches something entirely different. A person is “born again” by the Holy Spirit of God, which is initiated by mere childlike belief in Christ's death on the cross for our sins, His burial and bodily resurrection three days later. The Bible defines this as the “Gospel” in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the new birth! Whereas 'The Evidence Bible' teaches that a transforming “radical experience” is what it means to be born-again; the Holy Bible teaches that it is the transforming power of God's Holy Spirit that produces the new birth...

John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

It is a false plan of salvation to explain the new birth as a mere transforming experience. Any radical transformation is wrought solely by the Holy Spirit of God. It is heresy to require an experience, a radical change, or some transformation from a person in order to be saved (or to prove that they are saved). This is because eternal life is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is a TAKE proposition, not a GIVE proposition. God will not save anyone who is trying to be saved, He will only save those who are trusting to be saved. It is the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit that changes a person, and not our own human effort. The ONLY thing that a believer automatically gets at the moment of salvation is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1st John 3:21). Everything else from that moment forward in a saint's life is a matter of growth in grace and discipleship, not justification.

Ray Comfort understands salvation backwards. He requires a person to commit to leave their sinful lifestyle and embrace Christ, which is the radical experience he requires from people to be saved. Biblically, you don't have to embrace Christ as your “Lord” to be saved, you simply need to believe on Him (John 3:16). That's what the Bible teaches. 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.”

Although a person may or may not express emotions at the time of salvation, emotions are not required for salvation. Neither tears, nor any outward manifestation of inner changes, nor a desire to serve God, nor forsaking sins, nor any “radical experience” is necessary to receive the free gift of eternal life. IT IS A GIFT, and a “gift” is free in every sense. For a wonderful presentation of the simple plan of salvation by Pastor Hank Lindstrom (1940-2008), please see: Get God's Gift.

Furthermore, forsaking one's sinful lifestyle is NOT what it means Biblically to “repent.” Repentance is “changing one's mind,” that is, realizing and acknowledging one's guilt of sin for breaking a holy God's commandments (Romans 3:19-23). The only thing you need to repent of to be saved is whatever has been hindering you from coming to Christ to be saved (Hebrews 6:1 - repentance is from DEAD WORKS, which includes both bad and good works). 

The man who BELIEVES the Gospel has repented, otherwise he never would have come to Jesus Christ to be saved (John 3:20). Our part in salvation is simply to BELIEVE on Jesus Christ. Whatever else is a part of our salvation is solely God's department, and you can be assured that He will attend to it. Our part is just to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 16:30-31).

Sadly and tragically, it seems that over 95% of today's pastors think they know better than God how a person gets to Heaven. This includes independent Baptist churches, pastors and Bible colleges too! Nearly all of today's Bible colleges errantly deny that we have an inspired Holy Bible today in the English language. It is shameful! Whereas the Bible simply teaches for a lost sinner to BELIEVE the Good News of Jesus crucified, buried and risen to be saved; nearly all of today's preachers (popular and unpopular alike) are preaching an embellished counterfeit plan of salvation, damning men's souls to Hell by giving them a false hope. Please read: 'What Is The Gospel?,' by Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951).