Photo: Rainforest Waterfall, Kauai, Hawaii. United States. ©1998-2023 R. John Anderson
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3
Jesús le contestó: «En verdad te
digo que el que no nace de nuevo no puede ver el reino de Dios». – Juan 3:3
To be “born again” properly in accordance with New Testament Scripture, one must: 1. Hear the Gospel Message: You hear the gospel message and the hope that is found in Jesus Christ correctly explained to you (what this book is doing), as it is written: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17; Acts 8:30-35) 2. Believe in Jesus: You respond to that message by accepting Christ (believe in Him) and place your complete faith, trust, and hope in Jesus as your Lord and Savior (Mark 1:15; John 1:12; 6:29; 8:30; 12:44; Acts 16:31; 19:4; Rom. 10:9), 3. Repent of Your Sins: You genuinely turn away from your sinful behaviors and turn towards Christ (repentance means a change of heart and attitude towards sin and God, Matt. 4:17; 11:21; Acts 2:38), 4. Confess Christ: You confess Christ as your Lord and Savior (and King, Rom. 10:9; 1:16; Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8), and 5. Be Baptized: You get baptized by immersion in water “for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16). It is at baptism that your old self is “buried with Him [Jesus] through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4) and you are raised “a new creature [person]” (2 Cor. 5:17) in Christ. You cannot omit any of these steps and be properly born again (Heb. 4:6; Psa. 119:160)! You will hear much disagreement among men (and even professing Christians) over what I have just written above (Matt. 7:15; 16:6; Col. 2:8; 2 Pet. 3:17-18; Jude 3; Gal. 1:6-9; Tit. 1:13-14; 2 Tim. 4:3-4). But please know that the list above is not something that I just made up out of thin air! This is not “my opinion” on the matter – I am presenting what is plainly taught in New Testament Scripture, without the myriad of myths, fantasies, beliefs, “traditions,” false teachings, and “commandments of men.” Be not deceived: you can be “tricked” out of your “crown of [eternal] life” (Rev. 3:11) by the “wolves,” “vipers,” modern-day “Pharisees,” and “false prophets” who want to turn you out of the “straight and narrow path” (Matt. 7:14) to eternal life towards their false teachings. Note, in particular, that saying a one-time so-called “sinner’s prayer” (which is nowhere found in the Bible!) does not save you to eternal life, despite that teaching being proclaimed loudly and rampant almost everywhere today. Beware!
Anderson, R. John. "You Must be Born Again." Iron Sharpens Iron (isi.bible). Access date: September 7, 2024. https://isi.bible/rays-of-hope-booklets/you-must-be-born-again/