Living Hope Church

The New Birth and Assurance of Salvation

OBJECTIVES: Identify When and how one can obtain new birth, and identify advantages and results of new birth; Also, assure the new believer has experienced assurance of salvation through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘ Most assuredly I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Proverbs 20:9 “For who can say; I have cleansed myself of my sin, I am pure from my sin”?

Is it possible to be a Christian without being born again? Can we inherit Christianity through our families? Our nation? Our church? ...No. We must all come to a specific point, at a specific moment to the cross and be born again.

Not only Zaccheus, a thief, or Mary Magdalene, a prostitute, or the thief on the cross needed a savior, but Nicodemus (in John 3:3) who taught the law of God, prayed 2 hours a day, fasted twice a week and was zealous in the Mosaic Law needed to be born again. We all need a savior...not any savior, but The Savior of the World - Jesus the Christ...the Messiah...the very Son of God. We must come to the cross empty. Salvation is a free gift...it cannot be bought or earned.

Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Ephesians 2:8-9 "You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about."

God, through His Word, destroyed all arguments that man can reform himself. The new birth is not intellectual, but spiritually obtained.- a Spiritual Miracle.

Romans 3:10-12 “as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none that understands, There is none that seeks after God; They have all turned aside, they are together become unprofitable; There is none that does good, no, not, so much as one:”

Have you been born again? Have you experienced the new birth? At our natural birth, all that concerns us has been established by God - our sex, skin pigmentation, height, weight, temperament, etc. Being born again refers to our spiritual body and mind, that is the mind of Christ. We receive a brand new spiritual life, which affects all the rest of our being - body, mind, emotions, temperament, etc. Social reformation does not accomplish what only God can do through a new heart, and spirit.

John 3:6    "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

2 Corinthians 5:17    “Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27    “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep mine ordinances, and do them.”

The new birth is produced directly through the Holy Spirit who, through faith, places the Spirit of life in the new believer.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CHANGE ABOUT ME AND MY LIFE NOW THAT I AM BORN AGAIN?

I. Citizen of Heaven – Taken out of the Kingdom of Darkness and Transferred us into the Kingdom of Light.

Colossians 1:13-14 “who delivered us out of the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins:”

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:"

II. Rejoice that your names are recorded in the Lamb’s book of life.

Luke 10:20 “Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

III. Soft heart - cleansed conscience (refer to Ezekiel 36:26-27, above).

IV. Alive to God when formerly dead in your sins.

Romans 6:11 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

V. Sins are blotted out.

Psalms 103:11-12 “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

I John 1:8,9 “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

VI. We are partakers of the great inheritance He has provided for us, both now and in eternity.

II Peter 1:1-4    “To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust."

Psalms 103:1-5    “Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: Who forgives all my   iniquities; Who heals all my diseases; Who redeems my life from destruction; Who crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies my desire with good things, So that my youth is renewed like the eagle.”

Romans 8:31, 32    “What shall we say to those things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?”

HOW DO I KNOW I’M SAVED?

1. Salvation is received by faith.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about."

2. The Spirit of God bears witness with our own spirit.

Romans 8:15-16 "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."

WHAT WILL MY SOUL DESIRE?

1. Hunger for God’s Word.

1 Peter 2:2 “as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that you may grow thereby unto salvation;”

2. To live a holy life.

1 Peter 1:15-16 ”but like as he who called you is holy, be you yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, You will be holy; for I am holy.”

3. Will have a love for brethren.

1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not abides in death.”

4. Will witness about Christ.

Acts 4:20 “for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.”

CONCLUSION: No matter what or who a man is he must look at the cross and decide for himself what all that Christ did means to him or her. And what he does with the cross determines his destiny and his eternity.

How Do I Receive Salvation from Jesus?

Pray this prayer aloud in faith, believing God hears you.

Dear Heavenly God,

I am a sinner in need of your salvation.

I believe you sent your only Son, Jesus, to earth as a man, born of a virgin, by the power of your Holy Spirit. I believe Jesus lived a perfect and sinless life and obeyed you, even to his death upon the cross. I believe Jesus bore all of my sins upon himself, on that cross...he died for me. I believe, God, that you raised Jesus up from the dead, after three days. I believe you glorified Jesus, and he did appeared before men, after his resurrection. I believe you lifted Jesus up into heaven, where you have seated him upon his throne, at your right hand.

Please forgive me for all my sins and trespasses. Wash them away with the precious blood of Jesus that was shed for me.

Jesus is King of all kings and Lord of all lords, and I accept Jesus into my heart, to reign and rule, as my Lord, forever.

Thank you for forgiving me, for saving me, that I stand forgiven in Christ Jesus my Lord and Savior. Thank you for adopting me into your family, and that I can call you, Father. I thank you that I can approach your throne and talk with you, anytime. Thank you for giving me eternal life and the filling of your Holy Spirit within me.

In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.