“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” – Mark 16:16 (ESV)
What does scripture say about becoming a born-again Christian? I know many people call themselves Christian but have never been born again. Over the years, I have heard people quoting John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” People who read or hear that scripture and are unfamiliar with God’s Word would believe that all they have to do is believe Jesus Christ is the son of God. That’s it. You’ll have eternal life by believing that. Untrue!
John 3:1-4 (NIV) “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.’” “Jesus replied, ‘very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.’” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” John 3:5-8 (NIV) “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.’” “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 (NIV) “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
How are we baptized? Some churches have a pick-your-method mentality. They will sprinkle, pour-over, or immerse. The word for baptize in Greek is “Baptizo” which means to baptize or immerse. Romans 6:4 (NIV) “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
The word baptism is found over 100 times in the New Testament. If it wasn’t important or necessary, would it be mentioned that many times? No! When someone asks me what they have to do to enter God’s Kingdom, these are the scriptures I give:
- Hear – Romans 10:17
- Believe – Acts 8:12
- Repent – Acts 2:37
- Confess – Luke 12:8
- Be Baptized – Acts 2:38
When a person is born again and receives the holy spirit his old self dies and his new self lives. We hear very little about this today. Many churches are not teaching from His Word. I’m not judging people, that’s God’s job, but I want you to learn God’s true message on how to live in eternity with Him.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, Our salvation is the most important thing in the world. I pray people won’t be lost or led by false teachings. My prayer is that everyone will remember what Jesus said, “You must be born again.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Written by: Laurie Davis
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Love this. Thank you for posting.
I’m surprised you didn’t mention James 2:19, that “even the demons believe and are afraid “.
Hi Jackie
Thank you for your comment. There was so much more that I wanted to say and point out in that devotion, but it would have become a book. The main point I wanted to make clear is that baptism is necessary to have eternal life, and so I took scriptures that showed that. But you’re right, there are so many more that I could have used in addition.
I appreciate your comment, and I hope you will keep reading future devotions.
God Bless
Laurie