10/22/09

Are You Born Again? Do You Have the Holy Spirit?




Yesterday I came across a letter to the editor that I wrote during President Carter’s administration. It was never published as they said it was not in response to something in the newspaper, but, rather, evangelization.
So be it. Today it is being published.
TO THE EDITOR:
I seem to be a confirmed writer of letters to the editor. When issues are important to me, I want to make my views known, to stand up and be counted, and since I write better than I talk, I resort to letters.
It recently occurred to me that I have been silent on the most important issue of all.
We all know that President Carter and others claim to have been “born again,” but many people have only the vaguest idea of what that means. Some folks think they are Christians because they have been born into a Christian family, or attend a Christian church, or believe that Christ was the son of God, crucified for the sins of mankind.~ But a person is not really a Christian until he has personally, and I mean personally, committed his life to following Christ’s teachings, until he makes the decision that he is going to try to do God’s will. Then he becomes “another Christ,” is “born again” (John 3:5) as a child of God, and can call God “Father.”
Time is measured forwards and backwards, A.D. and B.C., from the time of Christ. An extraordinary star shone at his birth, the earth quaked at his death. His Word is the all-time best-seller. The shroud of Turin seems to be a modern-day testament to his resurrection. To this day people are living and dying for what he taught. Miracles continue to be worked in his name. His message of love touches all hearts, especially at Christmas-time.
What manner of man was this? He claimed to be God. He said, “The Father and I are one.” Was he a liar, lunatic, or truly what he said?
If Jesus Christ is truly God, I think the single most important decision a human being can make is to listen and to follow, to be born again. Christ’s life and death require some kind of response on our part. Who do you say that he is?
~~~
***Nicodemus said said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. – John 3:4-5 http://www.musingsat85.com/myblog/

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