May 20, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde
I was deep in thought today about my life. There were some bad things that I had done throughout my life, which I wished that I could take a “Mulligan” for and Do Over!
When I think about why I would ever do such things, I concluded quite quickly that those were my choices…They happened Because of ME! Yes, certainly the adversary was involved in the temptation aspect of the sin, however, I take the full responsibility of what I had done.
I though of what my life would have been like if it were totally up to “Just Me.” If I were to remove all positive influences from my life, what would I become? Who would I be?
Well, since I’ve had a front-row seat into viewing my life, I have a pretty good idea what I would become if it were just me behind the wheel driving through life. I feel that I’m intelligent, but I also know that sometimes I’m not smart enough to avoid doing bad decisions. I would therefore conclude that the results would be “Disastrous.”
Then, I think of who I AM today. I’m someone that I’m very proud to be. I have become a person completely opposite of who I would have been if I were relying upon my own abilities. It’s as if I have been transformed into the very best version of myself. Selfless, putting others first, humble (I know its impossible for a person to declare that they are humble, but I WAS far from humble at one time, so this is a big deal for me), forgiving, and I have to declare that my desire to sin today has decreased tremendously. What has happened to me?????
I didn’t go to therapy, I didn’t just join a church, I am not heavily medicated… =)
What happened to me is that I have experienced the results of what Jesus Christ taught when He was on the earth. That concept of becoming Born Again.
So today, let’s investigate what it actually means to be Born Again. Not just the “steps” or what we need to do to become so, but the actual concept in full, so that we can have a better understanding of this Gospel principle.
To be “born again” is not merely to become religious, improve your behavior, or join a church. According to the King James Bible, it is a spiritual rebirth — a miracle that God performs within the heart of a person who comes to Jesus Christ by faith.
Jesus Himself declared, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3, KJV).
When Nicodemus, a religious leader, struggled to understand this, Jesus explained that being born again is not a second physical birth, but a birth “of the Spirit” (John 3:5–8, KJV).
It is the moment when God gives spiritual life to someone who was spiritually dead because of sin.
The Bible teaches that every person has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23, KJV), and that no amount of works, goodness, rituals, or religious effort can erase that sin.
Because God is holy and just, sin separates mankind from Him. Yet out of His great love, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Jesus lived without sin, willingly shed His blood upon the cross for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose again the third day.
Through His sacrifice, He fully paid the debt for our sins that mankind could never pay for itself. Salvation is therefore offered as a free gift of grace, not something earned by human effort. “For by grace are ye saved through faith…not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV).
A person becomes born again when they truly believe, from the heart, in Jesus Christ and place their trust in Him alone for salvation. This is more than simply believing facts about Jesus; it is turning toward Him in humility, recognizing one’s own sinfulness, and trusting completely in His finished work on the cross.
The Scriptures declare, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9, KJV).
At that moment of genuine faith, God forgives sin, places His Spirit within the believer, and makes that person a new creature in Christ. “Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV).
This new birth is not maintained by human strength, but by the power and faithfulness of God. The born-again believer begins to desire the things of God, develops love for truth, conviction over sin, and a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Good works then become the fruit of salvation, not the cause of it. Just as a living tree naturally bears fruit, a heart transformed by God gradually begins to reflect the life of Christ. The believer is no longer spiritually dead, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus gave perhaps the clearest invitation in all of Scripture when He said: “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” (John 3:16, KJV).
The promise is open to anyone — regardless of past sins, failures, fears, or brokenness. However, due to our free agency, it is not forced upon anyone. A person must choose to accept the atonement of Jesus Christ into their own life. The gift is there for everyone, but only effective for those who come to Christ and are born again. The new birth is not reserved for the worthy, but for those willing to come to Christ in faith.
So, is there a formal process in becoming Born Again?
According to the King James Bible, there is no formal religious process, ceremony, or institutional requirement that makes a person born again. A person is born again through genuine faith in Jesus Christ from the heart. It is a spiritual work of God — not something earned through rituals, memberships, ordinances, or human authority.
When the Philippian jailer asked one of the most important questions ever asked — “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” — the answer was simple and direct: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:30–31, KJV). Notice they did not point him to a lengthy religious system, but to faith in Christ Himself.
That said, the Bible does describe several things commonly associated with someone who truly comes to Christ:
- Conviction of sin — recognizing one’s guilt before God.
- Repentance — a turning of the heart toward God and away from unbelief and sin.
- Faith in Jesus Christ — trusting fully in His death, burial, and resurrection for salvation.
- Confession of Christ — openly acknowledging Him as your Lord and Savior.
- Baptism — an outward testimony of inward faith, though not the thing that saves.
- Receiving the Holy Spirit — which God gives to those who believe.
These are not steps of a man-made ritual, but natural responses to genuine faith.
Romans 10:9–10 beautifully summarizes the heart of salvation:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.
In the KJV Bible, becoming born again is ultimately about entering into a real relationship with Jesus Christ by faith — not completing a formal religious procedure. Salvation is presented as a gift received, not a status earned.
Paul also warned in Galatians that adding religious law or human effort to salvation corrupts the simplicity of the gospel:
“A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16, KJV).
The issue is not whether good works matter. The Bible absolutely teaches that saved believers should live godly lives, love others, obey Christ, and walk in holiness. But those works are the evidence and fruit of salvation — not the cause of it. A born-again person performs good works because they have been saved, not in order to help save themselves.
Likewise, ordinances such as baptism are important acts of obedience and public testimony, but the New Testament does not present them as the thing that earns eternal life. The thief on the cross beside Jesus had no opportunity to perform religious ordinances or good works, yet Christ told him, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43, KJV). His salvation rested entirely upon faith in Christ.
So, the deeper question becomes: where is the person truly placing their trust? If someone believes Jesus paid only part of the price and that they themselves must complete the remainder through works, ordinances, or religious performance, then they are not fully resting in the finished work of Christ. Jesus cried from the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30, KJV), signifying that the payment for sin had been completed.
Romans speaks very directly to this tension between grace and works:
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace” (Romans 11:6, KJV).
Take a moment here to contemplate several common mistakes that people make as a result of false church teachings.
- Do you think that Salvation requires your Good Works…That you must do “All that you can do first,” and then the atonement becomes effective?
- Do you believe that church rituals or temple ordinances are necessary for salvation?
- Do you believe that some sins are not covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ?
- Do you wonder if you will make it to “Heaven or not?”
A person may sincerely love God and still be confused or partially taught by religious traditions. Only God perfectly knows the heart. But biblically speaking, the new birth comes through trusting completely in Jesus Christ as sufficient Savior — not in a partnership between Christ and human merit.
The more a person understands the fullness of God’s grace, the more peace they often find, because their confidence shifts away from their own performance and rests upon what Christ already accomplished.
This scripture fits nicely into explaining this concept.
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
— Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)
A person can be religious and not truly know Jesus Christ. It is not up to me to judge weather a person has become born again or not. Only God knows the heart of every person.
I can tell you that if you have more faith in your church than you do in Jesus Christ Himself, that you are not there yet. If you would follow a prophet over what God tells you to do in a personal revelation, you again are trapped in deception.
Have you made an effort to invite Jesus Christ to be part of your life through prayer?
Do you recognize that you are a sinner, and need Jesus Christ in your life?
Do you believe in the atonement of Jesus Christ?
Do you have faith in the atonement that it covers all sins, and that it is a gift to those who accept it, and is complete, and does not require anything else for your salvation?
Have you repented of your sins, confessing them to GOD directly in prayer, feeling genuine sorrow, and asked for forgiveness?
If you have done these things, it is very likely that you have been born again, as required in the scriptures. A person can also tell by if they have the Holy Ghost or not. This is not given by the laying on of hands by church officials, this is given directly to ALL people, from God Himself, to those who have been born again.
I asked the question of weather you know that you are going to heaven, or are unclear if this will be your reward. In my research of the bible for the past 3 years, I’ve come to learn that all of those who are born again will “make it” into “heaven.” A born-again believer does not have to worry about what will happen to them when they die, they KNOW that they will be included in God’s rescue plan, the rapture, and will then be “forever with the Lord.”
Here is that process:
The Rapture
We are about to enter into the 7-year Tribulation Period, which is the most horrible period of time on earth. This is the final show down between God and Evil.
But as the prophets of the Old Testament have taught us, God has a rescue plan to remove us from the earth prior to this Tribulation Period beginning. He will do this in an event called the Rapture.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
— 1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (KJV)
The phrase “caught up” is where the idea of the rapture comes from.
Changed in a Moment
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump…”
— 1 Corinthians 15:51–52 (KJV)
This teaches that believers will be instantly transformed.
Jesus Receiving Believers to Himself
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
— John 14:3 (KJV)
Jesus Christ will be rescuing those “in Christ” from the terrible 7 years of WRATH that will happen during the 7-year Tribulation Period.
Delivered From Wrath
Many believers connect these verses with protection from the coming tribulation:
“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (KJV)
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world…”
— Revelation 3:10 (KJV)
Jesus Describes Sudden Removal – the Rapture
“Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.”
— Matthew 24:40 (KJV)
When the rapture occurs, the scriptures state that we will forever be with the Lord, “and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
Those people who have previously died, as well as those living “in Christ” will all be resurrected / changed, and will meet the Lord in the air.
All who are included in this group, as well as all people who “Come to Christ” during the tribulation period, will then proceed to the “Judgment Seat of Christ.” This will be the “Wedding Feast” celebration between the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ), and the Bride (All Born Again Believers).
Let me explain this in “purpose:”
The Judgment Seat of Christ is a future event where every born-again believer in Jesus Christ will stand before the Lord to have their works examined and rewarded. This judgment is not about determining salvation or condemnation, because salvation was already secured through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1, KJV).
We are NOT judged for any of our sins, because they have ALL been erased through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Are you seeing things clearly now?
Instead, it is a judgment of service, faithfulness, motives, and obedience after salvation. Paul wrote,
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10, KJV).
Believers will give an account for how they lived for Christ, whether they built their lives upon eternal truth or wasted their opportunities on earthly things. In 1 Corinthians 3:12–15, Paul described works being tested by fire—gold, silver, and precious stones endure, while wood, hay, and stubble are burned. Yet even if a believer suffers loss of rewards, “he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15, KJV).
So, NO judgment for our sins, but what about our Good Works? Do they determine if we make it to heaven or not… NO!!!! So, what about those good works, where do they fit into God’s plan?
Those Good Works that have been done sincerely, rather than “Just for show,” will result in something incredible!!!!!!
They do not determine our “Heaven Status” for everyone present will be going to “Heaven.” The scriptures however teach that our good works will be recognized and rewarded by the giving of “Crowns of Righteousness.”
The believer’s crowns and rewards are given for faithfulness, endurance, love for His appearing, and obedient service, not for earning salvation. Scripture speaks of rewards such as:
incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25),
crown of rejoicing (1 Thessalonians 2:19),
crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:8),
crown of life (James 1:12),
crown of glory (1 Peter 5:4).
I invite you to read these scriptures and study these crowns. Will you be receiving one?
This will conclude the judgment, and again, all of those who are in attendance of this judgment (those who have been born again) will then be with Jesus Christ in Heaven.. Forever.
So, the question remains, are you secure in the false feeling that you are religious, or have you indeed developed a direct relationship with Jesus Christ and become born again? That question will soon be answered if you are included in God’s rescue plan of the rapture.
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