July 9, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde
(The views expressed in this article are my personal interpretations of the Bible, particularly concerning biblical prophecy and the end times. They are offered for discussion, study, and personal reflection. I do not claim special revelation, nor do I speak on behalf of any church, denomination, religious organization, or its leaders. Readers are encouraged to study the Scriptures for themselves, seek God’s guidance through prayer, and draw their own conclusions.)
“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” — John 3:7 (KJV)
Imagine for a moment that one of the most respected religious leaders in your community quietly knocked on your door late one evening. He had spent his entire life studying the Scriptures. People admired him. They looked to him for spiritual guidance. He prayed, fasted, attended every religious meeting, and faithfully observed every ordinance his religion required.
Yet something inside him was missing.
That man was Nicodemus.
He was a Pharisee—a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1). He knew the Law better than almost anyone. If anyone deserved heaven based on religious devotion, surely it would have been Nicodemus.
Yet when he came to Jesus, something astonishing happened.
Jesus did not congratulate him on his years of faithful service.
He did not praise his religious dedication.
He did not tell him to work a little harder or become more obedient.
Instead, Jesus immediately spoke the one thing Nicodemus needed to hear:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (KJV)
Imagine hearing those words after spending your entire life believing you were already on the right path. Isn’t this intriguing to you?
Religion Was Not Enough
Nicodemus had religion.
He had Scripture.
He had authority.
He had traditions.
He had respect.
But he did not yet possess the new birth.
Jesus drew a clear line between being religious and being spiritually alive.
One comes from outward performance.
The other comes from God’s Spirit.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
John 3:6 (KJV)
Nicodemus Is Still with Us Today
Nearly two thousand years later, countless people walk the same road Nicodemus walked.
Many faithfully attend church every week.
Many have belonged to the same religion their entire lives.
Many sincerely love God.
Many pray, serve, donate, and participate in every ceremony their church asks of them.
Yet many have never stopped to ask the question Jesus asked Nicodemus:
Have I been born again?
I pose this same question to you. Have YOU been born again? That question reaches beyond every denomination, every church, every title, and every religious tradition.
It reaches directly into the heart.
Jesus Didn’t Offer Another Religious Program
Notice what Jesus did not say.
He did not say:
“Attend the temple more faithfully.”
“Keep more commandments.”
“Perform additional ordinances.”
“Earn God’s acceptance.”
Instead, He spoke about something God Himself must do within a person.
The new birth is not something we accomplish for God.
It is something God accomplishes in us.
The Greatest Misunderstanding
Nicodemus immediately thought Jesus was speaking about physical birth.
“How can a man be born when he is old?”
John 3:4 (KJV)
Many people today make a similar mistake.
They assume Christianity is about becoming more religious, trying harder, improving behavior, or adding more good works.
Jesus taught something far greater.
He taught spiritual rebirth.
How Does Someone Become Born Again? Do you know? I DON’T think many truly know how this happens. I personally spent my entire life being deceive by my own religion into having the WRONG understanding of this concept. Have you been deceived as well? Let’s learn the teachings from Jesus Christ to get clarification of being Born Again.
Jesus explained why He came to earth.
“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 new birth begins when a sinner recognizes that no amount of personal goodness can remove sin and instead places his faith completely in Jesus Christ—His death, burial, and resurrection—as the full payment for sin.
Salvation is received by faith, not earned by religious performance.
A Question Every Religious Person Should Ask
Imagine standing where Nicodemus stood.
Would Jesus look at your church membership?
Would He examine your religious record?
Would He ask how many meetings you attended?
Or would He lovingly ask the same question He asked one of Israel’s greatest religious leaders:
Have you been born again?
That question has never changed. Neither has the answer.
“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
**John 3:7 (KJV)
Nicodemus Finally Believed
The story of Nicodemus does not end in John chapter 3.
Later, he defended Jesus before the religious leaders (John 7:50–51).
After the crucifixion, Nicodemus openly came with Joseph of Arimathea to prepare the body of Jesus for burial (John 19:39–40). The man who once came to Jesus under the cover of darkness was no longer hiding. His faith had become public.
“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.”
— Romans 10:9–10 (KJV)
That is the beauty of the gospel. Jesus did not reject Nicodemus because he had been religious. He lovingly pointed him to the one thing his religion could never give him—a new birth through faith.
Perhaps that is why the account of Nicodemus is preserved in Scripture. It reminds every generation that the greatest obstacle to salvation is not always open rebellion against God. Sometimes it is the quiet confidence that our religion, our traditions, or our good works have already made us right with Him…For They HAVE NOT. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches the danger in thinking this:
“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)
To me, this is one of the most frightening things that a person can be caught up in deception…Thinking that they are saved through their own good works, and religious actions, yet they are just like Nicodemus. They have this profound religious resume, yet they lack the one thing that is really important; having had that spiritual rebirth that happens when a person is born again…Believing, having faith, and accepting the atonement as complete and all that is necessary for them to be saved from such a sinful state that this world has to offer. This gives us the opportunity to repent of our sins, and to be completely forgiven…All because of Jesus Christ, and not through our church or even ourselves.
Let the teachings of Jesus Christ solidify this concept further. Ask God to join you in your studies, as you read the following scriptures.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV)
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Titus 3:5–7 (KJV)
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Romans 3:28 (KJV)
“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
Romans 4:4–5 (KJV)
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
Galatians 2:16 (KJV)
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ… for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
Romans 11:6 (KJV)
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
2 Timothy 1:9 (KJV)
“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.”
Acts 16:30–31 (KJV)
“And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
The Bible teaches that we cannot earn eternal life through good works, religious ordinances, or personal righteousness. Salvation is God’s free gift, purchased by the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and received by faith. Good works are the fruit of salvation, not the cause of it. This helps us understand where good works come into play.
If you have concluded that you too have been deceived by your religion, there is a way forward, and something that you can do right now…TODAY.
Realize that you are a sinner and need Jesus Christ in your life. In Prayer, accept His atonement. Christ’s sacrifice is offered to all mankind, but because of our free agency, it is not forced upon anyone. We must choose to accept it, or reject it.
Now here come the big part, (like Nicodemus), we must see the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as ALL that is necessary for our salvation. We must have faith in His atonement, acknowledging that it is complete and enough to have our sins completely forgiven as we repent.
If you include religious ceremonies, and your good works in what is necessary to be saved, you are NOT born again yet. For it must be in Jesus Christ alone that we are saved, and can live with Him in “heaven” forever…Not because of us being “righteous” or working hard enough.
I come from a religion that teaches that they are the only true church, and that THEY are the only ones who have all that is necessary to reach the highest degree in heaven. This is not only false, but so misleading to its members. It is NOT NECESSARY to belong to ANY church, for church has nothing to do with our salvation. We must belong to JESUS CHRIST, and trust in ONLY HIM to be saved.
We are days/weeks away from the Rapture event happening, which is Jesus Christ rescuing those who have been born again. These are the people that Jesus Christ knows. I firmly believe that those who are like Nicodemus will not be rescued, for they have not yet been born again.
If you currently belong to the church that I mention, I must tell you that you are currently in spiritual danger. To me, OBVIOUS evidence is that your “prophet” is not teaching anything that has to do with the end times.
Let me share a scripture that you are fimilure with:
“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.“ (Amos 3:7, KJV).
God has never left His people without warning. Throughout Scripture, He revealed future events to His prophets so that those who believe His Word would recognize His plan as it unfolds.
God has already revealed the End-Times prophecies to His TRUE prophets, who have recorded it all in the Bible. The Bible’s end-times prophecies were not given to create fear or speculation, but to encourage believers to watch, remain faithful, and place their hope in Jesus Christ. God also wants US to know what is going on, and what His plan is. As these foretold events move toward fulfillment, Christians are reminded that God is sovereign, His promises are certain, and His Word can be trusted.
The spiritual danger is to trust a man who is not teaching these prophecies that God has already revealed regarding the final 7 years on earth.
I have countless friends who say, “If it is something that I need to know, the prophet will tell me. Until then, I’m just fine with going on with my life.” To them I ask, why would you trust a man over God?
It is my firm opinion that there is absolutely NO scenario where a true prophet of God would be speechless right now. God’s revelations have already been given. God has already instructed us what to do, and what to look for. If a church leader is NOT teaching these prophecies, to me, it’s obvious that this person should not be trusted with your spiritual knowledge and direction.
You must realize that the “promise” of a prophet never leading you astray is a DECEPTION. That promise comes from another false prophet from the same church, and not from God. There is NOWHERE in scripture that God ever made that promise.
Go to the scriptures YOURSELF and study those prophecies, and you will come to believe what I am saying is indeed true.
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
— Matthew 24:24 (KJV)
This scripture was written for ME, and perhaps you as well. I feel that I was the “very elect” spoken of in this scripture, and I certainly had been deceived by a false prophet.
A related warning is given in Mark 13:22 (KJV):
“For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”
It is a very somber time for me as I see what is about to take place, and how unprepared many are because of the deception that God has warned us about.
May God have mercy upon all of our souls, and WAKE UP those who have been deceived before it is too late, is my prayer.
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