When you get up in the morning, how do you try to remember all of the things which you would like to accomplish that day? There are many things which we do every day and just do automatically, but sometimes we have other things that we absolutely cannot forget to do. To ensure that we do not forget we can create a list with all of these things.
It is the same as a grocery shopping list. Before you go to the store most people will sit down and write a list of all of the supplies that they need before they actually get to the store. Sometimes I will forget to write a list, though. I will try to remember everything as I enter the doors of the store, but many times I will have gotten back home with my groceries, only then to remember something very important that I needed. If I had made a list I would not have forgotten.
As Christians, we need to make certain that we do not forget what we need to do. We need to look at our list, and everything that we need to do is already written down in the pages of the Bible. We just need to look.
One if the things on this list is being born again, which Jesus explained to a man named Nicodemus in John 3.
John 3:1-7 “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
We must be born again. The word “must” indicates that something is required, or is necessary or imperative. Being baptized in the Spirit is a requirement that every Christian needs to check off their list. It represents the death of your life to sin and the rebirth into the Spirit.
John 3:16 “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.”
Jesus said this again in Mark 16.
Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Belief in Jesus is another requirement on our list. Romans 10:9 teaches that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead we shall be saved. If we believe in Jesus we will not be ashamed to tell others about Him.
John 6:53-58 “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”
Heaven is a pure, perfect place, free of sin. But because of our sins, we need a way to be freed from them. We need forgiveness and the only way to get our sins taken away is through the partaking of the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion.
Mark 11:25-26 “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
Just as we need forgiveness to take away our sins, we too need to be forgiving with others.
Another thing that needs to be on our list is love. Charity (love) covers a multitude of sins it says in 1 Peter 4:8. Love is the end of the commandment; love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”
All of these things above and more have already been written down. Eternal life is obtainable, you just need to read your list. It is found in the King James Bible.
In Christ,
Andrew
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