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 ERE ON EARTH, the Church is called as the house of God and is being introduced as God’s kingdom (I Tim. 3:15). Since the Church is a kingdom, it is necessary that a man enters it and be a part of it, according to the Bible. In St. Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians in chapter 1, verses 9 and 2, it says--
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”
And then in verse 2:
“Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:”
In these verses, God wants and commands the people to enter His kingdom. However, the hypocrites, scribes and Pharisees did not only refuse to enter in His kingdom; they also prevented others from entering it. In Matthew 23:13, this is what is written--
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”
Do you know that there are means by which a man could enter the kingdom of God? We can find it in John 3:3-5. These verses are fondly used by the members of the so-called “Born Again” Christian groups, who claim that church and religion are no longer needed. In these verses, we it reads--
“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 again 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.”
It is very important for a person to enter the kingdom of God. But before one can enter this kingdom, a person must be born again. Apparently, these so-called “Born Again” groups derived its name from these verses. We deemed this as a very obvious misunderstanding of the context of the Bible. Being “born again” is not a name but a condition and a state of being that must be attained before a person can enter the kingdom of God.
To attain salvation, a person should first enter the kingdom of God. It is also for this reason why no person could claim that the Church is no longer needed because this would, in effect mean that the kingdom of God is no longer needed! But, how will it be possible for a person to be born again? He must be born of water and of the spirit! On the other hand, what does being “born of water and of the Spirit” mean? In Titus 3:5, this is what is written--
“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.”
In other words, being “born again” refers to the “washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
Now, let us find out how the Bible interprets the “washing of regeneration,” which in turn, corresponds to being “born again.” In Acts 22:16, it said:
“And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
According to the Bible, the “washing” refers to “baptism.” Therefore, being “born again” commences with being born of water and of the spirit. And biblically speaking, it refers to baptism. Man must be immersed in water; and having imbibed the words and teachings of God, he will be cleansed from his sins.
Today, those who claim that they are “born again,” do not even perform baptism. They do not baptize their members. These deceivers are all in a hurry to collect tithes from their members. For them, all you have to do is raise your hand. Or, sometimes, you may just need a contact point where you can lay your hands on a radio or television set. You will be asked to accept Christ, and presto, you are already "born again." That is a blatant deception of many shameless preachers in our time.
And why are we saying that these preachers are bold and shameless? It is because the Bible itself confirms that, there are, indeed, shameless people. Ecclesiastes 8:1 says--
“Who is as the wise man? And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.”
If a person knows the art of acting, the Bible said: “the boldness of his face shall be changed.” Undeniably, there are preachers who are really bold and shameless, and they propagate teachings that do not conform to what the Bible teaches.
Being “born again” is not attained by simply raising one’s hands. To be born again, you have to undergo a process that is prescribed by the Bible—that you must be born of water and of Spirit through baptism. The agent used in baptism for the cleansing of sins, is WATER, coupled with the power of God, and the SPIRIT which refers to the word of God.
To prove that these things are the ones being referred to, let us find out what Ephesians 5:26-27 says--
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
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Bible
The
Way to Salvation
