“Born of the Spirit: The True Gift of Salvation”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6:23 (KJV)
I was sitting with a dear friend whom I have known for over forty years as she spoke to me about salvation. She shared how someone she has known for a long time had never asked the Holy Spirit into her life. This individual had served in the church for years, yet she did not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, He told him that he must be born again. Nicodemus asked, “Can a man enter his mother’s womb a second time?” Jesus replied that one must be born of the Spirit. Entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ has nothing to do with our works or how much we serve in the church — we must be born again of the Spirit. Jesus communicates with us through our spirit. If we are living in spiritual darkness, we cannot hear Christ speaking to us, nor can we have a relationship with Him.
It is so important to understand that serving in the church and doing all the right things will not give us eternal life. We must be born again in the Spirit. Jesus said, “They that worship Me must worship Me in spirit and in truth.” We cannot truly worship, praise, or give thanks to God without being born of His Spirit.
I write so much about salvation because, as a believer, my calling is to evangelize — to tell everyone I meet about the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
And Romans 10:9 declares, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If you desire a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I invite you to ask Him to come into your life.
Please repeat these words:
“God, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that You raised Him from the dead. I know that I am a sinner and that I need You. I ask that You come and live in my heart. I want a personal relationship with You through the Holy Spirit. Come, Jesus, and live in me.”
That’s it — you now have the Holy Spirit living within you!
If you do not have a church home, I invite you to join us for the Center of Praise Ministries online celebrations at 9:15 AM on cop.church, YouTube, or Facebook. We also have in-person celebrations at 7:45 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11:15 AM at the Center of Praise Ministries Cathedral, 2223 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, California 95816.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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My published books are now available at: Amazon - Life’s Journey Volume 2 by Jacqueline Crooks