Jesus made it clear on more than one occasion  (Matthew 10:39, Matthew 16:25, Luke 9:24) that those who live their life for themself will lose it, but those who live their life for Him (Jesus) will gain it. 

Scripture is also clear that if you have met Him, you will never be the same.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Many people claim to have met Jesus yet, their life does not reflect a change. It is impossible for you to have met the Creator of the Universe (Jesus) (Colossians 1:15-16 ; Hebrews 1:3) and remain unchanged.  The bottom line is this - Jesus is a life changer and if your life is not changed, you did not meet Him. 

In John 3:3 Jesus says: "Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless one (you)is born again, he (you) cannot see the kingdom of God."

So what does Jesus mean when He says you must be born again?
The statement, you must be born again, puzzled even one of the most intelligent and moral religious leaders of that time, Nicodemus.  In John 3:4 he asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

But being born again (born from above)  is a supernatural work of God, not a human act of the will or a ritual performed. (walking the aisle, shaking the preacher's hand, repeating a prayer, being baptized, etc.)

John 1:13
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
       
Romans 9:16
So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. 


Being born again, is not an event you can see with your eyes, as is a physical birth; but it is no less real.

Just as physical birth is necessary for life on earth - being born again is necessary for life in heaven.  So necessary in fact, that Jesus states it again in John 3:5 - you cannot enter the kingdom of God (Heaven) unless you are born again.

In answer to Nicodemus' question about being born again, Jesus said in John 3:8 - "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
What Jesus is saying is: like the wind which you cannot see,  you cannot visibly see a person being born again, but you can see the evidence of it.  Just as the movement of the limbs and leaves of the trees is evidence of the wind blowing, a new life which is lived in accordance with God's statutes and is surrendered and committed in obedience to Jesus is evidence of the new birth.

Being born again is a radical, inside-out, change.

What I mean by an inside-out change is - that your thoughts and desires are changed from thoughts of the world to things of God and that your direction and actions are changed so that you no longer follow the world, but you follow Jesus.

So radical is the change that it is as if when you look in the mirror, you recognize the face, but not the person. You truly are that new creation spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 says: "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances."

In short, you are changed from a life lived for self to a life lived for Christ.

Everyone who professes to be a Christian has a testimony. What is yours?

Is your testimony reflective of 2 Corinthians 5:17?

You are that new creation. Old things have passed away, all things have become new. Your life has never been the same. It was changed the moment you met Him (Jesus) and each and every day you are still being molded and shaped into that new creation, becoming more like Christ, ever drawing closer to the One you love most.  You are like the wise builder who acts upon the Words of Jesus, (Matthew 7:24) because your life is one that is lived in obedience to the words and commands of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Or is your testimony reflective of 2 Peter 2:22?
You are like a dog returning to its' vomit.
You got up from the altar , a place of sacrifice, where you sacrificed nothing, repented of nothing and basically returned to life as usual, like the foolish builder you do not act upon the words of Jesus. (Matthew 7:26) Although you may have experienced an emotional response where you showed a superficial interest in Christ, you are like those spoken of in Matthew 13:20-22. "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has not firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful."

The question is - Which one are you? A new creation or a dog returning to his vomit? There is no middle ground.
You are either living for yourself (Satan) or for Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:15 says:
And He(Jesus)died for all(you), that they(you) who live should no longer live for themselves(yourselves), but for Him(Jesus) who died and rose again on  their(your) behalf.
 
If you are a true Christian - Jesus is not an add-on to your life.  He is your life.  Salvation is not an addition to your life - it is a transformation that leads to a willing submission to Jesus and His Word.

Still we find many people who claim they know Christ, but their walk does not reflect Him.

1 John 2:6 says: the one(you) who says he(you) abides in Him(Jesus) ought Himself(yourself) to walk in the same manner as He(Jesus) walked.

Again, whose life does your walk (life) reflect?          Yours or Jesus'?

Do not answer this question by judging your life by your intentions, but be honest and take a look at your actions.  What do your actions reveal?

Titus 1:16 says:
They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him,...

There is an unbreakable connection between what you say you believe and how you live your life. Still many seem to seek assurance of salvation in a past act from a past period of time (when you were 9 years old, you repeated a prayer, shook the preachers hand, and were baptized, etc.), yet a past act from a past period of time is not the earmark of salvation.  The earmark of salvation is the new life that it produces. A life surrendered and committed, in obedience to Jesus Christ.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:21  "Not everyone (you) who says to Me (Jesus), 'Lord,Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he (you) who does the will of My Father (God) who is in heaven."

What does it mean to do the will of the Father?
Simply put, it means to obey Him.

Hebrews 5:9 says: And having been made perfect, He (Jesus) became to all those (you) who obey Him (Jesus) the source of eternal salvation.


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