Are You Born Again

Welcome to Truth Talk Live. All right, let's talk the truth news! I can hide. A daily program powered by the Truth Network. This is kind of a great thing, and I'll tell you what.

Where pop culture, current events, and theology all come together. Speak. Mind. And now, here's today's Truth Talk Live host. The most important question you'll ever be asked is this.

Have you been born again? This is Russ East. I'm your host today on Truth Talk Live. Did you know that Jesus said? He said Ye are from beneath, I am from above, ye are of this world, I am not of this world.

I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins. For if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. What is this all about? Have you been born again? This is Truth Talk Live, and I'm your host, Russ East.

And I want to give a shout out to all of our friends listening, whether you're a longtime listener or brand new, you're in Winston, you're in Charlotte, Raleigh, Richmond, Virginia, Lynchburg, Salt Lake City, Toledo, Dayton, Spartanburg, Greensville, South Carolina, Norfolk, Virginia, Jacksonville, Florida. Whew, that's a mouthful. We want to ask you that question. Have you been born again? If you're already born again, pray right now, because we're going to be planting the seeds of the gospel right now.

We're going to have a great time. I've got my friend Ron Tabor on, and we're going to ask this first question. Why is the new birth Necessary. Ron, can you help us with this question? Yeah, sure, Russ.

Thanks for having me on. It's a pleasure to be here to talk about this most important topic is the new birth. How is a person born again? And let's just dig right into it. This really flows from a dialogue between a Pharisee named Nicodemus And the Messiah Jesus Christ one dark night in John chapter three.

And so we jump into the text. In John 3, verses 3 through 6, and I think we can answer the question: why is the new birth necessary? And who needs to be born again? And let's just see what Jesus said as he's talking to this ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus, a Pharisee. And Nicodemus ought to know these things, but he doesn't.

And Jesus begins to teach this man in earnest.

So it says, John 3, verse 3 through 6 says, Jesus answered, speaking to Nicodemus, 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?

So, see, this is all foreign speak to Nicodemus, who should know these things. It says Jesus answered verse five. 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. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Bird.

So, the fundamental answer to these two questions: why is the new birth necessary? Jesus Christ teaches Nicodemus it is necessary, it is essential for any man to enter into the kingdom of God.

Well then so obviously then the next question, well, who needs to be born again? Everyone needs to be born again or born from above in order to enter the kingdom of God.

So it's very, very important. Amen. Amen. I'm going to just pause really quick. I'm going to give a number out because maybe this is for you listening right now.

Maybe this is like the watering of the seed that Paul, the Apostle Paul, talks about. You've heard this message before, but this is the day of salvation for you. We're not trying to be overly hyped on this. We're not trying to be sensational. We're not trying to manipulate anybody.

But you know what? Right now could be the time that you might want to express to somebody like to me and to Ron that you just become born again or you just did this like now or just like a day ago or something. You just can't stand it and you've got to give testimony to this. I want to give you the number and then Ron's going to continue to develop these passages here. The number to call us at the Truth Network is 866-666.

Three, four, eight. 7884. That's 866. 348. 7884.

Just give your name to the call screener, Randy, and we'll bring you on. And you can just praise the Lord and tell our listeners out there and just give praise to God. Give God the glory that you are born again.

So, Ron, continue on. Yeah, so just to develop this point, you hear the phrase born again, it's thrown around in so many different contexts. But the reality is, what Jesus just said is it is to be born of the Spirit. You're born once when you were physically born. You have your birth date and a birth certificate, but the new birth, the regeneration of your inner man, must occur in order for you to enter into the kingdom of God.

And I want to give it away real easily how you were born again, and we'll develop this. And that comes by faith in Jesus Christ alone. It's a free gift. We don't have to do religious deeds or anything except believe upon the Son of God and his death, burial, and resurrection on our behalf. And that's what we're going to basically unpack in the rest of this dialogue, brother.

It's so vitally important. You must. Be born again. Jesus said that. It is essential.

It's a non-negotiable. If you want to enter into the kingdom of God, you must be born again. And, brother, it's so simple. You simply believe upon Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. You shall be born again.

You shall receive the righteousness of God Himself, brother. It's that wonderful, that simple.

Okay, oh, say so Ron, you don't have to clean yourself up ahead of time, right? It's not like you have to do a bunch of stuff and then and then make it to where now you're presentable to God. Amen. You do not have to do anything. It's a grace gift.

It's unmerited. It's a free gift. I like the acrostic for grace, G R A C E, to remember it is God's riches at Christ's expense.

So We'll find out as we go through this the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf. Is what has secured our eternal life.

So He did all the laboring, the suffering, and dying for the sins that we should have died for. And in return of that, we receive the very life of God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

So what you have to understand is that Jesus Christ is that eternal life. He who has the Son has life. He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And so our new birth, our regeneration, is directly linked to the person and work of Jesus Christ. And it's received so simply by simply believing the message.

We'll talk about the gospel, the good news. Folks, this is great, wonderful, glorious good news of how God has provided a sacrifice for our sins in Jesus Christ. And we receive the benefit of eternal life by simply believing that message. And we will unpack that as we continue to dialogue because I'll just kind of jump into Romans chapter 4, verse 5. Uh Romans 4 verse 5 Tells us That um Our faith is counted or imputed by God as righteousness.

Okay, so let that sink in. To be born again is simply to believe the gospel message that Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried and raised from the dead. And the moment that we believe, and for me, that was at the age of sixteen, I believed at my dinner table, that precise moment of faith, I received eternal life. And again, as Paul said in Romans 4, 5, he says, But to him that worketh not, But believeth on him that justifies or declares as righteousness the ungodly. Notice this, it's the ungodly who are justified by God by faith.

It says his faith. The ungodly man who has faith in Jesus Christ, his faith is counted for righteousness. Amen. Now, I know religion will say no, no, but God counts it as righteousness. Mm.

Right, right. Religion wants to say it's Jesus is a nice idea, but you've got to do this and do that. And it just goes on and on. It's been going on for a long time, this misconstrued idea of what this gift is. A gift is a gift.

And we're going to unpack this some more on Missions Monday here at Truth Talk Live. This is Russ East. I'm also serving the Lord as director for Utah Partnerships for Christ. Filling in for Stu Epperson today. Got my friend Ron Tabor.

And we're just sharing the most important question with you that you'll ever hear. And that question is, have you been born again? We're going to continue this after the break. I want to give you the number a couple times because we really would love to hear from you. We want to help you understand what this new birth is all about.

We're going to come back right after the break. Call us at 866-348. 7884. That's 866-348-7884. And we will be right back here on Truth Talk Live.

Truth Talk Life The most important question you will ever be asked is this question, have you been born again? Such an amazing Truth here that we're finding in God's word. And Ron Tabor, my friend, is helping me unpack John chapter 3. It's the verse that you see when you're watching a football game. And you see somebody holding up a sign.

Who's this guy holding up a sign that says John 3:16 back in the end zone?

Well, John shares this. And he's been sharing it. Through God's word here for a couple thousand years. Ron, will you help unpack it for us some more? Yeah, sure.

We left off talking about the new birth and that Jesus Christ is that eternal life. Receiving Jesus Christ by faith is the synonym for receiving new birth because he is that eternal life. And we talked about how it's it's spirit regeneration. But, you know, I got saved at the age of 16 and my face. And body are decaying and getting older just like everyone else.

It didn't impact my body at this juncture, but my spirit was born again at the age of 16. And one day, by the grace and glory of God through Jesus Christ, I will have a glorified eternal body. But we're talking about the new birth and the spiritual nature of the new birth that comes by faith in Christ.

So we want to, I was thinking about this in the context of a reporter. Who does the five W's and the how? Who, what, when, where, why, and how.

So now let's look at what is the new birth. And we go back to Jesus' dialogue in John chapter 3, verses 15 and 16. Jesus talking to the Pharisee, the ignorant Pharisee, Nicodemus, who did not know these truths. In fact, a side note, this is very important in the context of John 3. The Pharisees and the Jews believed that if you were born one time as a son of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, if you were born a Jew, you were already good to go.

Your ticket was stamped, you'd be in the kingdom. But Jesus immediately is correcting this error, telling Nicodemus that he must be born again.

So now we pick up the dialogue in John 3, verse 15 and 16. Jesus says to Nicodemus that whosoever Believeth in him or in the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Son of God is Jesus Christ, that whosoever or everyone that believeth in him should not perish. But have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever Believeth in him should not perish.

But have Everlasting. Five. What Jesus is saying, He is revealing that this new birth is a synonym. for receiving eternal life, or the very life of Christ himself. Being imparted by faith.

And Jesus says this: He says, Whosoever believeth in him, Did not perish, but have eternal life. If you have a problem with the simplicity of the gospel, that all a sinner has to do is believe upon Jesus Christ and he will have the new birth or eternal life, you've got a problem with Jesus' own words. He that believeth in him should not perish in the lake of fire and eternal destruction. which by the way is conscious. It is conscious eternal torment in the lake of fire, this perishing.

But a man that believes in Jesus Christ should not perish, but have instead will have eternal life. For God so loved the world.

Now notice this this Uh this should be Of events that begins with the love of God in eternity past. For God so loved the world.

Number one motivation of God, and I'm talking fast because I got a lot of text here to cover, but praise God that God so loved the world that. His love Responded in an action that he gave his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is speaking to Nicodemus at this point. in order that He gave His Son, in order that whosoever, everyone, all the Greek word is pos, it means all, that everyone, all people who believe in Him should not perish, But have Everlasting life.

So the point here as we relate in this context of the new bird We're talking about Receiving eternal life. One moment you were spiritually dead and separated from God in sin and transgression and condemnation. The next nanosecond, immediately upon your belief in Jesus Christ, you received that eternal, never-ending, perpetual life from God Himself. It's a free gift. Hallelujah.

If you don't get excited about the gospel, God help you because this is the greatest news anyone could ever hear. Today is that day of salvation, by the way, to believe. Absolutely, absolutely. And if I could just jump in really quick, Ron, I want to just kind of go back to segment one just for a second because if a neighbor of mine punches me in the nose, that's one thing. That's not a nice experience, and we'll have to have that all worked out.

But if that same neighbor decides to punch, say, a police officer in the nose, well, Ron, is that a different kind of a situation? I think it is, right? Because my point is, is that we as human beings, sinners, We have we have violated The very law of God, we are in sin, and that's why we're so excited about this. Because Christ has made this gift available to us. He's made it available to you right now.

You've been listening to the Truth Network for years, maybe, and you've never. Seen, you couldn't answer the question, Are you born again?

Well, I hope I am. That's not the answer that we're looking for. We want to have you say, Humbly, of course, but confidently in what Christ did already, say, Yes, I am born again. If you'd like to call us. And Share this with us, how encouraging would that be right now for so many people out there that are praying for you and that are just weeping for you and have such a desire that you can settle eternity forever right here, right now on this program.

You can do it later if you want. That's fine. You don't have to do it right now. But I'm just saying, if you want to, call us at 866-4656. 3487884, that's 866.

348-7884, and we'll guide you to a good local church. We'll try to encourage you. We'll get you out a Bible if you don't have one. And so, Ron, I just had to jump in there for a minute, but please continue on. I think you're going to try to also cover 2 Corinthians.

Five. Is that right? Yeah, exactly. And I'm so glad you interjected this reality. We had a SIN problem.

Uh, this goes back dovetailing to the why we must be born again. We've we've all got a sin problem. Uh, you've got grandchildren, I've got grandchildren, you know what I've learned about my children and my grandchildren? They are all liars by default, they lie to Papa and don't have to be taught to lie. And so, we've got a sin problem that manifests itself from the moment we're born into this world and uh and.

The word of God says in 2 Corinthians 5. I'll just look at verse 21, and we'll talk about this. It says. Uh Excuse me, yeah. Says, for he, God the Father, hath made him God the Son, or Jesus Christ.

To be sin for us. Who knew no sin. In other words, Jesus Christ was made sin for us. He knew no sin. We did the sinning.

And now it's placed upon Jesus Christ on the cross, and He died as a substitutionary payment atonement for our sins.

so that continuing the text in Second Corinthians five twenty one, that we, the sinner, the ungodly, might be made the righteousness of God in him.

So, the beautiful reality, and it goes back to Romans 4:5 that I read earlier. we receive the very righteousness of God, which is integral, essential to eternal life. We've got a sin problem, a sin and death problem, and Jesus Christ remedies that sin and death problem By bearing our sin, becoming sin for us, and being smitten of the Father upon the cross. Dying on the cross for our sins, being raised again for justification of life. And all we sinners have to do is believe it, and that sin will be forgiven.

Past as far as the east is from the west from us, and instead will receive the righteousness of God.

Now, this is so important, brother, because. It's not the righteousness that we achieved at church. uh the righteousness of singing in the choir, the righteousness of putting bu uh a few bucks in the plate, or the righteousness of being a deacon at church. No, it's the righteousness of Almighty God credited to a sinner's account by grace through faith alone. It is a true Christmas glorious good news.

This is a true Christmas gift in July, Ron. And so I want to encourage our listeners to call us. We've got to take a break right now, but you can call us at 866-4656. 348-7884. And maybe share with us.

Maybe you've just gotten saved this week, maybe this month in July. We want to hear from you. We want to hear how this has just. Just been so miraculous. Come on back to Truth Talk Live.

We'll be right back. Truth Talk Live. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live. This is Russ East. I'm your host.

Director for Utah Partnerships for Christ. We're trying to reach the lost here in the state of Utah. And it's just a privilege to be with you serving as the station manager here in Salt Lake City. But the fill-in for For Truth Talk Live, filling in for my friend Stu Epperson. We're going to continue talking about the most important question that you'll ever be asked, and that question is: have you been born again?

We'd love to hear from you. Call us at 866-348-7884. What a privilege it would be to, in essence, to. Just like a baby being born, being that person there in the room, in the operating room, in the delivery room, to welcome you into the family of God and to church. Share with you briefly.

The screener will take your information, or I'll get your information somehow. I'll give you my information. And maybe you want to give me a call or send me a text after the program. I'm going to give that out to you right now. It's 801-645-7433.

Just call Truth Network. They'll give it to you. Just tell them, hey, I want to talk to someone about what this guy, Russ, and Ron, we're talking about on Truth Talk Live today, and that's about being born again.

So, Ron. Would you continue to open up God's word and show us from Hebrews chapter 10? A little bit more about how is a person born again. Yeah, sure, Russ. Just continuing this thread of I was looking at the text here.

Uh Nicodemus, uh once Jesus told him he must be born again, in John three, verse four, Nicodemus' response says, How can a man be born when he is old?

So he asks the natural question, and it's the question that everyone should have.

Well, okay, I need to be born again. I need to receive eternal life, but how? How do I do it? Do I go to church more? Do I make a pledge?

Do I clean up my life? No, it's by faith and it's through the sacrifice. You see, the laboring has all been done in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. And so before we got to Hebrews 10, I wanted to look at John 3, verse 14 and 15. And Jesus.

uh starts to lay this out and allude to his coming sacrifice. as he talks to Nicodemus. He says, And as Moses lifts lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Now, this occurred in Numbers chapter 21. Just a quick summarization of this story. The Israelites had murmured against God, and God sent fiery serpents to bite the people for their sin.

And the people were dying. They cried out to Moses, who interceded to God, and God said, Here's your remedy for those who've been bitten. Make a brass serpent, put it on a pole, and lift it up in the air. And everyone who simply looks upon that serpent that you raise up, if they were bit by the poisonous serpent, they will not die, they will live. And so Moses did that, and the people responded by obediently looking simply looking at the serpent, and they lived.

And so Jesus now makes an allusion back to that. He says, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

Now, Nicodemus had no full comprehension what Jesus was saying, but this side of the cross in the year 2025, we look back and we understand now what Jesus meant: that he would be lifted up between heaven and earth on that altar, that sacred altar of the cross. And Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God, dying on that altar as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the entire world. That's what John the Baptizer proclaimed: Behold, the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.

So Jesus was a sacrifice. It's his sacrifice that brings salvation or eternal life or the new birth.

So we pick back up in the text. says even so must the Son of Man be lifted up In order that, so again, here's this chain of causation. Whosoever. That means you, listener. Who soever?

Believeth in him. should not perish. But have eternal life. This is So vitally important. Did you hear what Jesus said?

That he would be lifted up as a sacrifice on the cross, just like that serpent in the wilderness as an example. And as the people in the Old Testament, all they had to do was look and live. All you have to do, dear listener, is believe and you will live. You will be born again that moment in your car, wherever you're at listening. It's a precise event, the nanosecond you believe upon Jesus Christ, that sacrifice, Son of God.

who was s made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Do we have time, Russ, for me to go into Hebrews chapter 10 here, verse 12 through 14? Absolutely. Yes, absolutely.

And I just want to tell our listeners really quick also that we appreciate your prayers right now for everybody listening, everybody out there in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Greenville. You know, you've been hearing this gospel message in your culture and where you live. You're in Lynchburg, Virginia. You're maybe a Liberty University student or something. But would you just pray right now, seriously?

This is a battle. There's a spiritual battle going on for souls right now.

So, Ron, continue on. Absolutely. So Hebrews chapter 10, verse 12 through 14 goes into the detail of this sacrifice. The one sacrifice that God will accept on our behalf that we present, that we don't present, we receive. We don't present anything, we just simply receive it.

And here we are in Hebrews 10, verse 12 through 14. Speaking of Jesus Christ, the text picks up, it says, But this man, Jesus Christ, after he had offered one sacrifice For sins. Forever. Notice this. One sacrifice For sins for how long?

Forever. And he sat down on the right hand of God.

Now, this is really important. You understand the Old Testament. The priests in the Old Testament were constantly offering sacrifice after sacrifice, offering after offering, that could never take away sins. Therefore, there were no chairs in the tabernacle, there were no chairs in the temple, because there was never a moment of rest for the priest. They were constantly offering sacrifices that could never take away sin.

But now, contrast that with Jesus. He offered one sacrifice, which is himself. For sins forever, and he sat down on the right hand of God. It makes me think of John again, the the proclamation. In John chapter nineteen, it is finished, Jesus said.

It is paid in full, Jesus said, right as he yielded up his spirit and died on that cross.

So he is the one sacrifice for sins forever. It is a perpetual sacrifice. Sacrifice or rather a perpetual cleansing, a permanent, eternal cleansing by one sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Now we pick up in verse 13 it says, from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

So, Jesus Christ is going to come back when the Father subdues his enemies, and he'll be established as King of kings and Lord of lords on this earth as he comes in the second coming. Verse 14. For by one offering, listen to this, folks. By one offering. He hath perfected forever.

them that are sanctified.

So we come back full circle to this eternal life or receiving eternal life and the new birth in Jesus Christ. And we see that that is Being perfected forever by the sacrifice of Jesus. not by our pledges, not by our changed life or commitment to do better, but by the one offering that God has smiled upon, the offering of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, on our behalf. By one offering, He has perfected Forever. Them that are sanctified.

And who are them that are sanctified or set apart? It's those who have believed. It's that simple, folks. It's that simple. Amen.

Amen. Hey, we're coming upon a break, and so I want to give that phone number again. It's certainly not that you have to call us to become born again, to become, you know, a a part of the of the family of God here, but it's just that we are so passionate about this that we want to be privileged to be able to just kind of give you a little bit of encouragement, celebrate with you, right, Ron?

So we would love to hear you that. Yeah, that number is 866-348-6. 7884. That's 866-348-7884. Because listen, I don't want to put you into hysterics right now, but is there any guarantee that you have another breath?

I mean, let's just be real about it. You know, this is very important, and we have no guarantees for the next day. Let me share with you something really quick. When I was about, oh, I don't know, a teenager, and I got saved when I was 14. I remember just being so blessed when the Lord saved me out of the Mormon church.

I came across this passage really quick. 1 Peter chapter 1, it says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance. Incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith. Unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wow.

So listen, we've been just.

So excited to share with you these things from God's Word. We're going to continue to do so, and we'd love to hear from you. Ron, before the break, we've got about just a couple more minutes. Continue on with just developing some of these thoughts here from John chapter 3 from Hebrews.

Next, we're going to be going into a little bit out of Acts 16.

So, we're going to have, we'll have had Peter, we'll have had John. Jesus will have had Paul sharing this cohesive message, even going, you went back in the Old Testament, for goodness sake. You're telling us that this Bible message, it's all throughout, right? Jesus, this idea of faith. It's all throughout the Bible, Old Testament, New Testament.

Amen. Amen. The constant spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. If you go back to Genesis. Chapter 3 and the first gospel preached.

That uh the seed Speaking of the seed that God would send the seed that would crush the head of the serpent. And it goes all the way back to Genesis. And Christ, of course, fulfilled that prophetic word when He died on the cross and rose victoriously from the dead. These historical realities. Are the anchor, the bedrock of our salvation and our new birth, becoming a new creature in Jesus Christ.

And like you, brother, I was saved at the age of 16. Just the application of this, understanding the sacrifice, the Son of God.

some 2,000 years ago and its impact today, right now. When I was 16 years old, I'm 59 now. When I was 16, this preacher man came to, I was grounded for a couple of weeks. And this preacher man came to preach to a naughty sixteen year old boy disobedient to his parents. And you know, he didn't tell me about religion.

He didn't tell me I need to go to church and be a good little boy and improve my life. He preached to me Jesus Christ and Him crucified, exactly what we're talking about today. And he he had the audacity to ask me, Ron, Jesus died on the cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead to give you eternal life. I'm summarizing here. It was about a two-hour conversation with this guy.

He said, Would you like to receive Jesus Christ tonight? I looked at my mom, I looked at my dad, and said, Yes, I would. And at the age of 16, I believed the gospel. At that amen.

Now, I still sinned, brother. I still have sin issues. But praise God, my sin has been all placed on Jesus Christ. And I know that I know that I have eternal life. And we'll be right back after this break, and we're going to just finish up.

And we'd love to hear from you, 866-348-7884. We'd love to hear it if God has given you that affirmation that you've been born again based on God's word. We'll be right back here on Truth Talk Live. Truth Talk Live. Welcome back to Truth Talk Live.

This is Russ East, your host. I'm with my friend Ron Tabor. And I want to just give a shout out to our listeners in Dayton, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio. Are you born again? That's the question we've asked today.

And we're going to continue to just. Completely, hopefully, make this so clear that nobody has any questions about what this all means. It might be, it was a little confusing to Nicodemus 2,000 years ago when Jesus said this, but we're trying to show you from God's Word. How important this is. It's the most important question you'll ever be asked, and that's, have you been born again?

We'd love to hear from you. That number that you'd like, if you'd like to call in and share with us that you have been born again, that number is 866-348-767. 78, 84. Maybe it wasn't just during this program, but maybe in the last week, maybe in the last month, maybe in the last year. This is kind of like I remember, Ron, when I would go to my church, Santa Rosa Bible Church, and on Sunday nights, the pastor would pass the mic around, and we had an open mic, and we could just give a testimony.

So that was a fun, fun night. You know, you never knew quite what was going to happen, but we want to give you that privilege. If you want to share about maybe your testimony and how the Lord saved you, what was the context? Where were you when it happened? Wow.

It's just so exciting. This is the most important thing. We hear about a baby being born. We all celebrate.

Well, we want to celebrate that with you on a spiritual basis here. Maybe you're old. Maybe you're middle-aged. Maybe you're a teenager. I don't know.

But you're listening out there somewhere in the East Coast, or maybe you're somewhere in, let's see, Jacksonville. Maybe you're in Jacksonville right now and you're in Norfolk, Virginia. Maybe you're in Richmond, Virginia. Maybe you're here in my home state of Utah. You're listening in Salt Lake City.

You're listening in Ogden, Utah. Boy, I'd love to connect with you and try to encourage you with this.

So, Ron, we're going to continue sharing from God's Word. We've got two passages of scripture left: it's Acts 16 and And we've got 1 Corinthians 15.

So Ron, take it away. Yeah, amen. Thanks, brother. Yeah, the gospel That's another word. We're going to talk about the gospel.

Continuing his thought of how is a person born again?

Okay, and the gospel is integral, it's essential. To being born again, and it's a summary. We've already talked about it, but we're going to read it out of the scriptures so we know for sure the gospel that brings eternal life. And you find that gospel, the gospel that Paul preached, the Apostle Paul, is found in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 1 through 4, which we're going to look at. And Paul writes, he says, moreover, brethren, writing to the believers at Corinth, I declare unto you the gospel, which means good news or a good announcement.

The gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received. And wherein ye stand.

So it's by this message, this good news message that Paul preached That the Corinthians received that message by faith and they stand in that gospel good news announcement. Verse 2, Paul says, by which also by the gospel you are saved.

Now the word saved and salvation, these are attributes or the fruit also of being born again. You are saved or delivered from the condemnation of the lake of fire and delivered unto the kingdom of God.

So that's what salvation is, and it comes by the message, the good news message, the gospel that Paul preached. He says, by which also you are saved if you keep in memory What I preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain. for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received. how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

So point number one of this good news announcement, which we are making right now. is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. All immediately goes back to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and it is the foundation and the content. of the good news. We did the sinning, Christ did the suffering and dying on our behalf, and we get to go free.

We're delivered, we're saved from the wrath of God by the gospel message, which tells us of this sacrifice Jesus made.

So, point number one of the gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. Remember. He is that one offering that perfects forever them that are sanctified. And who are the sanctified? Those that believe.

He is perfected forever through this offering.

So Christ died on the cross for our sins, according to the scriptures. Verse four of First Corinthians chapter fifteen, it says, and that he Christ was buried. This is important because he had to die for our sins. And the Romans were very efficient executioners. And for Jesus Christ.

The centurion, if you remember the text, the narrative, he thrust the spear into the side up, into the rib cage, into the chest cavity of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, to make sure that he was dead. He pulled out that spear, and the blood and water of Jesus Christ poured forth that redemptive sacrifice. The blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from sin, was shed on our behalf. And of course, he had shed that blood on the cross while living, but this was to prove that he was dead, and because the wages of sin is death.

So the sacrifice had to die, and Jesus Christ was dead, and the authenticating reality was he was put in that tomb. He was buried. And finally,. Point number four, or excuse me, verse number four in the third portion of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

So, this is the capstone. This demonstrates with power. That Jesus Christ is not just another prophet, guru, or teacher with wise, comforting words, but that he is in fact the Son of Almighty God. God in human flesh demonstrated by conquering death and coming forth from that grave in power and glory and in his real body. He literally, physically, historically rose from the dead.

And folks, All you've got to do. to receive eternal life. It is to say the inner amen. I call it the inner amen. Say amen.

That's the truth. I believe it. Just like I did when I was 16 years old, a young punk in rebellion against his parents, I received the gospel that Christ died for me, Ron Tabor. He was buried and rose from the grave so that I, Ron Tabor, could have my sins forgiven, that I could be born again with the eternal life of Christ Himself and made fit immediately for the kingdom of God, which is eternal. It cannot be shaken.

Folks, this is our goal. Don't you hunger and long for eternal life? You receive it by believing this message. It's that simple. You believe the gospel, which I've just declared to Paul, the Paul, the Pauline epistle of 1 Corinthians, that shares the good news that he preached.

And earlier in Romans, he says that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. Amen. Amen. And Ron, I'd like to if I could just jump in with a passage from Titus chapter 3, verse 5. It says, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but But according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, which was shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.

And then also, I know you're going to want to touch on Acts 16, I think, here in just a second. But this is a great one, too. This is in 1 John chapter 5. See, guys, listening out there, this is all over the Bible.

Okay, listen to John 5:13. It says, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

So, see. This is the most important thing. We've got three minutes left. Make this the day of salvation. But we're going to trust the Lord that this could just be a watering, this is a seed planting.

But boy, we would just appreciate you praying for all of the listeners out there that don't have that assurance to know that they are born again. Rob, would you close us out in our last about two and a half minutes or so with Acts chapter 16? What's going on? Yeah, Acts 15, verse 30 and 31, quick background. Paul and Silas have been imprisoned in Philippi for preaching the gospel, as usual.

They're in prison, but instead of cursing and being angry and cantankerous, they are singing praises to God with shackles on their hands and their feet. And there's a great supernatural earthquake that opens up the prison bars of every prisoner in that cell. The jailer then runs out, terrified. He realizes this is happening on his watch. These people are going to escape, and he's going to be murdered.

He's going to be executed by the authorities if one person escapes.

So he's terrified.

Now he's been hearing the content of the songs that Paul and Silas have been singing. And so he rushes in. He knows this is a supernatural event, just by nature, what happened, witnessing it. And he cries out. We pick up the text in Acts 16:30.

The jailer runs in, he says, Sirs. What must I do to be saved?

Now he could have just as easily, if he knew the theology, if he had eavesdropped if he were around to listen to Jesus tell Nicodemus, he could have very easily have asked the question, what must I do to be born again? And here is Paul's answer. And I want you to listen to this, people. Please listen to this. What Paul answered to the simple question: What must I do to be saved?

And Paul says, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saved and thy house.

Well, later he takes him to the home. Paul preaches the gospel to the whole household, and they all believe. That's why and thy house is added in here. But the point simply is, people, the point is. If you want to receive eternal life according to the Bible, You believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ that He died on the cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead.

For you, sinner. For you, ungodly, wicked person. It doesn't matter how deep your sin, the salvation and grace of God is hyperabounding above your sin. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Amen.

And and let me just say really quick in closing, That you can kind of compare this to the fact that God has an unlimited amount of funds, symbolically speaking, to pay the sin debt. His righteousness. Paid the SIN debt.

So the check's been written, it's got your name on it, all you have to do is endorse it. To receive it. That's how you put your faith into a check that someone's written to you. You gotta endorse it in the back. You gotta receive it, believe it, have faith in it.

This isn't a person. This is not a check. This is a person. This is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Thank you so much.

If you'd like to to To confirm that you are born again, you want to talk to somebody about it, call us at Truth Network 866-348-7884. Thanks for joining us here on Truth Talk Live. I'm Rusty.