When we talk of salvation, we speak of a spiritual birth. So how then is a person born again?

When we talk about salvation, we are not speaking of a human decision alone but of a divine miracle—the new birth. Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again” (John 3:7, NKJV). This birth is not physical but spiritual, a work of the Holy Spirit within the sinner’s heart.

How a Person Is Born Again

The Spirit Uses the Word – The Holy Spirit takes the living Word of God and applies it personally. He convicts the sinner of sin (John 16:8), and then He reveals the Savior—Jesus Christ—as the only way of salvation.

How do I know if I’m a sinner?

God’s Word declare it: Romans 3:23 (NKJV): “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All means everyone. No one is excluded.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 (NKJV): “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin.”

Faith Is Sparked by the Word – Romans 10:17 reminds us, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The Word sows truth into the heart, and the Spirit breathes life into that seed.

Salvation Is by Grace Through Faith – Ephesians 2:8–9 declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” The sinner responds in faith, not by works, and God grants eternal life.

The instant someone believes on Jesus Christ, trusting His finished work on the cross and His resurrection, the Spirit of God regenerates them. They pass from death to life (John 5:24). This is why salvation is always described as a miracle of God’s grace, never a result of man’s effort.

God’s Desire for All to Be Saved

The Scriptural Foundation

1 Timothy 2:3–4 (NKJV): “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV): “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

God’s Heart Revealed

God’s nature is love (1 John 4:8), and His desire flows from that love. He does not delight in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:11). His heart is that all people—regardless of background, sin, or condition—would hear the truth, believe in Christ, and be saved.

The Provision of Salvation

Christ’s sacrifice was for all: “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

Yet salvation is applied to those who believe: “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The Balance of God’s Desire and Human Response

God’s desire does not mean all will be saved. Scripture is clear that many will reject His grace (Matthew 7:13–14). But the invitation is universal—anyone may come. Salvation is free, by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9).

A Prayer to receive His Grace

Lord God, I come before You knowing that I cannot save myself. Your Word says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and I know that includes me. But I also read that You demonstrated Your love for me, in that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me (Romans 5:8).

Today, I confess my need for Your grace. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again, just as You promised. I trust in Him alone as my Savior. Your Word assures me that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13), so I call on You now.

Father, thank You for the gift of salvation through faith in Jesus. Help me rest in Your promise and walk forward in the new life You give. I trust not in my feelings, but in Your Word, which is true and unchanging. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What Happens After You Receive Grace Through Faith in Jesus?

1. You Are Saved Immediately

Romans 10:13 (NKJV): “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Salvation is not a process of earning or proving—it is an instant miracle of God’s grace. The moment you believe, you pass from death to life (John 5:24).

2. You Are Forgiven and Cleansed

1 John 1:9 (NKJV): “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Your sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven in Christ. You are washed clean and made new, spiritually reborn.

3. You Are Born Again

John 3:3 (NKJV): “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The Spirit of God gives you new life. You are no longer dead in sin but alive in Christ.

4. You Are Sealed by the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV): “…having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” The Holy Spirit takes up residence in you, marking you as God’s child and guaranteeing your eternal inheritance.

5. You Become a Child of God

John 1:12 (NKJV): “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.” You are no longer just God’s creation—you are His child, brought into His family by adoption and grace.

6. You Receive Eternal Life

John 3:16 (NKJV): “…whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Eternal life begins the moment you believe. It’s not just a future promise in heaven—it’s a present reality of knowing God (John 17:3).

The Result

After you pray to receive grace through faith in Jesus: You are forgiven; You are saved; You are reborn; You are sealed; and You are His child forever. Your feelings may not immediately change, but God’s promises stand true. Salvation rests on His Word, not on our emotions.

If you prayed this prayer, we would like to celebrate with you. Click to Connect.

The cross was necessary because it is where God’s justice and mercy met to deal with the greatest problem in human history: Sin.

Here’s a biblical breakdown of why the cross was necessary:

God is not only holy, He is just

God’s nature is perfectly holy—He cannot overlook or tolerate sin (Habakkuk 1:13). Justice demands that sin be punished (Romans 6:23: “The wages of sin is death”). If God were to ignore sin, He would cease to be just.

All have sinned

Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” No one is righteous by their own effort, and sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Sacrifices foreshadowed the Cross

Under the Old Covenant, sacrifices were made to temporarily cover sin, but they could never fully remove guilt (Hebrews 10:1-4). These sacrifices pointed to a greater, final sacrifice.

Jesus was the Perfect Substitute

Only a sinless person could take the penalty for others. Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, willingly became our substitute (2 Corinthians 5:21: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us…”). The cross was where He bore the wrath of God we deserved.

The Cross satisfied God’s justice and demonstrated His love

Romans 3:25-26 explains that God presented Jesus as a sacrifice to show His justice, while also justifying those who have faith in Jesus. And Romans 5:8 beautifully says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Cross opened the way to Reconciliation

Through Jesus’ death, believers are reconciled to God (Colossians 1:20–22). 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, (ESV). The cross wasn’t just about forgiveness—it was about restoring a broken relationship between Creator and creation.

In short:

The cross was necessary because sin demanded judgment, and only through Jesus’ sacrificial death could God remain just while offering mercy. It is the ultimate expression of love, justice, grace, and power all in one moment.

The cross of Jesus Christ is God’s declaration that you are deeply loved and desperately needed saving. He did not wait for you to come to Him—He came to you. He died in your place, and He rose again to offer you life, freedom, and peace with God.

Have you made Him Lord of your Life?

If the Holy Spirit is stirring your heart right now, that’s not emotion—it’s invitation. Don’t ignore His voice.

The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

If you want to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior—if you’re ready to turn from your sin and trust in what He did for you on the cross—you can respond right now, right where you are.

Pray this from your heart:

Lord God, I come to You just as I am. I confess that I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. But I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. I believe He is Lord. Today, I turn from my sin and I put my trust in Jesus alone to save me. Please forgive me, cleanse me, and make me new. Fill me with Your Spirit and teach me to follow You. I give You my life. Thank You for the cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and meant it—God heard you.

This isn’t just a decision; it’s the beginning of a new life. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are forgiven, you are made new, and you belong to Him.

Right now, if you’ve trusted in Jesus, I invite you to make it known. We want to pray for you, celebrate with you, and walk with you in this new journey of faith. Click to Connect.

Few topics stir as much fear or debate as the question of hell. Is it real? Is it eternal? If God is loving, why would He send anyone there? These are not new questions—they go to the heart of the human condition and God’s justice. Jesus Himself spoke more about hell than anyone else in the Bible, not to terrify us, but to warn us and point us to the way of salvation.

1. What the Bible Teaches About Hell

• A Place of Judgment: Jesus described hell as Gehenna, a place of fire and destruction (Matthew 10:28).
• Eternal Reality: “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). The same word “eternal” describes both heaven and hell.
• Conscious Separation: It is a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:42) and “the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever” (Revelation 14:11).
• Exclusion from God’s Presence: “They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might” (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

2. Why Hell Exists

• Because God is Holy and Just: Sin is rebellion against a holy God. His perfect justice demands that sin be punished (Romans 6:23).
• Because All Have Sinned: None are exempt—“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
• Because Sin Separates Us from God: Isaiah 59:2 teaches that our iniquities separate us from Him. Hell is the ultimate result of that separation if sin is not forgiven.

3. The Love of God in the Face of Hell

Hell reveals the seriousness of sin, but it also magnifies the wonder of God’s love:

• Jesus Warned Us About It: Not to condemn, but to call us to repentance (Luke 13:3).
• Jesus Bore Hell for Us: On the cross He endured the wrath of God, crying out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34). He experienced separation so that we would never have to.
• Salvation Is Offered Freely: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

4. Your Choice: Two Destinies

Every person will spend eternity in one of two places:

• Eternal Separation: Hell, apart from God’s presence, under His just judgment.
• Eternal Life: Heaven, in God’s presence, with joy and peace forever (Revelation 21:3–4).

The difference is not what we deserve—we all deserve judgment. The difference is Jesus Christ.

Conclusion & Invitation

So, is hell a real place? According to the Bible, yes—it is real, eternal, and dreadful. But God does not desire anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9). That is why He sent His Son to save us.

The cross of Christ is God’s rescue mission, pulling us out of the flames of judgment and bringing us into the light of eternal life. The question is not whether hell is real—the question is: Where will you spend eternity?

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, you can do so today. Repent of your sin, believe in Him, and receive the gift of eternal life. You can pray this prayer:

Lord God, I come to You just as I am. I confess that I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. But I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead. I believe He is Lord. Today, I turn from my sin and I put my trust in Jesus alone to save me. Please forgive me, cleanse me, and make me new. Fill me with Your Spirit and teach me to follow You. I give You my life. Thank You for the cross. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, we would like to celebrate with you. Click to Connect.