Being born of God

Don’t deceive yourself!

"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews." John 3.1

Even though Nicodemus was an expert in the law, a teacher, and a very well respected man among the Jews, he was a Pharisee. In other words, he taught one thing, but he used to do other thing. He had ever had an encounter with the Lord Jesus, therefore he was not born of God.
Biblical knowledge is not enough to save anybody. If this was the case satan would be saved because there’s no one in the world who knows the Bible better than he does. However he is condemned to spend all his eternity in the Lake of Fire.

The only way that a person can be saved is when he or she has an encounter with God and is born of the Holy Spirit, exactly as it happened to the Lord Jesus.

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!  But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.  And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.'
 Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?'
 And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God'. Luke 1.26-35

This is what has to happen to all those who want a new life and to guarantee their salvation. It does not matter what you have done in the church or the title that you have, if you were not born of the Holy Spirit, then there’s no assurance of salvation.

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” John 3.5,6

Bishop Carlos da Costa