Tony Clark's Page

The most important question a person can ask himself is, "Have I been born again?" In John Chapter 3, Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be born again in order to see the Kingdom of God. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:23 & 3:10). Of course, this has become a very unpopular doctrine. Regardless of the popularity of the doctrine, we are so sinful that if we die in our sins, we will go to Hell.

Everyone needs to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel message is that we have all sinned, but Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross as an offering for our sins. Christ loved us so much that he was willing to be crucified on our behalf. Not only did he die on the cross, but after three days, he rose from the dead! In Christ, and in Christ alone, we can have eternal life. I encourage everyone to listen to Brother Paul Bryson's message: How to be Saved.

However, there is more to the new birth than just hearing the gospel message. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit accomponies the message and convicts the heart of the unbeliever. This is a doctrine that is almost totally ignored in today's society. Jesus himself said that he would send the Comforter (Holy Spirit) to convict the world of sin (John 16:8). Throughout the book of Acts, lost people were pricked to the heart after hearing the gospel message. We live in an age that emphasizes going through a ritual or procedure in order to be saved, and ignores the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a lost man. I know that when I was convicted by the Holy Spirit, I felt condemned, sinful, and afraid to die because I would go to Hell. Salvation is between the individual and God. There is an empty space in the heart of every lost person that yearns to be filled by God. No one can fill this void in your heart -- except for God himself. Never assume you are born again just because you joined a church, were baptized, repeated a prayer, signed a card, etc.

The Bible tells us that when someone is convicted of his sin, he must believe in Christ and repent of his sins. Jesus himself said, repent ye, and believe the gospel. Repentance means to ask God to forgive you of your sins and your sinful nature. The Bible urges the lost to call upon the name of the Lord and to repent of sins. When a lost person truly repents of his sins, his heart is broken and contrite. Faith in Christ is not just a shallow mental acceptance of who Jesus is. It is from the heart that man believes in Christ unto salvation.

 

How do you know that you have trusted in Christ unto salvation? How can you know that you have had the faith necessary? The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit himself dwells in the hearts of true believers, and that we have a peace with God that passes all understanding. I know that I was saved by the grace of God as a ten year old boy, because I could feel the presence of God in my heart. What I advise anyone to do is to call upon the Lord for salvation from your sins until God lets you know that you are born again. Some people are saved very quickly, and others take more time. The key is to seek the Lord until he lets you know that you are born again. I remember when my son was born, and I remember where my son was born. There was a time and a place when he was born into this world. One moment, he was unborn, and the next he was born. The new birth is very similar. You are either saved or lost. When a person is born again, it happens at a particular time and place. Even though people can be confused about when and where they are saved, someone who is saved should remember the moment when he surrendered everything to Christ and felt the peace of God enter his heart. I hope this is helpful.

If you have any questions, please email me at tonyclark@email.com.