What Does It Mean to be Saved: It Means to be Born Again

John 3:3-8 "Jesus answered 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? 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; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

Ephesians 2:1-5 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (By grace ye are saved.)"
 
How do you describe a saved person? What is a true Christian, what is the distinctive characteristic of a Christian?  Is it someone who is nice? there are lots of nice people in this world and they are not Christians, so this is not the distinctive characteristic.  Is it love? Other people love who are not Christians.  Love is the outflow of the Christian life and it is a great witness, but love nor niceness nor even religious duty, nor faithfulness in attendance at church are the distinguishing mark of a Christian.  Because Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists can do all these things. What about a Christian sets them apart? It is doctrine, it is what a Christian believes, in this generation when no one wants to define a Christian, the distinguishing mark is the gospel which they believe.  Doctrine, theology, what they believe is distinct from any other religion.  A Christian is defined by and identified by what they believe and that is unique and unparalleled in any other religion.  If you don't believe certain things you are not a Christian, simple as that.  If you don't believe the gospel, you are not a Christian under any meaning of the word.  There is no such thing as a nominal Christian.   The Word of God defines what a Christian is.

Luke 15: The Father With Two Sons

This study of the Father with two sons is for anyone who is estranged from a beloved child.

The Father With Two Sons

Luke 15:11-32

Many Christians are familiar with the story in Luke 15 of the father with two sons, whose younger son desired his inheritance, and left home to go to a far country where he squandered all his money on worldly things (riotous living V13).  When famine came he was in great want but he came to the end of himself, recognized his sin, repented and returned home.

Let us consider the father. (V11 "A certain man had two sons:"  Certainly he must have been a man of much wealth and substance, for he had servants and riches...yet he possessed that most precious quality, unconditional love for his children. When the youngest son demanded his inheritance V12 "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me"  the father did not argue or deny but willingly divided his living and gave to both sons.  Perhaps the father knew that this might lead to disaster, but he used great wisdom.  There comes a time when we must let our children go, and trust the Lord to care for them, perhaps chasten them, and bring them back to us again, not necessarily to live with us, but to be in harmony as a family.  The father trusted the Lord to bring his son home again.  Scripture bears no record that the father went after his son at all, but let him go.