Bob Tempe, Sr. and Frankie Dawkins (Bob's niece) (Charity's dad)
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WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE MEAN BY "BEING BORN AGAIN?"
Born Again" Christians Just As Likely to BE LIKE and DO As Non-Christians

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Part 4

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WHY ALL HUMANITY NEEDS TO BE BORN AGAIN.
Or
WHY IS THERE A REQUIREMENT FOR A NEW BIRTH ENCOUNTER

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Almost all groups of people in the world believe in a "god" that they in some fashion worship. For every group of people there is a different idea of how they worship. Most groups believe there is an after-life and some place they will go when they die. And there are as many reasons and requirements to obtain a place in the after life as there are people groups.

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In American society today we see a number of different people groups, those from different countries, China, India, Russia, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Iraq. These groups have their own belief about "god" and how that "god" is to be worshiped and prayed to. They have their belief what that "god" requires them to be and do in order to obtain life in the hereafter.

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Today we are faced with the need more than ever in America to address this issue of who is this God that Christians worship, and His requirements for all mankind.

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With all these beliefs today we are seeing more people become confused, and having misgivings about what Christianity’s position is on what the Bible says about what is God’s requirement for a person to obtain Heaven.

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"Born Again Christians Just As Likely to ____________ As Are Non-Christians" Barna Group.
Ron Sider’s book said the same thing. This seems to be saying the evangelical church as a whole in America is seemingly not very unlike the world. What seems to be happening is that people go to church on Sunday and now Saturday and have an overlay of religion or Christianity but its religion is basically an add-on to the same way of life the world exists, not a radically revolutionizing power.

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The question is,.can the term ‘born-again Christian’ refer to or describe an American church-goer whose lives are interchangeable with the lifestyle of the world? Whose sin is as much as the world, and whose behavior instinctively is as the general behavior of the world, they covet things as greedily as the world, and they are entertained by the same movies and TV and games as the world is. They engage in the activities of the world as anyone else does. Put them side by side and they look like the same personality and behavior. They both might go to the same church. They both say they "made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ, and it’s still important in their lives today."And they believe when they die they will go to heaven. They say they are a Christan, they say Jesus Christ is important to them.
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The Barna Group takes them at their words, and say they are born again, and then this group will then say the reality is that these regenerated hearts have no more victory over sin than unregenerated hearts. In other words "Lordship Salvation" (a term John MacArthur uses) is not necessary for one to be described as born again)
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Here is what I am saying about the Barna Group’s report. They are right in what they discovered, they are wrong in the idea that they are born again Christians. I would say the church today is as worldly as the culture. What I am saying is Paul and James, and Peter and John think is precisely the antithesis about someone who is born again. They say those who have been born again will have a radical change in their lives.
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Yes we all sin, and yes it seems we all do things that our neighbors do, but it is not the lifestyle of the believer. There is going to be a radical change in the life of one who has been changed by the power of Jesus Christ.
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Note these verses I John 2:29
I John 3:9
I John 4:7
I John 5:4
I John 5:18

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