This is the “chief of sinners,” Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International, reminding you of what the Bible says, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” like you and me.

Many people see the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf, to turn their backs on bad habits and old ways that do not benefit them, and to make changes in their lives that will make their future better and brighter than their past. Henry Ward Beecher once said, “Every man should be born again on the first day of January.”

At this time of the year, many people make New Year’s resolutions that focus on changing some aspect of their outward status — their appearance, their health, their success, their career, or their education. However, the most important change you can make at the beginning of the New Year is not an outward change at all. It is an inward change — a change of your heart, your soul, your spirit, and your mind. The Bible calls it being “born again.”

In John chapter 3, Jesus Christ explains to a man named Nicodemus that “ye must be born again.” The new birth that Jesus Christ is talking about is not a physical rebirth — one that changes how we look on the outside, but a spiritual birth. It is an inside job — one that changes how we really are on the inside.

Why is there a need for us to change on the inside? Well, the Bible tells us that we are all sinners who have done things that do not please God. Just in the past year, you did and said things that God was not pleased with. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 also says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

We are born with a sin nature and are prone to doing wrong. This sin nature is not something that can be fixed by outward means. It cannot be fixed by ‘turning over a new leaf’, making a resoltuion, or joining a support group to help us change. It can only be fixed by a new birth — a spiritual birth that is only possible through the work that Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. If you have not had this spiritual birth, the new year is a great time to make this most important change in your life. By being “born again” through Jesus Christ, you will be given a new heart, mind, soul, and spirit. You will be free from the bondage of sin and evil; you will be a child of God; and you will have a home in Heaven. I think that is a great way to start off the New Year.

Allow me to briefly share with you how you can be “born again”:

We have already seen where the Bible says that we are all sinners. Because of our sins, we are destined to die and to go to eternal punishment in a place called Hell where we will be separated from God forever. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…”

The Bible also says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

The fact of the matter is that God loves us more than we love ourselves, and He does not want us to die, go to Hell, and be separated from Him forever. That is why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins and take the punishment that we deserve on Himself. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Now all you have to do is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and you will be born again. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you want to truly born again, please pray the following prayer with me and mean it from your heart:

Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today and forever so that I can have your peace and assurance about my life today and my eternal future. Amen.

If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”.

Believe by faith. Share the faith. And keep the faith! God Bless You!