Jesus, the christ, founder of the christian religion
By Emmanuel Udom
Born again are popular words among Christians in developed and developing countries. I do not know, if these words are also used by Moslems and atheists.
In my humble opinion, being born again means Christians, who have surrendered their lives totally to Jesus, the Christ. This is about going before the pastor of their churches to make open confessions.
So, with the born again, having surrendered to Christ, old things have passed away and all things have become new. This is what the holy book, the Bible is saying.
Quite interesting, I must say. It is acceptable, commendable and therefore a welcome development for people to leave their old sins behind for a new life in Christ.
But, without sounding as if I am condemning the church and born again Christians, I am going to look at this business of being born again a bit more realistically.
Let me say here and now that I have no right whatsoever to condemn the church. I dare not.
But, Born again in my view is all about making personal efforts in sincerity, truthfulness and sincerity to forsake our old, sinful lives for a new one. As, I say, confessing to your pastor or church leader is just one percent of the whole deal.
No man or woman on this earth is perfect. I am not; you, my dear reader is not either. Your pastor or church leader is a human being like you and I. Therefore, he or she is not perfect.
So, when we sincerely become born again, we strive everyday in our thoughts, words and deeds to be honest, truthful, sincere, accountable, open, humble, and humanistic, in our dealings with ourselves, family, neighbors, community and the entire world.
This, in my honest opinion is the true meaning of being born again. Yes, we must read the Bible daily. Yes, we must pray. But, most of all, we must do unto others as we could wish them to do for us. This is how the Bible puts it.
In reality, there are a thousand and one persons, out there, who are born again and yet, do not know the road to the nearest church around them. Reflect on this and tell me whether or not I am wrong. It is really not about who is right or wrong. It is about what is right.
Universal virtues of honesty, sincerity, accountability, openness, truthfulness, humility, godliness has no religious limitations. It is really not about entering hell or heaven after death. It is about creating our own hell or heaven right here on earth through our lifestyles.
World peace begins from you and I. It begins from the mind as thoughts and manifest around us. Therefore, there also a thousand and one persons out there, who go to church regularly and are really not born again in the real sense of the words. Again reflect on this please.