Discuss MikeC's answer to: Best Religion

Quote" You can't go through one without the other !

You can't go to one without going through the other. YET both are one.

Without repenting and believing in Jesus Christ you can not go to the other, because of sin. AND that does not separate Jesus Christ from God.

NO ONE can go to the Father on their own because of sin, Sin needs to be repented of to Jesus Christ. That's why He died on the Cross,for our sins, so we could have a way back to the father, If we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus Christ we are forgiven of our sins and spiritually receive the Holy Spirit of God.

That does not take away the fact that Jesus Christ was God in the Flesh, The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit in one.

What is so hard for you to understand,or believe what God says for sinful man to be saved,  that man is dead in sin because of the fall, man needs a savior, Jesus Christ is that savior, sinful man can not go to God on his own because of sin, we have to repent to Jesus Christ for our sins, believe in Jesus Christ is God.  then  we are forgiven of our sins through Jesus Christ.

That is what God says, I believe what God says. You can twist it any way you want to, your twisting Gods word or not believing what God said does not change what God said one must do to Go to God, to be saved.

Even that thought in the flesh mind to go to Jesus Christ and repent of your sin comes from God.

Jesus Christ die for the sins of ALL. ALL who will believe.

However, ALL will not believe.  It's that simple

Mike wrote: I do not consider myself as a "Born again Christian"

Here Mike, see what you can do with this scripture.


John 3

1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that you do, except God be with him. 3Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4Nicodemus said to 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? 5Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said to you, You must be born again. 8The wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell from where it comes, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? 10Jesus answered and said to him, Are you a master of Israel, and know not these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and you receive not our witness. 12If I have told you earthly things, and you believe not, how shall you believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13And no man has ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are worked in God.

"Go into the whole world and proclaim the good news to all creation. The man who believes in it an accepts baptism will be saved " If a man is baptized as Jesus said, do you think that a title of being born again makes a difference. ? I understand about Nicodemus and the whole story . But it is one of many stories told by Christ. I prioritize only as Christ has prioritized. God and neighbor. A title means nothing, the belief in God means everything. I know the importance of the name of Christ at the same time I know who Christ is. Christ is God and God means everything. Don’t you think it should be up to God /Christ to understand who a person is praying to and why ? The real question comes down to, do you really know the heart of the law ? Not the words that where written so much as the meaning behind the words. Christ made the same comment a long time ago to the self righteous. I wonder why he would say such a thing to those who new every word and paragraph of the law ? After all, the law was all written down. Should not the written law be taken seriously or should the writings be used as a guide with a deeper appreciation for the objective of the law ? As for myself, I prefer to appreciate the objective of the law, the intent behind the law.    GBY   MikeC

Here Mike, see what you can do to this.

Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.


Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Marvel not that I said to you, You must be born again.


16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

"Quote" Don’t you think it should be up to God /Christ to understand who a person is praying to and why?

The real question comes down to, do you really know the heart of the law

Don’t you think God understands why He told a person to repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son was God in the flesh, and who that person is that repents and believes in Jesus Christ?  Don't you think God understands it's up to that person to repent and believe after God tells them?



The real question comes down to, do you really believe in your heart what God said to do?



From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. – Matthew 4:17

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. – Mark 1:14-15

I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. - Luke 13:3, 5


And Jesus said before He ascended into heaven that “repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations” (Luke 24:46-47).


John 3
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. - Matthew 21:32


JESUS SPEAKING:  I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. – Luke 15:7

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. – Matthew 9:13 

Quote" Don’t you think it should be up to God /Christ to understand who a person is praying to and why? The real question comes down to, do you really know the heart of the law

Don’t you think God understands why He came in the flesh as Jesus Christ and died on the cross for your sins, then went back to heaven as God and now that same Jesus Christ is God in heaven who will judge you when he returns?

The real question comes down to, do you really understand and believe in your heart what God says, to be saved you must repent and believe in Jesus Christ was/is God who came to the world in the flesh as Jesus Christ and died for your sins, then went back to heaven?

Anoymous You quoted "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, Key words here are "God so loved the world" God also did not send Christ to condemn the world. God is like a good father, he knows his kids are going to make mistakes. He lets them off with a warning or punishes them with a swat to the butt. Just like He did with Paul. His children grow and mature and make hundreds of mistakes along the way. Christ understands who and what we are. I told you before, Christ is not a bystander watching from a distance, He is a participant and is very much involved with all our lives. To me, It is my job to praise my Father because I love him and respect him. I tell my siblings why I respect him, why He loves you all so much and as you learn, you will come to love and respect him as well. You draw people first by showing respect, having patience and responding in a loving manner. What's that expression ? You go a lot further with honey than you do with vinegar. The fear of God/Christ comes only by the respect of God. No one wants to disappoint someone they love and respect more than anyone in the world. The fear comes all by itself. I hope I am being clear. I fear the Lord all because I have so much respect for Him that I do not want to disappoint my Father. GBY MikeC

Anoymous You quoted "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, Key words here are "God so loved the world" God also did not send Christ to condemn the world.

You missed the key words. you did not Finish the scripture

Key words here are, SALVATION. Repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him (Jesus Christ) might be saved.

18 He that believes on him (Jesus Christ)  is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of (Jesus Christ) the only begotten Son of God.

MikeC " If a man is baptized as Jesus said, do you think that a title of being born again makes a difference. ?

Being baptized means nothing unless you have repented FIRST to Jesus Christ and Believed.

Repentance should not be taken lightly, for God commands it! “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).

He also makes it clear that this is something that every person must do. To be in violation of this is to go directly against what God says He wants men to do.

However God does not force men to repent. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” This is a statement of fact!

Christ tells His listeners that unless they repent they will perish. Not that they are going to physically die, but rather they will remain dead in their trespasses and sin, and for those who stand before God in this state, He has prepared an everlasting death.

They will be separated from Him forever, banished into everlasting judgement with wailing and gnashing of teeth, into outer darkness, alone and without hope. Their bodies will burn with unquenchable fire, and never be consumed by this fire. Not one moment of relief!

It will be an endless torment to remember that once they had a chance to do what God commanded them, but instead they refused so that they could have pleasure in unrighteousness. “For our God is a consuming fire”  (Heb 12:29).