You Still Have A Chance To Settle Out Of Court

John 3:1-7, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 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.”

Dear reader, please do not think that this matter of being born again is mere religious talk. This is a LEGAL MATTER! You have sinned against a holy God, your Creator. Thus, you are guilty according to Romans 3:10-20. There is a long criminal record against you in Heaven if you have not received Christ yet (Revelation 20:12). As such, there is a penalty for your wickedness, which is to burn in the fires and torments of the Lake of Fire (Hell) forever and ever without hope or rest day nor night (Revelation 14:11, 20:11-15, 21:8). John 3:18 declares that if you are not saved, you are ALREADY CONDEMNED, which means when you die you'll go straight to Hell.

God the Father loves all humanity. God loves YOU dear friend and He has made a way of escape (Romans 5:9). God is holy and His holiness absolutely demands justice! The wages of sin is death, not good works (Romans 6:23). Billions of foolish hellbound religious people think their good works can satisfy the wrath of God against sinners, but it cannot. God required a perfect sacrifice, which perfect sacrifice Jesus became on Calvary's cross, as a Lamb without spot nor blemish, who was killed for our sins (John 1:29; 1st Peter 1:18-19). JESUS PAID IT ALL!!!

To settle this legal matter out of court, so to speak, God the Father is offering you dear friend (and every human being) an incredible offer, simply because God loves you (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). God sent His only begotten (biological) Son into the world to die a criminal's death on a lonely cruel cross, as full payment for YOUR SINS and MINE (John 3:16). Literally, Jesus who knew no sin became as sin, so that we who knew no righteousness could be made the righteous of God in Christ (2nd Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9). What a great Savior!!!

You still have an opportunity dear reader to settle out of court with God the Father. Jesus has already paid for your sins, but you must appropriate His gift by resting in (trusting) Jesus as your Savior. This means abandoning all false hopes of relying upon turning from your sinful ways (aka, the “repent of your sins” heresy), serving Christ, inviting Jesus into your life as “Lord,” water baptism, keeping sacraments, confessing sins to a priest, being willing to turn from your sins, and other heresies that pollute, pervert and complicate God's simple plan of salvation, which is obtained only through faith alone, by grace alone, in Jesus Christ alone. 

Hebrews 4:10-11, “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

Trying to reform your own life by turning from your sinful behavior to be saved is NOT Bible repentance, it is manmade behavior modification. It is works, not grace (Romans 4:4). You don't have to be willing to forsake your sinning to get to heaven; Christ died on a cross to pay for your sins, so that you could freely go to Heaven. Matthew 1:21, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Again and again in the inspired Holy Scripture we read that Jesus died on a cross to save us from our sins (Luke 19:10; John 3:17); but nowhere will you find any Scripture that requires being willing to forsake the world and a lifestyle of sinning to be saved.

One of my favorite free grace preachers, Pastor Harry A. Ironside (1876-1951), wrote these prolific words of truth...

"Repentance is the very opposite of meritorious experience. It is the confession that one is utterly without merit, and if he is ever saved at all it can only be through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, 'who gave himself a ransom for all.' Here is firm footing for the soul who realizes that all self-effort is but sinking sand. Christ alone is the Rock of our salvation."

SOURCE: Pastor Harry A. Ironside, from his book: 'Except Ye Repent,' p. 36

Clearly, Ironside taught a Free Grace view of the Gospel. Pastor Ironside further states...

“The Gospel is not a call to repentance, or to amendment of our ways, to make restitution for past sins, or to promise to do better in the future. These things are proper in their place, but they do not constitute the Gospel; for the Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed. Do not make the mistake then of thinking that the Gospel is a call to duty or a call to reformation, a call to better your condition, to behave yourself in a more perfect way than you have been doing in the past …

Nor is the Gospel a demand that you give up the world, that you give up your sins, that you break off bad habits, and try to cultivate good ones. You may do all these things, and yet never believe the Gospel and consequently never be saved at all.”

SOURCE: Pastor Harry A. Ironside, from his tract: 'What Is The Gospel?'

If you will simply by faith (taking God at His recorded Word), accept Christ's sacrificial death on the cross as full payment for your sins, believing that Jesus was buried but then physically resurrected from the dead three days later, then you will be instantly, irrevocably and permanently saved (i.e., born again, redeemed). This is 'THE GOSPEL' (1st Corinthians 15:1-6), by which all who BELIEVE IT are saved (1st Thessalonians 4:14; Romans 1:16). You have God's PROMISE of eternal life, IF you believe (Titus 1:2). God promises to “SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21b). What an awesome God, Creator and Savior!!!

Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”