A U.S. News & World Report (April 4, 1994) article on the spiritual status of America reported, Forty-six percent of Americans described themselves as born again. In other words, almost one out of every two people in America claim a committed relationship to God by following Jesus! Millions.

When the Roman jailer asked what he must do to be saved, Paul answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:30, 31). Many believe that once they have accepted Jesus as their personal savior, they are assured a place in heaven. But do Paul's writings bear this out? A belief in Christ and the fact that his death redeems us from the condemnation of death brought upon us by Father Adam's sin, is only the basis of our salvation. Once this foundation is laid, a Christian must now build the character necessary to gain the great reward of being born on the spirit plane and become associated with Christ, as his bride, to bless ALL the world of mankind.

We were condemned to death in Adam; nothing we could ever do would pull us out of that horrible pit (Psa. 40:2). After we accept Jesus and receive of his atoning merit, we are admonished to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12). This is done by adding to our foundation faith in Christ, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and [agape] love [godlike love].

Jesus outlined the difficulty of the narrow way of self-sacrifice necessary for a Christian in Matt. 19 by saying that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of heaven (spiritual part). Why?

Because the walk of a Christian is one of self-denial, of sacrificing earthly hopes and ambitions and of cross-bearing. One who is rich in the things of this world will find the narrow way of the Christian life difficult. When Jesus' disciples heard this they were amazed at the difficulty of the terms of true discipleship and exclaimed, "Who then can be saved?" Here He assured them that with God's help and guidance it was possible to be more than conquerors in the Christian way and to ultimately receive the spiritual reward of becoming Christ's bride.

Peter further inquired, "We have forsaken all and followed thee, what shall we have?" Jesus tenderly answers that they would sit with Him in His throne in the heavenlies and judge the twelve tribes of Israel (representative of all mankind).

He adds that whoever would be willing to give up their most precious earthly possession, would not only receive the great future rewards that He had previously mentioned, but, in addition, an hundredfold now. (Mark 10:38)

All of the rewards for the Christian are not in the future. In this present life, in exchange for a sense of guilt and emptiness, the Christian experiences peace because of the precious blood of Jesus. In exchange for a restless grasping for the material things of earth, the Christian now experiences a peaceful contentment, "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus", and give you the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding". (Phil.4:7, 19) As is often the case with the Christian, family and friends may forsake them, but they will find a new family in the household of faith, their companions in this narrow way.

Peace and contentment come from the changed mind of the true Christian. His hopes and aims and ambitions are now turned towards heavenly aspirations. One example that there is a new life developing is that he no longer aspires to get ahead in the world, since his goals are now different. The Christian is now accumulating treasures in heaven, not on earth. He realizes that the things of this earth are transitory and illusive and that only those things associated with God and his plans will endure. As a result of relinquishing his earthly hopes and ambitions for far loftier and nobler goals, the Christian in this life is compensated one-hundred fold in inner peace, the true understanding of God s will and word and a knowledge of God s plan that sees beyond the trouble and sorrows of this life and knows that there is hope in the near future for all mankind. (Matthew 19:29)

Is it merely that a Christian stops stealing, smoking, swearing, drinking and doing drugs? Must their life now include a ministry of performing humanitarian and charitable acts? There are many good people who don't claim to be Christians who abstain from harmful habits and perform noble deeds for the betterment of society.

If these are not the terms of true discipleship, following in Jesus' footsteps, what are? Can so many millions of professing Christians be part of the a "Little Flock" what will compose Christ's beloved bride? The true terms of discipleship are stated in Luke 9:23: If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and daily follow me. Here we have the lifetime work of a true Christian. Every minute of every hour and day must be devoted to discerning God's will for us and in shaping our characters and minds in conformity to it in order to fit us for the high position of Christ s bride. The chief mission of the Church has been her own development, "building up yourself in your most holy faith" (Jude 20).

Those who heed the call to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" experience a gradual transformation of mind. (Romans 12:1, 2). This New Mind is the new identity that begins to think of things from God's standpoint. The New Mind feeds on God's Word and grows stronger and stronger. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels.... (II Corinthians 4:7) and because of this the mind of the flesh, wars against the New Mind. Apostle Paul said, "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of the mind.... who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:22, 23)

As the Christian endeavors to carry out his vow of consecration the new mind of the Christian daily struggles with his fleshly, earthly mind and as a result the human mind is in opposition to this developing new mind. For example, when the Christian wants to set aside time to study the Scriptures, the flesh wants to relax and watch TV. On a free Saturday afternoon when the New Mind would like to witness or do Christian service, the flesh wants to go to a mall or go boating or skiing.

Paul, an example of the true Christian, was not at home in the body (II Corinthians 5:6). He well understood, "If our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Corinthians 5:1). Knowing that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (I Corinthians 15:50), he longed for the time when the New Mind would be given a "spiritual body," (I Corinthians 15:44).

When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, Jesus explained that to understand the Kingdom one must have this New Mind. The Master, pressed to elaborate on the requirements necessary to enter the Kingdom said that one must be "born of the Spirit." "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born [Gk. begotten] again, he cannot see [know, understand] the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Nicodemus then wanted to know how he could enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus continued to explain, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:4, 5).*

Jesus then plainly elaborated that someone who is "born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." In other words, if one is born of the flesh, he is a fleshly being, and if one is born of the spirit, he is a spirit being. Jesus also compared someone who is born of the spirit to the wind. The wind is invisible, powerful. One can hear its sound, but can t tell where it comes from, and where it goes: and so is one that is born of the Spirit (John 3:8). Someone who is "born again" is a resurrected spirit being with a spiritual body.

But before being born on the spirit plane, the Christian must first be begotten of the Word, through the Holy spirit. The Apostle James explains, "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (James 1:18). In human development the body is first developed and afterward the mind. It is just the opposite with the New Creature; the mind develops first, then when born on the spirit plane, the spirit body is given. "God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him....So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption" (I Cor. 15:38, 42).

Even though the way is narrow and few find it, and only then a "little flock," this does not mean that the remainder of mankind are forever lost. The Church, the 144,000 now being developed are the "firstfruits" of the Kingdom of God. This implies "later" or "after fruits." These "after fruits" are the remainder of mankind whom Jesus and his bride will be privileged to restore to this earth and thereby bless and grant eternal life to whomsoever is willing.

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*The same Greek word gennao, is used for begotten or birth depending on the sense in which it occurs. When the active agent with which gennao is associated is a male, it should be translated begotten, when a female, born. For example, the same word is used as begotten, When Abraham begat Isaac (Acts 7:8). Sometimes, however, the translation is dependent on the nature of the act, whether masculine or feminine. Thus used with ek, signifying from out of, it should be translated born.

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