Among those, commonly referred to as Christian, there are differing opinions as to how a person becomes a child of God. Some say you must believe and be baptized in water before you become a child of God. Some say that you only need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and accept him as your personal savior in order to become a Child of God. Others say that you not only must accept Jesus Christ but you must live in such a way that your good deeds out weigh the bad. While some even say that you can do nothing in order to become a child of God, because a person is a Child of God by the Grace of God. There are also differing opinions on whether a person can lose his salvation once he has it. Some teach that once saved, a person will always be a child of God no matter their actions in this life. While others teach that you can lose your salvation if you do not remain faithful in your service to God here on earth.

The question how does a person become a Child of God? Really implies a thought that conflicts with the scriptural teaching that those who are saved were in Christ Jesus before the World began"…According to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." (II Timothy 1:10) Thus in the mind and purpose of God those He chose before the world began were His Children before they were ever conceived or born naturally. That is not to say a person is saved before the world began, they aren't, they are saved here in time. God's children are brought into this world under the law of sin and death. They are redeemed from the curse of the law by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and his quickening power. Jesus told Nicodemus "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:7). Therefore a more appropriate question might be How does a person become born again or receive spiritual life during his lifetime?

Although there are many views on how a person is born again or receives spiritual life, there can only be one correct answer to that question. It is either by something the sinner must do or he is saved without him having to do anything. Paul expresses this thought when he says it is either by works or by Grace, not both. "And if by Grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11:6)

To understand what the Bible teaches concerning eternal salvation one must see why a person needs salvation in the first place. The need for eternal salvation was brought on because of the separation (death) from God that Adam and all his posterity suffered because of Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' (Roman 5:12) Adam's sin brought death upon all men and they will be forever separated from God unless something is done to reconcile them to God. The phrase 'dead in sins' has been commonly used to describe the state of man after the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. Therefore before a person is born again he is dead in sins and something must be done in order to get him out of that state. The Ephesians letter expresses it this way: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" (Ephesians 2:1) the 'you' spoken of in this verse can be identified in Chapter 1, of the Ephesians letter. "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:" Thus Paul is telling the saints at Ephesus and the faithful in Christ Jesus that they were dead in sins before being quickened (made alive) by Christ Jesus.

Now if we are dead in trespasses and in sins would that not be saying that we have no spiritual life in us? If not? Why not? Just as in the natural realm, becoming spiritually alive requires a higher power to create or impart life to the dead person. For example, in nature if one is not yet born or if a person is dead, do they have the capacity to perform any act of obedience? The answer of course is no! Would it not be the same in the Spiritual realm that one must possess spiritual life in order to be obedient spiritually. In other words Life must precede action in the spiritual world as well as in the natural world! The fact that only God has the power to reverse the state of death and make one alive naturally or spiritually leads directly to the correct answer as to how a person is born again, it is by God making a person alive (quickening) spiritually. We then only need to know who and why God quickens the ones that He does. The Lord declared in John 5:21 "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:" This verse leads one to believe, that in the matter of one being quickened, it is the Lord's decision, not man's. But is the Lord obligated to quicken someone because of some act of obedience? Is that how He decides whom he will quicken?

In the Gospel of John the Lord declares: "Verily, verily, I say unto you. The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." (John 5:25) Many of God's children erroneously think this scripture is referring to the end time resurrection of our bodies but it says now is which is speaking of the present time. Thus I conclude that this scripture is speaking of the dead (in sin) who hears the life giving voice of Christ Jesus and they come forth quickened, born again, a new creature in Christ Jesus. No doubt many will agree and say that is exactly how it happens, IF, only the sinner will accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

Isn't it really preposterous to say that a person who is dead must do something in order to have life? But that is exactly what is being taught when you teach that a dead sinner must perform any spiritual action such as: believing and trusting in Jesus Christ. A dead sinner can be baptized in water but only God can baptize him in the Holy Ghost. Only a spiritually alive individual can truly desire spiritual things. The desire to accept or follow Christ is evidence that the person already has spiritual life. Thus a person who believes and desires to be baptized is a spiritually alive person with the capacity to hunger and thirst after righteousness.

The decision as to who is a child of God is in the hands of a sovereign God who choose a people before the foundation of the world. "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." (Ephesians 1:4,5) In nature we have no choice as to which family we are born into, the same is true concerning the family of God. Because of His perfect foreknowledge, God saw the fall of all mankind (which included his chosen people), and He so loved his chosen people that he sent his only begotten son into the world to die for their sins. Jesus was the sinless sacrifice required for his chosen people to be reconciled to God. This sinless sacrifice was not offered to man but Christ offered himself to God. "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrew 9:14) Before the new birth God's children are unborn sheep and Jesus shall quicken them (make alive spiritually) sometimes between their natural conception and their natural death.

But many will ask, what about the scriptural commands to be baptized, to do good works, to sin not or the invitations to come to Christ? Are we to believe these commands and invitations are to dead people in order that they may have life? To use a phrase that Jesus used, I trow (think) not! To re-emphasize, all invitations and exhortations to spiritual obedience in the scriptures are addressed to spiritually alive people, not dead ones, the person dead in sins has no ability to desire or believe in spiritual things until he has been made alive spiritually. "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God." (I Corinthians 2:11) The invitation Christ gave in Matthew 11 verse 28: "Come unto me all ye that labor and or heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Is often taught as an invitation to dead alien sinners to come to Jesus for eternal salvation. However, in this scripture, Jesus is inviting people who labor and are heavy laden. Dead people do not labor nor are they heavy laden. Furthermore Jesus says that he will give them rest not LIFE. Only Living people need rest. - Elder Claude McKee