The Pastor’s Piece, Pastor Kevin Cernek, FCFI Chaplain

FCFI

July 6, 2025

When I first started out in the ministry, somebody told me you didn’t need to be born again to enter God’s kingdom. But I said, “No. You have to be born again because Jesus said, ‘Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

So he wanted to know, “how do you ‘get’ born again?” Well, being born again is when you put your trust in Jesus to save you. It’s when you realize Jesus is Lord and He’s the One who humbly died in your place for your sins. Being born again is when you change your mind about your sin – It’s when you repent of the offense of your sin against a holy God.

Sorrow and repentance are not the same thing. One can be sorry for their sin without repenting from their sin. Sorrow describes a feeling, but repentance describes a change in both the mind and in one’s life. In 2 Corinthians 7:10, the Apostle Paul says that worldly sorrow accomplishes nothing but death. This is sorrow that comes from being caught, embarrassed, or from suffering consequences. That type of sorrow doesn’t lead to real change – only guilt, shame, despair, or bitterness. Godly sorrow that leads to repentance is a sorrow that leads to a change of purpose, of intention, and of action.

Salvation involves day to day, minute by minute commitment to Jesus. It involves making choices that line up with what the Bible teaches. It involves trial and hardship and faith and trust and love and hope. It never ends. It involves a change of mind, a different way of thinking. Before, you were building your house based on the philosophy and wisdom of man. Once you are born again, you begin building your house based on the wisdom of God.

Eternal life is for everyone. You either live eternally in heaven with God and Jesus in all their splendor or, you live eternally in hell with Satan and his demons. Hell will be a place of unending suffering and torment from which there will be no escape. It is darkness, it is a bottomless pit, it is being covered with maggots, it is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. It is fire and thirst and agony. Hell is endless.

In contrast, heaven is precious to us for many reasons. We long to be with loved ones who have gone before us. We also look forward to being with the great men and women of God who have passed before us. Jesus said in Matthew 8:11: “Many will come from the east and the west and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Imagine all the Godly men and women from all the ages of time sitting down at that table and you’re sitting across from one of them. I’m hoping I get to sit across from that guy Naboth – the Jezreelite from 1 Kings 21. Remember him? He had a lush, beautiful vineyard that bordered the king’s castle and I imagine he spent his days out there weeding it, and fertilizing his plants, and tying up the vines, and watching the grapes mature and ripen. I imagine he loved all the satisfying work involved and seeing the outcome of his efforts.

The king saw the fruit of Naboth’s labor and he wanted it for himself. But Naboth said, “No way! This vineyard has been in my family for generations, and I couldn’t give it up – not even to the king.” So the king pouted and the evil queen had Naboth killed and got his vineyard. It’s an ugly story with an ugly ending for the king and queen.

But I’m pretty sure Naboth was a believer. And when we get to heaven, I want to sit across from him at the banquet table. And when we’re done eating, I’d like to have him take me on a tour of his heavenly vineyard.

We want to walk the streets of gold. We want to see the pearly gates. We want to see our loved ones and all the splendor of heaven. But what really makes heaven the wonder it is, is the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord. It will be the greatest experience of our eternal existence. You become born again when you sense the Spirit of God prompting you to put your trust in Jesus – to repent of your sinful attitude and behavior and turn from that – from yourself – to Jesus. You need to be born again to experience abundant life.

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin).