You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth.
15 For [gar] in [en] Christ [Christos] Jesus [Iesous] neither [oute] circumcision
[peritome] availeth [ischuo] any thing [tis], nor [oute] uncircumcision [akrobustia],
but [alla] a new [kainos] creature [ktisis]. KJV-Interlinear
15 For
neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. NASB
In all of history, there have or will be five creations. They are the angels, the universe, man, believers, and eventually the new universe to come.
The real difference between the believer in Christ and the unbeliever, is that the believer is created as a new creature, or born again, or a new spiritual species, while the unbeliever remains as the flesh he was created from, body and soul.
In order to live in Heaven and in eternity with God, each person needs something more. And that something more is the human spirit, which is created instantly when the individual initially believes in Christ. That is why we say, born again.
There is nothing that you can do to gain this new status. Neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision, nor ritual, nor belief system, nor rites, nor customs, nor culture, nor elevated rank due to wealth, beauty, talent or whatever, nor by race, color, or even complexion. There is nothing you can do or wish in order to qualify you for life with God, except by believing in Christ.
Faith is the only means of salvation, the only means of your rebirth, the only means of your becoming a new creation. And that, you being a new creation, is what is required in order to set you apart from everyone else.
Whatever it is that you do in life, whomever you are in life, has nothing to do with you being saved and never will have anything to do with your salvation.
You cannot save yourself. You cannot ever get credit for saving yourself. You cannot look to anyone or anything in this world to accomplish salvation for yourself.
Faith and faith alone is the only means of being saved. And that faith is expressed only one way, which is to believe in Christ. You have only to think, ‘Father, I believe in Jesus Christ.’ And that is all there is to being saved. You only have to believe one time in your life and you are saved.
Being born again is a onetime event. Becoming a new creation is a onetime event. And once you have been newly created, newly born, then nothing and no one can undo those events. You cannot unborn or uncreate yourself. Therefore, once saved, always saved. It is permanent and you can never lose it, cancel it, or even throw it away.
