One night two millennia ago, a Jewish elder named Nicodemus was so intrigued by the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth that he slipped into the darkness to seek out the controversial rabbi.

Their conversation, recorded in the third chapter of the Gospel of John, bewildered the learned Pharisee and member of the ruling Sanhedrin: Jesus insisted anyone seeking to enter the kingdom of God must first be "born again."

"How can a man be born again when he is old?" Nicodemus mused. His question has echoed through the past 2,000 years, continuing to be a point of spirited debate--and varying interpretations--among Christians today.

A recent survey of more that 6,000 randomly sampled adults by Barna Research Group found that four out of 10 Americans are born again--defined as those making a "personal commitment to Christ" and believing they will go to Heaven "solely because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior."

The results ranged from a high of 81 percent for the Assemblies of God, the world's largest fundamentalist Pentecostal denomination, to a low of 25 percent among Romans Catholics. Sixty-seven percent of Baptists were categorized as "born agains," while the Church of Christ (56), Presbyterians (54), Methodists (49) and Lutherans (48) followed in order. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came in at 34 percent. The Episcopalians came in at 30 percent. Roman Catholics came in dead last.

The Protestant reformation put much more emphasis on the individual person's need to make a decision for Christ. This is done through the sinners prayer, baptism, altar calls and a Pentecostal ploy of "baptism in the Holy Spirit".  Catholics believe going to mass, going to communion, going to confession and volunteering for the churches outreach to the needy will suffice.

In many churches, there are individuals who are on spiritual journeys and have not made a decision to fully embrace Christ as their Savior. Yet are convinced they've got it all.

Before one can be born again, you first must know what you must die from. Paul states in the 6th chapter of his letter to the Romans, believers must die to sin. In the fourth chapter of his letter to the Galatians, Paul states Law and Grace cannot coexist. Paul therefore, shows you must die to sin and die to law. Paul states in chapter two of his first letter to the Corinthians, one can only know God by having the Spirit of God. Paul states in the fifth chapter of his letter to the Galatians, we can judge whether we have been born again or not by this test. Born again believers do not falter. "The works of the flesh are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Paul states the way to be born again is to desire righteousness. Passing the test of proving yourself worthy, you receive the mind of Christ. The Spirit then rules your life; you've been born again. Now you have died to sin, killed off the old man, put on the new man and have become worthy to know God.

The churches have deceived their followers by teaching falsehoods. Justification, instead of salvation. Law instead of grace. You've changed the truth about Jesus. Destroying His sacrifice. Finding pleasure in unrighteousness brings delusion.

Salvation is merited favor not a gift for all mankind. You are saved by sanctification by the Spirit and your belief in the truth.