Bible Matters 465:  Born of the Spirit

Up to this point, you have lived your life in the flesh.  Everything you have done in this life has likely been to serve yourself.  If you are an addict, then your actions have been 100% self-serving.  Your constitution is likely that of the rich man.  He had many possessions and took it to too great of inconvenience to following the teachings of Jesus.  The rich man was following the ten commandments and he asked Jesus what does it take to have everlasting life.  Jesus told him to sell everything and give it to the poor.  For this rich man, this change of heart is not what he wanted.  He walked away from Jesus. 

Matthew 19:21-22 – Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.  But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.

To understand God’s gospel of Love, you must undergo a transformation from lover of self to a lover and servant of God.  This may or may not be easy.  One thing for sure is that an act of man’s religion can never perform this transformation.  Man’s religious act of baptism by water is often confused with performing this transformation.  To that young man in jail at twenty-four, he confirmed that baptism by water did nothing for him.  Being baptized as a baby and then again at fourteen years old did nothing.  For the last ten years he was living his life for the devil.  He requested that Chapter 2 of God’s third book, “Put God First” needed to be on Baptism. 

God hates those that push religious acts onto the children of God. 

Revelation 2:6 – But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

John the Baptist made it clear that this transformation goes beyond his water baptism for repentance.  God’s word will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire.   Your transformation will be evident by your fire! (See Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16-18)

Luke 3:16 – John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

Your transformation is the result of being Born of the Spirit.  Born in the Spirit, starts by believing in the one true God, maker of heaven and earth, that judges all. 

1 Peter 4:17 – For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Revelation 14:7 – Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Being born of the Spirit starts by repenting of your sins.  To confess your sins to God and then turn from your sins to a life unto God.  To go and sin no more.

Acts 3:19 – Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Acts 17:30 – And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

John 5:14 – Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

John 8:11 – She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

The king of Nineveh recognized the sincerity of Jonah bringing the message of repentance unto the people of Nineveh.  The king fell in worship of God.

Jonah 3:4-6 – And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.  So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.  For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.

Simon Peter repented of his sins and fell down on his knees.

Luke 5:8 – When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

After Jesus cleansed ten lepers, only one a Samaritan, turned back give glory to God.

Luke 17:15-18 – And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Being born again in the Spirit to the keeping of your soul in well doing unto a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 4:18, 19 –  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?  Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 5:10-11 – But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.  To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen

Being born again of the Spirit by understanding the word of God.

1 Peter 1:21-23 – Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Being Born of the Spirit, by overcoming the wicked one. You have overcome the lusts thereof by doing the will of God.   God has commanded that your light to shine out of darkness by going the will of God.

John 3:20,21 – For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

2 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:14-17 – I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever

Jesus was clear in his instruction that one must be born again in the Spirit.  This is mandatory to see the kingdom of God. 

John 3:3 – Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Matthew 18:3-4 – And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Being born again in the Spirit with power, love and a sound mound.   To the spirits of just men made perfect and converted from a lover of self to a lover of God. 

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Lay aside the sins of the flesh in exchange for doing the will of God.  Serving God by being a doer of his word and living God’s gospel of Love.

James 1:18-22 – Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

To God be the glory in all you do, Amen.