Being Born Again Because of man�s original sin in the Garden of Eden, we are all born by natural birth with an Adamic or sinful nature. PSALMS 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. ROMANS 5:12 By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (Romans 5:12; Psalms 51:5). MATTHEW 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. JEREMIAH 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Paul stated: ROMANS 8:7-8 The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Therefore, we are all in need of a born again experience that will change us into new persons in Christ. I CORINTHIANS 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Jesus Christ emphasized our need of a New Birth. He said to Nicodemus: JOHN 3:3 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Again, Jesus said: JOHN 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN. The New Birth is not just an optional experience. It is definitely a matter of eternal life or eternal death, for without it we cannot even see the kingdom of God. HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN Nicodemus asked the Lord: JOHN 3:4 How can a man be born when he is old? Jesus answered: JOHN 3:5 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of WATER and of the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The New Birth clearly defined by Jesus Christ consists of the two elements water and spirit. As a natural birth consists of these two elements, so likewise the spiritual birth. The absence of either one will not produce a Biblical born again experience. In obedience to Christ, Peter preached the New Birth experience to the believers on the day of Pentecost. He said: ACTS 2:38 Repent, and be baptized (water) every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). The born again experience in John 3:5 is also fulfilled as Paul said: TITUS 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us (How?) by the washing of regeneration (water), and the renewing of the Holy Ghost (Spirit). TO EXPERIENCE YOUR PERSONAL REBIRTH, THE FOLLOWING BIBLICAL STEPS MUST BE APPLIED: - Faith in God and His Word
HEBREWS 11:6 He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Jesus said: JOHN 7:38-39 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive). - Repentance to God
ACTS 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent. LUKE 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Our sinful nature must die at an altar of repentance before a new life can be born. There can be no resurrection without first a death. For example: JOHN 4:24 Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. So Ezekiel said, EZEKIEL 18:31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit. Now that the old sinful man is dead through repentance, a true believer is ready to experience the New Birth. - Born of Water
Of course, following a death there must certainly be a burial. The old sinful man must be put away. Paul Said: COLOSSIANS 2:11-12 Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands. In putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (how?) buried with Him (Jesus Christ) in baptism (water). ROMANS 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Jesus Christ commissioned: LUKE 24:47 That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Peter obeyed when he said: ACTS 2:38 Repent and be baptized (water) everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. ACTS 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. It is through water baptism, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we receive the name of our spiritual family into which we are born. Paul declared: EPHESIANS 3:14-15 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. ACTS 14:14-17 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. ACTS 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. �First century baptism occupied a place of great importance and was regarded as essential to the New Birth and to membership in the Kingdom of God� (Encyclopedia Britannica 1973, Volume 3, page 138). The early church always baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus (Canney Encyclopedia, page 53; also Hasting�s Dictionary of the Bible, Revised Edition, Volume 1, page 88). - Born of the Spirit
The birth of the Spirit is typical of the resurrection of Christ. ROMANS 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: ROMANS 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. COLOSSIANS 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. This completes our New Birth into the kingdom of God and makes us new persons in Christ. Ezekiel prophesied about this glorious experience: EZEKIEL 36:26-27 A new heart also will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh... and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Jesus said: JOHN 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Paul affirmed: ROMANS 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. There will be a certain Biblical sign as the initial evidence that a believer has truly been born of the Spirit. In the great commission, Jesus said: MARK 15:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe... they shall speak with new tongues. For example, Jesus said: JOHN 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. As the sound of wind blowing is evidence of its presence, so is the sound of speaking in tongues evidence of the birth of the Spirit. GALATIANS 4:6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father. ACTS 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come... there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind... And they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost (Spirit), and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. �Tongue-speaking manifested itself early in the Christian experience. At Pentecost the gift appeared as a sign of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which marked the character of the earliest Christians� (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1973, Volume 22, page 75).
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN - Speaking in Tongues
Jesus said that certain signs shall follow them that believe: ACTS 10:45-46 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. MARK 16:17 They shall speak with new tongues. - Fruit of the Spirit
Jesus stated: MATTHEW 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. GALATIANS 5:22-23 Now, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. - Free from Sin
I JOHN 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. Paul said: ROMANS 6:6-7 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. John wrote: 1 JOHN 2:1 That ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. - Working Righteousness
Self righteousness is as filthy rags to God. ISAIAH 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. But through Jesus Christ we are made righteous. ROMANS 5:19 For as by one man�s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. ROMANS 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Spirit). Therefore John said: 1 JOHN 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. - Overcoming the World
1 JOHN 2:15-16 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. II CORINTHIANS 6:16-18 As God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them (worldly associations) and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. TITUS 2:11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. 1 JOHN 5:4 For Whosoever is born of God overcometh the world. ROMANS 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. - Loving Others
1 JOHN 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Jesus said: JOHN 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 1 PETER 1:22-23 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. 1 JOHN 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. - Keeping Ourselves
1 JOHN 5:18 He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. Solomon spoke: PROVERBS 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Paul said: 1 TIMOTHY 5:22 Keep thyself pure. James admonished the child of God to keep himself unspotted from the world. JAMES 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. John said: 1 JOHN 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Finally the Bible states: JUDE 21 Keep thyself in the love of God. - A New Life
A wonderful change for the better will definitely be expressed in the life style of a born again believer! ROMANS 8:1, 4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.... that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. II CORINTHIANS 5:17 Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away: behold all things are become new. ROMANS 6:4 Even so we also should walk in newness of life. - Inheritance
GALATIANS 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 1 PETER 1:3-4 God has begotten us unto a lively hope, to an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven. ROMANS 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If you desire a new life in Christ, put your faith in God, repent of your sins and experience the wonderful, powerful New Birth of water and the Spirit. Why settle for anything less than the original born again experience. God is ready to change your life for the better today!
|
