Tag Archives: new birth

You Must Be Born Again – No. 3

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You Must Be Born Again – No. 3

What is this ‘new birth’?

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. Ephesians 2:1-3 NKJV.

Matthew Henry said: “The new birth is a great change made in the heart of a sinner, by the power of the Holy Spirit. It means that something in us, and for us, which we cannot do for ourselves, and whereby such a life begins as shall last forever.”

God, the Holy Spirit changes the hearts and minds of men and women, to give them a new desire for Christ, and the things of God.  To trust Jesus Christ for our salvation, we must first need the desire in our hearts; a yearning for Him.

Without the ‘new birth’ we will have no desire for Christ.  If we have no desire for Christ, then we will never choose Him.  This ‘new birth’ is also called regeneration.

Nine changes brought about by the ‘new birth.’

The ‘new birth’ brings about changes in:

  • Relationship with God

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12-13

  • Relationship with your family
  • Relationship with yourself
  • Relationship with your neighbours
  • Change in your disposition
  • Change in your affections
  • Change in your aims

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:10

  • Change in your principles.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

 Modern man puts his trust in science and technology to create a better world, but science and technology cannot change a man or woman’s nature, only God the creator can recreate us.  This is precisely what He does when we give ourselves to Jesus Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV.

The saving change of heart is solely the work of the Holy Spirit.

“YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!”

You Must Be Born Again – No2

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‘You Must Be Born Again’ No.2

Why must I be born again?

  1. The Condition of Man.

The bible has much to say about the state of natural man.

So, what is the state of man?

Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, all men have a yearning to sin against God.  Man’s disease is called sin, and it comes out of a man’s heart.

Jesus said: “For out of a man’s heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies.” Matthew 15:19 NKJV.

  1. What is sin?

A definition of sin is the failing to meet God’s revealed moral, ethical, and ritual standards.

It is falling short of doing one’s duty, or to do what one knows he or she ought to do in God’s sight.

The Bible says that we are all sinners.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23 NKJV.

When our forefather Adam disobeyed God’s command, sin entered the world, and as a result that sin nature was passed down from generation to generation.

Some of the consequences of that sin were:

  1. Man would die, both physically and spiritually. We know what it means to die physically; but to die spiritually is to be separated from God forever!
  2. Death and decay was pronounced on all of God’s creation. (See Genesis chapter 3).

So, because of the disobedience of Adam, all men and women are bent towards sin!

You only have to watch the news on the television or read the newspaper, and you will soon see the evilness in the heart of man.

The Bible teaches that the sinner is “dead” before God.

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air (Satan), the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.  Ephesians 2:1-2 NKJV.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 NKJV

  1. What are the effects of this spiritual death?

The Bible says:

As it is written:

“There is none righteous, no, not one;

There is none who understands;

There is none who seeks after God.

They have all turned aside;

They have together become unprofitable;

There is none who does good, no, not one.”

“Their throat is an open tomb;

With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;

“The poison of asps is under their lips”;

“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

 Destruction and misery are in their ways;

 And the way of peace they have not known.”

 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18 NKJV.

The person who is spiritually dead is described here as one who does no good, who never seeks after God, who is altogether unprofitable and who has no fear of God before his eyes.  This person will never incline their ear to Christ.  They will never seek after God.  Fallen man is dead in sin! Dead men and women cannot make themselves come alive; they cannot seek after God because they are dead.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 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. Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV.

 So, if I am spiritually dead, then what hope is there for any of us?

This is why Jesus told Nicodemus that unless he is “born again,” he would not see the Kingdom of Heaven. See John 3:3.

The cure for spiritual death is the creation of a new spiritual life in our souls by God the Holy Spirit!

 

“YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN!”

 

In the next blog post, I will consider this new birth!