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Lowell Brueckner

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You Must Be Born Again! Part IV

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In the last section we studied about the new creation and then about being partakers of the divine nature. We continue now by considering how the individual is a partaker and then how the church as a body demonstrates the divine nature. 

Once again, we look to some men of God to help us get a better understanding of the new birth. I have added my thoughts concerning it. You may copy this article unto your computer and add your own. Please study carefully this extremely important subject and let it motivate you to call upon God for a fresh demonstration of His power in granting new birth to people in our generation. They must be born again!


A. On a personal level. Gal.2:20 (KJV)… “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul is talking here again of the new birth, the resurrected life in Christ. First, however, he speaks of a crucifixion, which he experienced and he is referring to his old self. Christ not only took sin to the cross, but also the old man, the fallen nature of Adam. “Our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with” (Ro.6:6). This gives further proof that a person, who is born-again, does not continue to walk in sin. And now, according to God’s desire, the characteristics of His Son shine through, because actually He lives within. I hold to the King James translation here, that the faith is not in, but of the Son of God. We will look at this more thoroughly later.  

You Must Be Born Again! Part III

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 We continue to study the new birth. There are very few other Bible studies that are as important as this one is. In this part, I have quoted much from what others have written. We have to be ready to learn from others, because there is so much more that we need to know about this subject. I have written my part and I invite you to add yours in a notebook or on your own computer. The new birth is what marks true Christianity and distinguishes it from that which is only religious. We must see the hand of God working and the life of God demonstrated in that which is true. I hope that you will profit from and enjoy this study...
 
IV. A new creation. A New Man through the New Birth. Eph 4:24… “Put on the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” He is a new man… Scofield  “and is a new man as having become a partaker of the divine nature and life, (2Pe_1:4) and, in no sense, the old man made over, or improved.

After receiving the forgiveness of sins, a man receives a new nature, which is compatible with God’s. In that state, he is brought into reconciliation with God and a new, friendly relationship begins. Paul describes this transformation, which occurs in any and every one, in every place at any time, regardless of his race or nationality; this is what will happen: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (some versions put, a new creation… a better translation); the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Co.5:17). If this transformation does not happen, that person has not been born again and there is to be no assumption that he is a Christian and that his sins are forgiven. He must be born again! No human being can help him into this birth. It is a miracle, which only God can do.

Unconditional Love?

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I wish that I could ask each one who pronounces the words, “unconditional love”, what that expression means to him. Sometimes you hear it mentioned, “God’s love is unconditional; He loves and doesn’t ask anything in return.” When it is interpreted this way, I have a problem with the term. It’s possible that the person who makes that statement has not thought this matter through and ignores the importance of its significance.  

Now, it is very true that the story of our spiritual life begins with the love of God: “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ”  (Eph.2:5). He loved when we were incapable of loving Him. It was His goodness that led us to repentance, and it was His Spirit, who gave us ears to hear His Word. Only for that reason we were able to believe. We are saying the same thing, when we claim that we are saved by grace alone.  However, it is not the same to say that we are saved by grace, as it is to say, “His love is unconditional and He expects nothing in exchange.” He loved us, when there was nothing to love, but His love demands a response; that is, His love demands conditions!

The development of an expression like this one has a history… a history filled with repetitions. Soon, the whole world is speaking of “unconditional love… unconditional love… unconditional love”. The expression becomes popular and totally accepted among Christians. Truthfully, it is a very attractive term, especially to the sentimental person… and many judge things according to their feelings and not according to their biblical value. Many live their entire “Christian” life that way, satisfying their emotions, without wanting to think clearly about biblical truth. For that reason, many terms arise which lack Bible support or, at least, many people interpret them in an unbiblical manner.

You Must Be Born Again! Part II

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  I'm sorry that I have waited so long to put in the second installation to the study on the new birth. I hope you will join me and my outline and add your own thoughts to this subject. I'll help as much as I can and we are looking to some outstanding Bible teachers to give us their observations, as well. Please enjoy and may God give us all light to view one of the greatest themes in the Bible.




 III. The doctrine of the Apostle John.

A. In the introduction to his Gospel:  John 1:12-13: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even 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.”  In contrast to those, who did not know or receive Him in v. 10 and 11, this birth comes in conjunction to those who do receive Him (accept, rather than reject) and believe in Him. They believe that it is true, but also they believe it to the degree that they place all their trust in Him. Here, it means, that they trust His person. Then, there is a very strong statement made insisting that God must bring about this birth, which has absolutely no human element involved. There is a triple denial of anything that man might do to participate in this work.

Before the Supreme Judge, Part Three

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This is the last part of an excellent tool for evangelism. It deals with the following issues… Condemned by our genes… The only remedy… Your debt has been paid!... The need to be born again… God promises a new life… A future without end… What are you waiting for?

If you want to give people something of value to read, you can receive this and two other installments in the form of a small book. Simply write us at loelmarga@telefonica.net . A tract is all right, in order to get someone’s attention, but it gives little information concerning salvation and the reason why it is needed. This little book will inform them clearly about the righteousness and the love of God. I really wish that many, who have a desire to evangelize, would use it.


Condemned by our genes


The Word of God says that the human being is dead in trespasses and sins. That is, as far as God is concerned, he cannot move a toe in His direction, nor lift a finger to help himself out of his sinful state. No human being on his own initiative can ever launch an exploratory trip in an effort to rediscover his Creator and he is absolutely helpless in reference to God.

Adam and Eve are the source of all human nature and so, naturally speaking, we have no other forefathers than they and possess no other genes. According to human possibilities, we can be no more than they were. If they fell into a hopeless state of sin and were  separated from God, then we fell, as well, and if they were condemned to death, that same condemnation rests upon us. Though we have not chosen this state, we surely have inherited it, just the same as we have not chosen the family in which we were born or the color of our skins, eyes, etc.

For that reason, modern teaching about picking up broken pieces and starting over are foolish and unbiblical. They are bandages applied to a corpse. There is no fixing the ruined nature of Adam. In order to be free from sin, we must be free from the old sin factory of adamic nature and receive a new one.

Before the Supreme Judge, Part two

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This is the second part of an excellent tool for evangelism. It deals with the following issues… What does the Law of God demand?, Guilty or innocent?, What does “death” mean?, The second death, Justice satisfied, The astounding rebellion against God, An example from hell, and The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

If you want to give people something of value to read, you can receive this and two other installments in the form of a small book. Simply write us at loelmarga@telefonica.net . A tract is all right, in order to get someone’s attention, but it gives little information concerning salvation and the reason why it is needed. This little book will inform them clearly about the righteousness and the love of God. I really wish that many, who have a desire to evangelize, would use it.

Precisely – what does the law of God demand?


Now we must deal with this question: How do we know whether or not we have crossed the line and broken His law? For a few moments, we must look into the law itself, as He has established it, to know if we have offended Him and if we are sinners or not, because, “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20b). You certainly are familiar with one of the Ten Commandments which states: “Thou shalt not kill”. You and I probably immediately conclude that we have never done that, so at least in this we are innocent. However, when Jesus came to earth to live among men and teach them, one of the things that he made clear is exactly how God views homicide, and He said, “Everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court’ (Matthew 5:22a). In the
context, He is speaking of the judgment against murder. Are you angry with someone right now: your boss perhaps, or a colleague, a neighbor, or a relative? Another of the Ten Commandments states, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”, but Jesus said more: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Have you entertained such thoughts?...
Jesus also commanded, “Love your enemies”. Have people done you wrong, whom you do not love? … Well, these are just a few questions, to which you must respond with absolute honesty.

Tozer Points to John on Patmos

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A. W. Tozer

As A. W. Tozer maintained a well-balanced testimony to truth in the middle of the Twentieth Century, the church was rocking and reeling under an avalanche of teaching that offered the world and heaven besides. It was a ‘here-and-now gospel’ that didn’t want to learn about the future or the past. Church history and its doctrines were thrown aside, along with its hymnology, in order to take advantage of newly-discovered ‘truth’. The hope of heaven faded, as promises were made about believers becoming the elite of the earth, driving the best vehicles and living in mansions. Few seem to have achieved these goals, except for the preachers, who collect the offerings during their meetings.

Just in case I haven’t made it clear before in this blogspot, I have been an opponent for many years of the “health-and-wealth gospel”. I have said publicly in places, where it was not popular to say so, that I believe that prosperity preaching is a ministry to the egotistical ‘old man’, who wants to see what the gospel has in it for himself. It is for old Adam and not for the born-again Christian. Those who have received the nature of Christ are not drawn to such teaching. They have one major goal in life and that is to bring glory to God, whether it is, as Paul said, “by life or by death”.   

Before the Supreme Judge

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What is posted here is the first part of an excellent tool for evangelism. A tract might be good to get someone’s attention, put it gives little aid in informing about the need for salvation and why, precisely, it is needed. This booklet will tell them clearly of the justice and the love of God. If you want to give people something of value to read, you can receive this and two other installments in the form of a small book. Simply write us at loelmarga@telefonica.net. I really wish that many, who have a desire to evangelize, would use it

Reflections

Can you imagine for a moment what would happen if
countries had no laws to govern them and if justice
would not act to guarantee their enforcement? What
would happen if murderers, thieves, swindlers, drug
traffickers, and rapists knew that no law existed to
condemn their acts? It is obvious that it would bring
chaos. To give us a small idea, it should be enough to
observe countries with corrupt governments or with a
faulty judicial system, in order to see, as a result, a high
rate of murder, rape, abuse, prostitution, poverty, social
insecurity, economic instability, and a lack of
educational and health facilities.

For that reason, all the governments in the civilized
world, in order to avert anarchy and chaos, have created
their departments of justice, since it is impossible, and
even against the law, that a man should take justice into
his own hands. Of course, it is a fact today that justice is
losing the power and even the significance that it once
had.

God Himself Revealed in His Written Word

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God gave us the Bible, principally, as a revelation of Himself and we can see also, throughout the Bible, the divine and eternal Son of God. All other purposes in reading, studying and meditating in the Scriptures are secondary. The great subject is the revelation of the Trinity. 

As I prepared for my radio program this morning, called "Building Upon the Rock", a truth became very clear to me. I had spoken in the last program on the sovereignty of God and now I was going to present the holiness of God.  Before me, I had two lists of verses, one list from the book of Isaiah and the other from the book of Ezekiel. 

In the book of Isaiah, God reveals Himself as the "Holy One of Israel". You can't miss it; He repeats it over and over. It's more than clear; it's hammered into you from the beginning to the end of the book. When you finish with Isaiah, you ought to know that God is holy.

Likewise, in the book of Ezekiel, the attribute of God that is emphasized and re-emphasized is His sovereignty. Most often it is expressed something like this: "That they may know that I am the Lord". So, by the time you have read through the book of Ezekiel, you ought to know that God is sovereign Lord. You just can't miss it.