You Must Be Born Again! Part IV
Labels:
Important messages
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.
Barnes: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creature” (2 Co.5:17). “The phrase to “be in Christ,” evidently means to be
united to Christ by faith; or to be in him as the branch is in the vine - that
is, so united to the vine, or so in it, as to derive all its nourishment and
support from it, and to be sustained entirely by it.” (Jn.15:2)
Ro.8:8-9…
“Those
who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but
in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does
not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” To be “in the
flesh” means to be governed by the flesh, as to be “in the Spirit” means to be
governed by the Spirit. Here we see the need for the new birth. Two things were
necessary to bring us to reconciliation with God. First of all the sin barrier
had to be brought down and therefore Christ died for our sins to bring us to
God, according to 1 Peter 3:18. There could be no compatibility with God for someone, who
is “in the flesh”. The fleshly nature is totally contrary to the nature of God,
“the mind set on the flesh is hostile
toward God” (Ro.6:7) and, as Paul states here, those in that condition cannot
please God. But now, we are in need of the positive power to make it possible
for us to commune with God. The Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ comes into
the life that is washed by the blood of Christ and in whom the body of sin has
been destroyed and that person is no longer in the flesh. The holiness
principle lives within him, without which no one will see the Lord. He is born
again and everyone who belongs to God has the Spirit dwelling in him.
Henry: “The Spirit dwelling in us is the best
evidence of our being in the Spirit, for the indwelling is mutual (1Jo_4:16):
Dwelleth in God, and God in him.
The Spirit visits many that are unregenerate with his motions, which they
resist and quench; but in all that are sanctified he dwells; there he resides
and rules. He is there as a man at his own house, where he is constant and
welcome, and has the dominion. Shall we put this question to our own hearts,
Who dwells, who rules, who keeps house, here?”
1 Jn.
5:11-12… “The
testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His
Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does
not have the life.” Salvation is not
some thing, some nice gift that God has given to us and expects us to take care
of. Salvation is Someone; God has given to us His Son to take care of us,
because we never could take care of ourselves. “He who was born of God keeps him,” said John just a few verses
later (v.18). Christ
living in us is our only hope, but not in the sense that we often use the word hope. We use it as a synonym for wish, but that is not hope in the Bible
sense. Hope in the Bible is a sure future. It is not a goal, but a destiny that
lies before us, because of the finished work of the cross and because Christ
takes personal care for each of His own.
Col.1:26-27… “The mystery
which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been
manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches
of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the
hope of glory”. He is our life and His life, shining through us, is our
testimony. To be a good testimony, doesn’t mean only that we testify or
witness. It doesn’t only mean that we are nice people with a moral lifestyle. If
we do not bear witness to the Christ living within us and his attributes coming
from us, then we are failures as witnesses. There is something supernatural
about every true Christian. Paul said that he was crucified and than now the
life that he lived was that of the Christ, who lived within him. “I live by the faith of the Son of God.” It
was not Paul’s faith. The disciples asked Jesus for more faith, but Jesus spoke
of the faith of a grain of mustard seed… not more faith, but a different kind
of faith that can move mountains. A very good literal translation of Mark 11:22 is “Have the faith of God.”
The
fruit of the Spirit is not human life perfected and brought to a high level, it
is the result of the Holy Spirit living in a human being and manifesting
Himself through him. Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives
do I give to you” (Jn.14:27). Then He said,“These things I have spoken to you so that
My joy may be in you…” (Jn.15:11, see also 17:3). It
was not going to be their peace and joy, but His. He also gave them His love: “Abide in My love” (Jn.15:9). This was His prayer to the Father: “That the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (Jn.17:26). In the last chapter of John’s Gospel, He tests Peter
concerning His love (Jn.21:15-17) (a good translation will distinguish between the two
Greek words that are used for love in this portion…agapao and phileo.)
Peter, as well as every one of us will fail in feeding Christ’s flock, if we
are not motivated by agapao. Phileo will
never do. The only thing that may bring the world to faith is Christ living in human
vessels: “As You, Father, are in Me and I
in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You
sent Me… I in them and You in Me… so that the world may know that You sent Me…” (Jn.17:21,23)
Clarke: He that hath the Son hath life - As the eternal
life is given in the Son of God, it follows that it cannot be enjoyed without
him. No man can have it without having Christ; therefore he that hath the Son
hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. It is in vain to expect
eternal glory, if we have not Christ in our heart. The indwelling Christ gives
both a title to it, and a meetness for it. This is God’s record. Let no man
deceive himself here. An indwelling Christ and Glory; no indwelling Christ, No
glory. God’s record must stand.
JFB: It is in the second Adam, the Son of God,
that this life is secured to
us, which, if left to depend on us, we should lose, like the first Adam.
Wiersbe: “The Greek verbs translated put off and put on (Col_3:9-10) indicate a once-for-all action. When we
trust Christ, we put off the old life and put on the new. The old man has been
buried, and the new man is now in control. But the verb translated “renewed” is
a present participle — “who is constantly being renewed.” The crisis of salvation leads to the process of sanctification, becoming
more like Jesus Christ… How does this renewal come about? Through knowledge.
The word knowledge was one of
the key terms in the vocabulary of the gnostics. But their so-called spiritual
knowledge could never change a person’s life to make him like Christ. The
better he gets to know Christ, the more he becomes like Him (Phi_3:10)…
God’s purpose for us is that we be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom_8:29).
This refers to character, the spiritual quality of the inner man. When we see
Jesus Christ, we shall be like Him and have glorified bodies (1Jo_3:1-3);
but while we are waiting for Him to return, we can become like Him and share
His holy image. This is a process of constant renewing as the Spirit of God
uses the Word of God. ”
Col.1:27…
“To
whom (to His saints) God willed to make know what is the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It
was a mystery in past ages and it remains a mystery to the unconverted. The
natural man without the Spirit cannot know the mysteries of God, (they are
mysteries to him) because they come only with supernatural help. For that
reason they are only known and understood by “the saints”… the believers, who
have been cleansed and set apart for God, illuminated by the Holy Spirit. It
was the purpose and pleasure of God to have this knowledge effectively
experienced in Gentiles and diffused among the Gentiles throughout the world as
a testimony to all nations.
It
is defined by these words… the riches of the glory. Start by considering the
glory of it. Glory means quality, something that not only exists, but is a high
form of existence. Peter speaks of man and his glory as the grass and the flower…
the glory is the flower. Glory is something that shines, that glows from a
matter, so that the rays reach beyond the body itself. Glory is a benefit, such
as light and warmth, by which man lives and enjoys life. Light illuminates the
life and makes it see and walk in that which is worthwhile. Warmth brings
comfort and feeling to the soul, burning within him.
Then
think of the richness of this glory… the worth and the abundance of it. The
worth is beyond compare. There is no earthly glory that is anything like this
and it is given without measure. There are no limits to it; there is always
more. Now, what is he talking about? He is talking about the life of Christ
within the saint and he proclaims this as the hope of glory. He that has the
Son has life; we have studied that lesson, but here we learn that he that has
the Son has hope. It is the only hope.
We
have learned that hope in the Bible is not a wish, but a sure future. It is
hope because it is future, but it is a future that is absolutely sure. Here we
see why it is sure and the reason is because Christ lives within us, which some
have well-phrased “the Christ-life”. His life within us guarantees our destiny.
All doubt is taken away and all questions are dismissed, when Christ comes to
live and reign in a human being. Nothing could be surer and nothing could be
more glorious. It is the epitome of human experience. Paul preached this among
the Gentiles and called it the “unsearchable riches of Christ”… quantity and
quality beyond comprehension. This is
the will of God, therefore come in. You are not trespassing, when you enter.
You are there by invitation and the table is prepared for you. You only magnify
His good benevolence and generosity when you respond.
JFB: “Now you have “Christ in you the hope
of the glory” just mentioned.
Alford translates, “Christ among you,” to answer to “this mystery among the Gentiles.” But the whole
clause, “Christ IN you (Eph_3:17) the hope of glory,” answers to “this
mystery,” and not to the whole sentence, “this mystery among the Gentiles.” What is made known “among you Gentiles” is, “Christ in you (now by faith as your hidden life, Col_3:3; Gal_2:20)
the hope of glory” (your manifested life). The contrast (antithesis) between
“CHRIST IN YOU” now as your hidden
life, and “the hope of glory” hereafter to be manifested, requires this translation.”
JFB’s
point brings out, I believe, the correct translation of Jesus’ words, “The Kingdom of God is within you” and
it should not be interpreted “among you”. 2Co_4:7… “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that
the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
Clarke: “In this and the following verse there are
several remarkable particulars: - I. We find here the sum and substance of the
apostle’s preaching.
1. He preached Christ, as the only Savior
of sinners.
2. He proclaimed this Christ as being in
them; for the design of the Gospel is to put men in possession of the Spirit
and power of Christ, to make them partakers of the Divine nature, and thus
prepare them for an eternal union with himself. Should it be said that the
preposition εν should
be translated among, it amounts to the same; for Christ was among them, to
enlighten, quicken, purify, and refine them, and this he could not do
without dwelling in them.
3.
He preached this present and indwelling Christ as the hope of glory; for no man
could rationally hope for glory who had not the pardon of his sins, and whose
nature was not sanctified; and none could have pardon but through the blood of
his cross; and none could have glorification but through the indwelling,
sanctifying Spirit of Christ.”
2 Corinthians
13:5… “Test
yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not
recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed
you fail the test?” Paul is challenging
the Corinthians to a test; it is the most important and vital test, which they
would ever undertake. It determines whether or not Jesus Christ is in them,
meaning whether or not they are born-again. The Holy Spirit, through this
written word, brings the test into our times, where evangelism is so weak in
substance, where many spurious conversions have resulted and there are so many
reasons to doubt whether or not true salvation has occurred.
The
text seems to indicate that Paul felt that the examination of their lives would
bring recognition that Christ did indeed live within them, but also saw that
some would fail the test and find that they had experienced false hope. What in
particular were the questions that they should ask themselves? Certainly, they
would be the same ones that John placed before the people in his first epistle,
a number of which we have already presented. John, as Paul, hoped that they would
come to a positive conclusion and know that they had eternal life. However,
should some fail the test, it was not with the purpose that they would despair
and be condemned, but that they should awake to reality, truly come to Christ
and obtain the new birth.
Paul
shows that if they do not pass the test, it would reflect on his own ministry. “I trust that you will realize that we
ourselves do not fail the test…” (v.6). But he goes on to show that he is
not primarily concerned that his ministry has been effective, but his concern
is for their welfare. “That you may do
what is right, even though we may appear unapproved” (v.7). However, there
is a connection between the effectiveness of conversion and the effectiveness
of the evangelist. If people are not truly coming to Christ, there is something
wrong with the presentation. That is why today, because of a faulty message and
because there is a lack of the power of the anointing, a large percentage of
those who respond are not truly born again. Therefore the minister also must
examine the genuineness of his ministry. He must determine two things: 1) Is
the content of his message on target? And 2) Is the power of the Holy Spirit
upon the message?
Henry: Hereby he
intimates that, if they could prove their own Christianity, this would be a
proof of his apostleship; for if they were in the faith, if Jesus Christ was in
them, this was a proof that Christ spoke in him, because it was by his ministry
that they did believe. He had been not only an instructor, but a father to
them. He had begotten them again by the gospel of Christ.
Clarke: Does Jesus Christ
dwell in you? You have his Spirit, his power, his mind, if ye be Christians.
Wiersbe: No doubt many of the problems in the church at Corinth
were caused by people who professed to be saved, but who had never repented and
trusted Jesus Christ. Our churches are filled with such people today. Paul
called such people reprobate,
which means “counterfeit, discredited after a test.”
In His people, the Church Romans 8:29: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined, to
become conformed to the image of His Son, so that he would be the firstborn
among many brethren.” It is God’s
purpose to bring forth a race of people, a holy nation, whose many citizens
are like His Son, in whom He is well pleased (Mt.3:17; 17:5). Though there may
be few, who find entrance at any locale or time, yet the overall number is
great. The relationship of God to His people is the most influential
relationship possible.
Closely
related to that statement, is Paul’s teaching to the Ephesians concerning
salvation by grace through faith. Ephesians 2:10… “We are His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in
them.” We are the result of His work; it
is His creation, through a new birth. Within the “genes” of that new birth,
there is a nature which delights to do “good works”. He wants to be clean, holy
and just. The best way to understand these works, prepared by God, is to go to
the two examples, Abraham and Rahab, given by James (2:21-25) to see how
naturally these works were performed through faith. Their inbred faith gave
physical evidence to its existence, bringing it to perfection… that is,
fullness… completing it. It was seen first in Christ Jesus, the elder
brother.
The
purpose of God, very clearly, is not simply to save a people from eternal
damnation, but to transform them, instilling in them the new birth, with which
their lifestyle can conform to the image of His Son. That is the holiness
principle, without which no man may see the Lord.
Ephesias
4:13-15… “Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to
the fullness of Christ… no longer to be children… we are to grow up in all
aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.” The Church grows up to
become a mature man, bringing to pass
the will of God in the new creation. It is singular, “perfect man”, but Paul is
speaking of the body of Christ, which is
the church.
James
1:18… “In
the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we
would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”. In the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi stood in the
place of the first born sons of Israel. Now James is teaching that under the
New Covenant those that are born again are a specific possession of God among
the entire human race. The same words are used in verse 15 and they speak of
conception and birth. There lust conceives and in time delivers sin, or gives
birth to sin. Then sin in its time, gives birth to death. Now in verse 18, God
conceives a people in His sovereign will, as opposed to the will and lust of
man, which God has no part in, and then brings them forth or gives birth to
them. We see that the means used is the word
of truth. “Being born again by the
Word of God, which lives and abides for ever.” This is one of the good
things and perfect gifts, which God gives. God only gives good things, although
at times we cannot see the good in that which He gives (v.17). The means used to
bring them to birth is the word of truth. The word of truth must always be
preached in evangelism and it becomes the seed, the germ, to which God, working
in conjunction with His word, gives life and brings it to birth. Paul told the
Corinthians that by presenting the gospel to them, he became instrumental in
their spiritual birth, although God, of course, was the only one who could
impart life.
These
people become first fruits… we can call them, the Church. That term biblically
means that they belong particularly to Him. In the Old Testament, the first
fruits of harvest were offered to God and He claimed the first born of man and
animal after the Egyptian Passover. All first born and first fruits were to be
offered to God, plant, animal or person. The person who is not wholly
consecrated to God, as a first fruit, has apparently not been brought to birth
by God.
Wiersbe: God says, “Look
within and realize that you have been born from above and possess the divine
nature. Nicodemus thought he had to reenter his mother’s womb to be born again,
but he was wrong. This birth is not of the flesh: it is from above (Joh_3:1-7).
It is the work of God. Just as we did not generate our own human birth, we
cannot generate our own spiritual birth. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ,
it was God who performed the miracle… We are “a kind of first fruits of His
creatures,” James wrote to Jewish believers, and the word first fruits would be meaningful to
them. The Old Testament Jews brought the first fruits to the Lord as the
expression of their devotion and obedience... Of all the creatures God has in
this universe, Christians are the very highest and the finest! We share God’s
nature.”
JFB: 1
Peter 1:3…“Peter regards the historical
act of Christ's resurrection as virtually effecting the regeneration. The
latter sentiment would be Pauline, since Paul is wont to speak of Christians as
dying and rising with Christ. Rom_7:4; Rom_6:8-11.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Recommended Books
Post a Comment