BORN AGAIN?
“In reply Jesus declared, i tell you truth, no one
can see the kingdom of god unless he is born again” (John33)
The
word born again as you know is only used among us Christians, but it is clear
that only few of those who claim to be born again know the meaning of being
born again and what it actually entails. So many Christians go around flaunting
the flag of being born again but it is not evident in their lives the new life
they profess. The declaration of Christ was clear and plain about the status of
being born again. “Jesus answered, I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of
God unless he is born of the water and the spirit. (John35)
The water which represents purity, new life and the washing away of the old
self, and the spirit represents the ownership of God over us, and then the
purity is sealed with the holy spirit of God. “And you also were included in
Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having
believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is
a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God’s possession- to the praise of His glory.”(Eph113-14)
Here, there is
going to be more emphasis on the spirit as Jesus Himself emphasized on the
Spirit and gave credence to the spirit in the justification of being born
again. “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to the spirit” (John36). As we have read, being born again entails being born
of water and the spirit. This spirit is the spirit of the most high God, the
same spirit that was in Jesus Christ, the same spirit that rose Jesus from the
dead. Our faith in Christ Jesus certifies us for the heavenly seal which is the
holy spirit which was also in Jesus christ. Therefore, we are on the same side
with Christ Jesus, we are brothers of Christ. “Both the one who makes men holy
and the those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed
to call them brothers”(Heb.211) This is made possible
through the Holy spirit of God that lives in us. Jesus was led by the spirit
and the leading was due to his acknowledgment of the holy spirit in Him.
Though it is the truth that we are sealed by the spirit as
soon as we believe in christ, but the question is, how credible useful is that
which you possess but not known, acknowledged and recognized? Can you actually
spend the money you don’t know you have? No! Now, your brotherhood with christ
Jesus, your sonship to God is not recognized until the Holy spirit is also
recognized, that is the bitter truth. It is when you recognize Him in your life
that you can be led by Him. “Those who are led by the spirit of god are
sons of God”(Heb.814) So, if you do not recognize Him, you
do not know Him, and if you do not know Him, it is more or less like He is not
in you. “What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no
different from a slave.”(Gal41) Have you seen the illustration?
Though the heir has the royal blood in him, but because he is too young to know
that, he can’t exhibit that potential and therefore can be handled anyhow. But
when he is grown, he actualizes that potentiality of royalty and cannot be
mal-handled again and he takes his position as a prince. Such is the christian
who has been fixed with the Holy spirit of God, but because he refuses to grow
in faith, he is still handled anyhow by the devil because he doen’t know who he
is and does not recognize the spirit of God in him. Due to this lack of
knowledge, he begins to fall into sin and every trap the devil lures him into. “No
one who is born of God will continue in sin, because the seed of God remains in
him, he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God. This is how we
know who the children of God [2]are
and who the Children of the devil are.” (1John9-10) If you
recognize the Spirit of God in you and you grow in Him and are as well led by
Him, them you are God’s own because His seed is in you, but if you do not know
the Holy Spirit, you have no seed of God in you. The holy Spirit is the seed of
God in you and being led by Him won’t let you fall into sin.
This is really sweet because it gives an eternal joy to know that the same spirit in Christ
Jesus is in you. The bible says that “yet to them that believed in His name He
gave the right to become children of God-children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”(John112-13)
When the spirit of God comes into you, it changes your earthly nature to
heavenly. The flesh dies and it is rendered powerless, but a spirit cannot just
be roaming the earth, so the Spirit of god gives life to the flesh. “ And
if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who
raised Jesus Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through
His spirit, who lives in you.” (Romans811) By this, you are
no longer a subject to the flesh, it has no power of its own because it is
dead.”I have been crucified with Christ, and it
is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body,
I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me.”(Gal.220)
this comes as a function of living by the Spirit, and living by the Spirit
entails being led by Him.”(for if you live according to the flesh, you will
die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will
live.”(Rom.813). this explains the
sinful lives that Christians live today, they have failed to live by the
Spirit, and yet they anchor their sins on God that God tempts them. God doesn’t
tempt, the Bible says “and each one is tempted, by his own desires
being led away and enticed, afterward the desire having conceived, doth give
birth to sin, and the sin having been perfected, doth bring forth death.”(James114-15)
“(for if you live according to the flesh, you will
die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will
live.”(Rom.813). How can you live by
the spirit if you do not know Him?
Being born again entails
having a new life, having a new nature, having eternal life. A life lived in
Christ with the full awareness of the leading of the Spirit. “Marvel
not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind blows where it
pleases, and thou hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell where it comes, and
whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”(John37-8)
Can you now say you are born again when life is not found in you
but death? Can life and death co-exist in the same place? Can light and
darkness have a communion? Judge yourself today if you are really born again.
The
grace of God covers you and you have the chance to make it right with God
today, get to know the Holy Spirit in you, listen to Him and be led by Him. “As
many as are led by the spirit of God are sons of God” (Rom.814)
Maybe you are reading this
and you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, I will like
you to do so now as being sons of God in being born again applies to those who
have accepted Christ into their lives. If you want to be saved now you can say
this prayer: LORD JESUS, I ACCEPT THAT I AM A SINNER AND YOU DIED FOR ME AND
YOU TOOK MY SINS AWAY, I ACCEPT YOU TODAY INTO MY LIFE AS MY LORD AND SAVIOR.
THANK YOU JESUS. You are welcome to the Family of Christ.
Royal Priesthood Publications
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