Posts Tagged ‘born again’
Should Christians?
Romans 12:1-2 KJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Acting and thinking as you did before your conversion to Christianity and desiring the the things of your previous life, basically is the taking on the ways of life to which you were once conformed. Assimilating your former your life style to coexist with your Christian life is the act of becoming once again conformed to this world.
Political parties are nothing more than wanting the same as others who were like you before you were born again and professed Jesus to be Lord. So the question is: Should Christians be involved in this Worldly activity, no matter what Party it is to which you once professed allegiance?
This Is The Work Of God
John 6:28-29 KJV Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Can man do this work of God? For hundreds of years the Hebrews had to try to do works of righteousness in order to prove they could obey the Law, receive Promises from God or be blessed by God, so it was quite easy for them to ask this question. They just needed to know what “they” could do.
For they said, “What shall WE do … that WE might work the works of God”?
Works of righteousness is all they were ever taught. Even after they failed at this, they still believed they could do it themselves. However, Jesus threw them a curve which they did not understand.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” However, they still did not understand, “John 6: 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign will you show then, that WE may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?”
Even though Jesus had said it was God’s work for them to believe they still wanted to believe on their own, so they could do God’s work In doing a work of righteousness themselves.
Throughout the New Testament God has said the following:
Ephesians 2:8, 9 KJV
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
2 Timothy 1:9 KJV
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Titus 3:5 KJV
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Even today many who call themselves a Christian believe people can still do the work of God in believing on Jesus and be saved by a work of righteousness on their part, by believing, as they do their bit in saving themselves and staying saved on their own will.
Mankind just cannot give up their “Right” to save themselves. They still want to do it, even though Jesus says, “This is the work of God.”
In the Old Testament, being under the Law, mankind was in a works based system where man did a work and God responded accordingly. However, in the New Testament, being under God’s Grace, mankind is in a faith based system where God works in man and man responds accordingly.
Our faith, given to us is a gift when we are saved by Grace (Eph. 2:8, 9), is in Christ Jesus for having done for us what we cannot do for ourselves. It is by the faith of Jesus that we are justified.
Galatians 2:16 KJV Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Mankind cannot take any credit for being saved. Salvation is all of God, and believing in Jesus is the result of God working His will in us through regeneration so that we can, and will, believe on Him in whom God has sent.
For by Grace are you saved … not of works.
Who has saved us, and called us, not according to our works.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.
Another Example of Wrongfully Interpreting A Single Verse of Scripture Out of Its Context
Philippians 2: 12 – Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Here is a prime example of how a text, taken out of context, can be interpreted to seemingly mean one thing when it proves to be something entirely different when read contextually.
For instance, most of the time this verse is used like this, “now that you accepted Jesus and are saved you must do what needs to be done in order to remained saved.” “You must work out your salvation of your own will.”
A number of Christian religions, who lean heavily on Old Testament scriptural Law, tend to teach that once one is saved by accepting Jesus as Savior need to be obedient to the Law of the Old Testament or they could loose their salvation.
You must work at being obedient to God’s Law, being careful to observe Church teachings, and obeying all that needs to be done to insure you will keep your salvation from failing. Something that the Jews nor Gentiles ever could accomplish, nor ever will. Each day can start with fear of doing something that will cause you to loose your salvation and trembling even at the hint of sinning a sin for which one could not be forgiven.
How can one ever have confidence in their faith, with this kind of teaching, and be at peace with God?
However, the fear and trembling that is mentioned in this verse is a good thing because of what is said in the next verse that is following. Here is where reading this singular verse in its context will show a different and a more pleasing, God honoring, meaning. See if you can notice the reason for the fear and trembling when this verse is read in its context.
Philippians 2:9-15 KJV – Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Did you notice verse thirteen? When one, by God’s Grace, is born again by the will of God, and not by the will of man, he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit who begins to work God’s will in him for the works God created for him (Ephesians 2: 9, 10). You will start to see yourself in a different light, with a change of thought and language and in how you will start to treat other people in a more friendly and helpful manor, and more.
These changes, at first, will seem strange and maybe even scary, not knowing what is happening to you and who or what is causing this change. Verse thirteen explains quite plainly what is happening and why. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Some of these changes may seem wrong and upsetting at first as it may be something you do not want. That is why in verse fourteen we are told to do these things without murmurings and disputings. You may not enjoy some of these changes, but overtime they will become second nature to you.
This will happen because of God working His will in you that you wonderfully begin to see the changes that are taking place in your life, and that can be a scary thing at first. Eventually you will start to expect seeing how God is working His will in your life for your good and God’s glory.
God is at work in you in keeping you saved so that you do not have to fear loosing your salvation. It is God’s job in keeping you saved by His grace and not of your will. For no one is justified before God by man’s will, only by the faith of Jesus is anyone justified.
Again you can see how reading a scripture verse alone can be taken to mean one thing but when it is read in its context the full meaning comes to life. Never take for granted what someone says is what a single verse means until you read it in its full context.
Would not what God says be more meaningful than what man or a religion says?
Scriptural Text Should Always Be Read In Their Context
A single verse of scripture can be read on its own and one can derive a certain meaning from its words. However, when read in their context the meaning most often changes and the true meaning comes to light. A good example is John 1: 12
John 1:12 KJV – But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Just using this verse one could say that all who receive Jesus and believe on His name, God would make them His children, but is this what the verse means?
Let’s see this verse in its context from John 1: 10 – 13
John 1:10-13 KJV – He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Jesus had come into His world and no one received Him or believed on Him. So what happened? The answer is found in verse 13 which explains, and makes clear, what verse 12 really means.
Verse 13 begins, “which were born” – born again. When someone is born again they become a child of God. In addition, the word “will” in verse 13 actually means determination or choice. We are told that being born again did not happen because we are born into a Christian family ( not of blood )nor by the will of the flesh ( determining or choosing to do good works ) nor by the will of man ( determining to receive Jesus and choosing to believe on Him ). We are born again by the will of God.
When reading verse 12 in context it is easy to see, by verse 13, that one is made a child of God – born again – first by God. Then the one born again receives Jesus and willingly believes on Him according to the will of God, and not by the will of man.
So you can see that reading a verse by itself will not reveal the true meaning of it without reading it in the context in which it was written.
The What Why and How of Salvation
There are a number of Christian Religions but only two ways of salvation being preached.
The more popular one is a man-centered one where man must choose to be saved and then do or say something in order to receive God’s forgiveness and salvation.
The other, least popular, way is God-centered where He forgives and saves as He wills because man is unable to save himself.
The place to find the answers is in scripture; God’s holy word. We will look at the What the Why and the How of salvation as found in the Word. Then we will see what is the Response of the one that is saved when called by God.
The scriptures are all quoted within the context in which they were written, to understand better why God wrote them in the first place.
The What…
2 Timothy 1:8-9 KJV – Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
Here we see that the first thing God does is save us as He wills. Then He calls us. But why must He first save us? Read the following verses to see the Why.
The Why…
Ephesians 2:1-5 KJV – And you hath he quickened , who were dead in trespasses and sins;
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Twice in these verses we are told that man is dead ( spiritually ) because of our sinful condition and are children of wrath like everyone else. But God makes us alive which sets us free and It is by His Grace that we are made alive. So How does Grace save us?
The How…
Titus 3:5-7 KJV – Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Being saved by Grace is simple. We see that it is not by our will that we are saved but by God’s Grace which is the washing of regeneration ( born-again) and the renewing of the Holy Spirit. We are forgiven, saved and made new by being born-again. We are justified – saved – by the Grace of God. Having been saved, what is the Response of those saved and called?
The Response of Those Saved and Called…
Romans 10:8-10 KJV – But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
When we are Saved ( born-again ) we are made alive in the spirit and given a new heart. One filled with love and faith, having been given to us as a gift when we were saved, and with faith we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe that He was raised from the dead and is alive and watching over us.
Scripture clearly says that God ( The What ) saves us, ( The Why ) for we cannot save ourselves because of our sin nature, ( The How ) by grace which is the act of making us alive , born-again, then calls us. ( The Response ) with the faith given to us as a gift when we were born-again, we confess Jesus as Lord and believe that God has raised from the dead and we confess our salvation found only in Jesus.
So there you have it; The What, The Why, The How and The Response of God’s Salvation. What say you?
A synopsis…
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Justified by the Faith of Jesus Christ – Alone
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (KJV – also found in the 1599 Geneva Bible)
Salvation by Grace is accomplished by what Jesus has done for us because we cannot do for ourselves what is necessary to be given the right to become a child of God. Galatians 2: 16 is a fine example of justification by Faith Alone by what Jesus has done for man.
We need to be justified by the faith of Jesus for we cannot justify ourselves by our faith “IN” Christ Jesus. You see, faith is an action of our own will and in Ephesians we read:
Eph 2:8, 9 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Therefore, if we are justified – made righteous – by our faith in Christ then we have something about which we can boast for we can say, “it was by my faith in Jesus that I was justified.” That would mean we were justified by the work of our own will, and Ephesians 2: 8, 9 says otherwise.
Remember, Grace is the act of regeneration (born again) and at that time, we are not only justified by the faith of Jesus but we are also given the gift of this faith, mentioned in Ephesians, and it is with this faith we believe in Jesus. We need this gift of faith for before we are born again, we have no faith with which we can believe, and neither can we use the work of our will to generate the faith needed to be justified. Justification occurs at the time we are born again by God’s Grace and we are given the gift of faith with which to believe in Jesus.
However, be forewarned, many of the newer versions of the bible have drifted away from Reformation Theology and have discreetly brought to their readers a theology of the Law of works by changing many verses that say, “faith of Jesus” to “faith in Jesus”. In doing so they have taken the whole theology of Grace Alone and changed it into a grace plus works or a more open version of man-centric theology that says man can save himself of his own free will.
It takes God’s will to open ones understanding of His plan of Salvation and that man is born again (justified), not by blood nor by the will of flesh nor by the will of man but by the will of God.
Salvation is all of God from start to finish and salvation is all of Grace, and Grace Alone, and we are Justified by the Faith of Jesus and by His Faith Alone.
Saved By Grace – The Act of Being Born Again
Grace, salvation and born-again, many words being bandied about, what do they all mean anyway? Good question and one in which we will find out the answers but first, let us see some of the verses where these words are used in the Bible. To give us an idea of their meaning.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born-again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Titus 3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Now as to what these words mean here are their Biblical descriptions taken from the original text.
- Grace – the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life.
- Saved (salvation) – to save, that is, deliver or protect (literally or figuratively)
- Born-Again – to regenerate: – be born from above; again,
Being born-again is the action done by the grace of God by which He saves people, and this action all takes place in one moment of time as described in this verse from Titus 3: 5:
Titus_3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
We know from Ephesians 2:5, 8 that salvation is by God’s grace and In these verses, we see God saving people through the act of regeneration, of being born-again, by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit all done by the grace of God.
Simply put, when we are born-again by grace we are saved for all eternity. All this is the work of God, done by His will as He chooses and when He chooses upon whom He chooses. That is why it is said that, “Salvation is all of God.”
God must do all that is involved in anyone’s salvation for no one will ever be saved otherwise. Man, being dead in his sin will never, of his own will, ever choose to proclaim Jesus to be Lord and believe on Him.
Only when anyone is saved by the grace of God will they be able cry out to God for forgiveness and to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe on Him that He lived, He died for sins, and He rose again from the dead to give us eternal life.
Salvation occurs by being born-again by the will of God on account of what Jesus has done for they who will be saved. For in Jesus, there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved, nor is there any other way of salvation. We must be saved by God’s grace – the act of being born-again – and by grace alone or we will not at all ever be saved.
For Whom Was The Law Made?
1Ti_1:9 (KJV) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane…..
Nothing could be clearer than this one scripture verse that the Law, better known as the Ten Commandments, is for anyone who are not Christians.
Christians are no longer under the Law, but under Grace (Romans 6: 14), set free from the Law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and that Christ has redeemed them from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13).
So, if Christians are no longer required to be obedient to the Law, then what is the purpose of the Law for the those described in the above scripture of 1 Timothy 1:9? In Galatians 3:24 we read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Law is not for they who belong to Christ but for everyone else who are not Christians. Either they will be taught by the Law to repent of their sins and come to a saving knowledge of Jesus or it will be their judge to show them guilty of their disobedience to God and be thrown into the Lake of fire on judgement day.
As for Christians, they no longer are required to be obedient to the Law but neither does it give them free rein to sin all they want. It is God who works in each and everyone who are His children and He disciplines them as needed.
In doing so Christians will come to have a desire to be obedient to God in the framework of “love God and love your neighbor”. Anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian and is not bothered by doing sinful acts shows them not to be true Christians in the first place.
In short, the answer to the question of “For Whom Was The Law Made?” is very simple. If you are not a Christian, a true born-again disciple of Jesus, then it was made for you.
Will you not, by the grace of God, repent of your sins and bow before Jesus to confess Him to be Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead and be saved from facing the wrath of God because of your own sinfulness. I guarantee that you will not enjoy the alternative.
Why Christians Live By Faith
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
There is nothing we have done to be found worthy of salvation or anything in which we can have faith to be declared righteous before God.
When we first believed in Jesus as Lord it was due to the fact that we were first born-again, not because we were born into a Christian family, nor because we had done good works, nor because of our own will, but by the will and Grace of God. It is at this point that the righteousness of Christ was imputed to us (covering us) so that when God would look at us He would see Jesus and not our unrighteousness. As we read in Romans 3:22…
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.
Being justified, that is made righteous, is not because of any works of our own but by the righteousness of Christ. As we see in Galatians 2:16…
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
We have no righteous works of our own upon which we can have faith for salvation and be found worthy of going to Heaven. It is by faith that we believe in Jesus that He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves, and that is to become righteous before God.
We can never be justified, or be found righteous, by our works for no one is justified before God by works of the Law. Jesus came and fulfilled the Law’s requirements for becoming righteous, and it is by the faith of Jesus, not ours, that we stand righteous before God.
Christ died for sins. His perfect obedience to the Father made Jesus the only righteous person who ever lived. His righteousness is given to all who believe in Him and proclaim Him Lord so that when God looks at us He sees, not our unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Jesus.
It is for us to do nothing more than to trust in the works of Jesus the Son of God who loves us and gave His life for us, that Christians, who are made righteous by the death of Jesus, might live by faith and faith alone.
Living The Christian Life By Faith
Heb_10:38 (KJV) Now the just shall live by faith:(see also Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11)
Mat 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Now that you are a Christian, instead of living by faith are you still trying to please God by doing works – why? Did not Jesus promise in Matthew 11:28 that everyone who comes to Him He would give them rest? Do we not also read in Hebrews that they who enter into the rest offered by Jesus would cease from their own works?
So, what does it mean to rest in Jesus and to live by faith?
As was hinted at in Hebrews 4: 10, when God created the universe and all that is in it, He did so in six days and on the seventh day, since there was nothing else for Him to do, He rested.
You also can rest from your works and live by faith.
In the Gospel of John chapter 10, Jesus said:
Joh 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
Joh 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any manpluck them out of my hand.
Joh 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck themout of my Father’s hand.
Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.
In these four verses lies the work of salvation. Jesus calls us, saves us and we follow Him, He gives us eternal life and we will never perish. No one can take us from Him or the Father, for He and the Father are one.
Salvation is all of God. God saves us by grace – born-again – and having been regenerated by God He gives us the gift of faith, the faith of Jesus, by which we believe in Him to be Lord. He gives us eternal life and promises never to leave us nor forsake us and that He will lose none of all whom He saves.
God, having created our salvation from beginning to end, left nothing for us to do concerning our salvation, but to just sit back and rest. We can live our Christian life by faith in Jesus, for He has done it all for us, that which we could never do for ourselves; we now live by faith.
However, now comes the part in which we play. We do not just sit around and do nothing or go out and have a good time doing the same things we did, said or thought before we were saved, as we will find ourselves being changed by God and it will give us some fear and we will tremble at the beginning when God starts to work in us.
I am sure you probably have heard the following verse from Philippians:
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Most likely, you have been told that you now must do this and that in order to stay saved, and that is why “you” must now work on keeping your salvation. They never seem to tell you the next verse that speaks of why you will find yourself with some fear and will tremble. Here is verse 13:
Php 2:13 For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
You see, the reason for the fear and trembling is the fact that God, having saved you, will now start to work in you not only to become willing to be obedient to Him but that you will find yourself wanting to do the good works that He has prepared in advance for you.
In Ephesians, after having saved you, we read this:
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Seeing yourself starting to think, do and say things differently will at first scare you. For you will know not from where it comes, but when you realize it is God working in you to do His will, the fear will change to being exciting; wondering what will come next as you start to see how God is working in your life.
Yes, there are works involved in the life of a Christian. Good works you will want to do, not to keep your salvation or to receive anything from God, but to please God.
You will do these “works” in praise to God for He has made it possible for you not only to enter into His rest, in this life, but in Heaven as well for all eternity.
The fact is that in this life, God has given you the ability to live a life of freedom from works of the Law. You can just rest in the works of Jesus, which He did for your salvation, and do God’s plan as He works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. You can live your Christian life by faith, the faith of Jesus.
This is the faith by which we live…
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (KJV)
Riff's Christian Journal 