Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Ye Must Be Born Again Pt.2

Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to the book of John, chapter 3; and let's pick up where we were this morning, stirring our hearts in the principles of the new birth. What a wonderful miracle to be born again. We were saying here in John, chapter 3 starting at verse 1. This encounter that Nicodemus had with our Lord and he says, "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." So, we saw here Nicodemus, he was coming to some correct conclusions. But, we're going to see Jesus' response, here, and realize that Nicodemus is approaching this with his own reasoning and his own logic. Two plus two equals four. We know you're of God because of dot, dot, dot. Verse 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." We read on in this encounter, and realize that Jesus begins to ask Nicodemus, "Why can't you understand the things that I am saying?" Here in verse 3 He starts to tell Nicodemus, "Nicodemus, the kingdom of God is far beyond human grasp. You can't achieve it, or attain it through effort, through understanding, through trying to reason it out. Logic doesn't work." We've talked about the fact, this morning, that the new birth is that supernatural entrance, it's a miraculous induction into the kingdom of God to where, in a very real sense, we leave this world and live now in a new realm, a new spiritual kingdom. We're translated from the kingdom of darkness and translated into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of His dear Son. The new birth is a wonderful, wonderful thing. Just the simplicity. We were talking this morning about Jesus living in us, the miracle. It's a supernatural induction into that invisible kingdom, and at the same time Jesus, we saw, literally invades the temple of our body, to where He says, II Corinthians 5, that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. We saw that meant the very substrata, the very structure, the very foundation. When Jesus comes in, nothing is allowed to remain. In fact, it goes on and says there that all things are new, the old things have passed away and all of the new things are of who? God! So Jesus invades our life. Thank God that He does. He changes everything. Our whole motive, or reason, for living is different. Our whole thought processes are different. The way we think, the way we act, the way we behave, everything changes. Jesus invades the very center, the very core, of our existence, and now we no longer live for us, but we start to live for the glory and the pleasure of our heavenly Father. Changes everything. It's a miraculous encounter.

We've talked about this a little there in verse 5. I don't want to review too much--I want to move on this evening; but there in verse 5, where Jesus says, "...Except a man be born of water...." We've talked this morning about the cleansing that comes through the new birth. Titus calls it the "washing of regeneration". Ephesians calls it "the washing of water by the Word.". We talked about the cleansing agent, that water, the truth of His Word, just comes and washes our spirit, and washes away, cleanses us from our filth and from the sin. It sets us free now to serve Him in purity. What a wonderful washing! There is nothing that brings death into your soul like the stain of sin. Nothing that brings the misery and the hopelessness. Paul uses that phrase as he describes the world, that they are without hope when they are not born again. They are left in their own filth and their own blood, and their own death; and they know it. They are living through a living hell, and they know it. They're lost! So this washing of regeneration is this being born of water, and then born of the spirit. He says that unless you're born of that water, unless you experienced the cleansing of the new birth, unless you are born of the Spirit of God and now His life has been breathed into you, you can't enter in into the kingdom of God. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

We've talked about the fact that the new birth comes with its own understanding, it comes with its own language. It's a language, it's an understanding, that is foreign to those who are not born again. We saw a couple of incidents with Jesus where the Pharisees came to him and said, "Talk to us plainly. Are you the Messiah or not? Tell us plainly." Jesus said, "I've already told you plainly; but you couldn't receive my words. You didn't hear my words. You didn't have the ears to hear." Why didn't they have the ears to hear? Why couldn't they hear what he was saying? Because of their heart. He said, "My truth [there in John 8] doesn't have any place in your heart." That was the problem. The words that He brought opposed and confronted their self-righteousness, and their selfishness, and their pride. The words that Jesus brought required repentance, required brokenness, required submission and obedience. Because of their pride and their stubbornness, they hated the truth that He brought and wouldn't submit. So, therefore, because of the condition of their heart, they could not hear what He was saying. Here Jesus is emphasizing to Nicodemus, "so that everyone that is born of the spirit, this invisible kingdom, when you're born again, you're going to speak a language, you're going to talk a heavenly language." Yeah, you're still speaking English, but you're going to be talking of things that those who are not born again, don understand. They can't tell where it's coming or where it's going. It's like the wind. They have no--can't fathom the kingdom that you're walking in. Because of that, just like Jesus, many times they're going to take up stones and want to kill you. They hate the kingdom that you now have been translated into.

So, this morning we saw over in I John that phrase that He has given us an understanding. We talked about, there in John, chapters 14 and 17, where Jesus was praying. Jesus prayed that we might be made perfect in one. The union of Jesus coming to live in our heart. What a simple, simple truth. As I was describing this morning, we teach it to our children when they're so young: "Is Jesus in your heart?" We can never let that phrase become trite. The magnitude, the miracle, the supernatural infusion of life is beyond our comprehension. I don't think we've tapped into the power. I know we haven't tapped into the power that's been deposited into our soul. We're learning how to. That is what walking in the Spirit is all about; but Jesus prayed that phrase, That they might be perfect in One. What He was saying is in this union of us abiding in Him and Him abiding in us, we are made perfect. We are made complete. In other words, when you are born again, everything has been deposited into your spirit that needs to be there for our wholeness, for your completeness; all things pertaining to life and godliness have now been deposited in your spirit. They are not all being walked out on a daily basis. You might not be experiencing it to its fullness, but it's there. You have everything you need for life and godliness. It's been deposited there. He says that this completeness, this perfection, comes in you're union of abiding in Him as He abides in you.

Look over at Ephesians, chapter three, for a moment. This will be the last verse that we review on. Ephesians, chapter 3 talks about the awesome power that is residing in us. He is praying for the Church and letting the Ephesian Church know what he prays for them. He says in verse 16, That I am praying "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with [dunamis, power. The power that we have available to us.] might by his Spirit [Where?] in the inner man;" The born again man. "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith..." We were asking this morning, "How conscious are you of that?" We see time after time Jesus saying, "I'm not speaking these words and I'm not doing these works. It's my Father that dwells in me. He does the work." How aware are you on a daily basis, as you're going through your daily routine, how conscious are you that He is living in you and living through you? Are you aware of His presence? Jesus was! Jesus, in that prayer to his Father, in John 17, makes it clear that He came to duplicate that in you, for you. The relationship that He had with His Father, of His Father living in Him and living through Him, He came to duplicate that in you. So that you would be just as aware of the heavenly Father living in you, as He was aware of His heavenly Father living in Him. That is one purpose, the main purpose, of being born again. That's the power of God. It's Christ in you, the hope of glory, as Colossians says. He says, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye, being routed and grounded...." I don't want to digress too much in this. He prays in verse 19 that you would know the love of Christ, the outpouring of his love. His love, so magnificent, you never believed that anybody could love you that much--when you truly begin to experience and know the new birth and what He has placed inside of your heart. Man, what joy to sing that song that we made reference to. "He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!" "You ask me how I know He lives?" It's because He's living in me, in my heart today.

The power of it! To know the love of Christ as you begin to walk in the power of your new birth and begin to experience that love, and you realize just how much He's poured out to you; and poured into you. "that ye might be filled [What?] with all of the fulness of God." That's why I say we haven't tapped into the full power of the new birth yet. "...that ye might be filled with all of the fulness..." Can you say I'm walking in all of the fullness of God? Nobody in here can, but we're striving for it. That is what we hunger for; and we're walking in more and more of his fullness day by day. At least we should be. But this comes from Christ dwelling in our hearts. Let's move on.

Look over at I Peter, chapter one. Let's see how this adventure starts as we're walking daily with Jesus in our hearts. I Peter, chapter one, tells us the source of this regeneration. He says in verse 22, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, [seed and then he tells us what this seed is.] by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" Likens it to a seed.

It is interesting. I can remember as a young boy growing up, planting seeds in my parents yard. How many of you ever planted a Marigold seed or something along those lines? You look at that little seed, and it's just a dried up, old nothing! Right? You think, "How can any life come from this?" Now, the Word of God is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. That is not the point that I'm making. The point that I'm making is you have this little seed, you plant it in the ground. I don't know if anything can come of this or not; but that seed has been pre-programmed. It has been pre-loaded, so to speak, with everything it needs to produce that plant and flower. As a rule, that plant doesn't come up out of the ground with green leaves and say, "Sorry, I'm a factory defect. The flower wasn't pre-programmed into me so all you get is green leaves." Sometimes you get that, you get a mutant seed. But I want you to understand that seed comes with all of the life it needs to reproduce what it was created to reproduce. When the Word of God comes into you as a seed, like we were talking about before, all things that pertain unto life and godliness have been now deposited into you. That seed that caused that regeneration and that new birth has within it everything that you need to finish this race and finish your course. He says that this seed is not corruptible seed. God doesn't have any mutant seeds. When His truth enters into your heart and causes that new birth to take place, that miracle, He didn't just put enough in there to get you halfway down the finish line, halfway through the race then it dies and quits. His seed is not mutant; but it says here that it is incorruptible. Fully energized, fully empowered by the Spirit of God to do everything. To be the author and the finisher of your faith. To not only start the work, but to finish the work He starts in you. It's the Word of God which he says lives and abides, how? Forever. You say, "Yeah! I was born again; but it just kind of died out. It just kind of fizzled." No, you fizzled. It didn't. You turned your back on God! That was the problem. The new birth doesn't fizzle out. The new birth only gets stronger and stronger. The new birth only advances in power and in might as Jesus lives and matures in you as Christ is formed in you. It doesn't fizzle out. You fizzled out! You walked away! This Word of God which brings this new birth is incorruptible, living and abiding forever.

We see in James 1:18 shows us the purpose of the new birth. Shows us how it's done, and he says in verse 18, "Of his own will begat he us with [What?] the word of truth, [Being born again of the incorruptible seed, the Word of God,] that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." That firstfruits is talking about the sacrifices of old. How they would go and pick out the best and the first, and that would be the animal they would offer up to God. An animal that was without spot, without blemish. He is saying here, very simply, when you are born again, you're born again for one purpose, and that is to be wholly given to God. When you bow your heart and bend your knee and say, "Jesus, I invite you to come live in my heart," you're surrendering your life to Him. Your life is being wholly offered up just as that burnt offering. Completely consumed in His service and in His purpose. No longer living for yourself, but now you live entirely for Him. He says He begat us with that Word of Truth, the incorruptible seed, and it's for one purpose: that we would be firstfruits, we would be that offering consumed in His passion, consumed in the fire of His presence, and consumed in His service.

Look over at Romans, chapter 8:1. Lets go on and begin to see how we walk in this new birth and in the power of it. It's so important to the daily Christian life. This chapter brings so much practical insight. Romans, chapter eight, makes the Christian life livable, as you begin to understand that its nothing you do and it's not by your own power; but it gives you the secret to walk in the spirit. Again as we look at this, I want you to again, stir up in your minds and your hearts the new birth that you've experienced. I want you to stir up in your hearts and minds the power of the new birth, and what it is that we've been born again to do. Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." No condemnation! A lot of people read that and think, "Phew! Praise God, I get a free ride. The policeman gave me a ticket and now he's ripping it up." That's really not what this verse is saying. It's says that there is no condemnation, meaning that there is no judgement that the law of God can bring against you. That literally what it's saying. Now, why is there no judgement that the law can bring against me? Verse four tells us why. "That the righteousness of the law [is now being what?] fulfilled in us..." How would you like the Law of God to pass over your life and for it to say, "I can't damn that person. They're walking in the Spirit. Jesus is alive in them. Jesus is living through that person. I can't bring any judgment against them. They're free from damnation." Wouldn't you like that to be said about you? Wouldn't you like to be walking in the righteousness of the Law to where God's intents, God's motives, God's purposes, God's heart desires in giving us the Law is now being met in your life? Well, he is going to tell us how. He says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.... [Verse 2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of [what?] sin and death."

That law of sin and death is referring to what we call the Levitical Law, or the law of the Old Testament, the law that came before grace; and he is saying now the law of life in Christ Jesus has set me free. I used to have to be governed by the law of sin and death. That law which pointed out my sins and condemned me to death. That is what that "law" is saying there. You're saying I used to be governed by that law. I had to be governed externally, because sin was in my heart, instead of Jesus being there. I had no internal motivation to live godly, so everything I did had to be externally motivated. He says, Now the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus--now I have His life in me, I have Jesus living in me. His life in me, his presence in me, is now the law that dictates my actions and governs my life. That law, now, that living law, that law of liberty, that law of joy and peace, that law has set me free because now I'm internally motivated by Christ in me, I no longer have to be externally motivated by the law of sin and death. I've been set free. Because, now, Jesus is living in me and expressing himself through me, I've been set free from condemnation. Why? Because I'm living right. I'm doing good. I'm pleasing and serving God. I'm living for his pleasure and no longer my own.

It says in verse 3, "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." For what the law could not do... We know the law is good and just, holy and pure; but it was made to externally motivate. It was given for a temporary time until the Savior would come, and Jesus would come and live in our hearts. He says what the law could not do--nothing wrong with the law. Why couldn't it do it? Why couldn't it produce righteousness in us? Because it was weak through the--the problem wasn't the law, the problem was us. No matter how strong, no matter how binding, no matter how true or just the outward motivation of the law was, it could never produce righteousness because of what was in our heart. We needed to be cleansed. We needed that washing of regeneration. We needed to be recreated. We need that invasion of Jesus into this physical temple. He says the law couldn't produce righteousness; but now the law of the Spirit of life has come and set us free.

In Verse 4, it's possible "That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Now he's going to go on here, and give us a glimpse into your everyday life. What your everyday life should be. He says, "For they are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh...." They that are after the flesh. They that act like the flesh. They that are controlled by the flesh, what do they mind? What is their mind exercised and intent upon? What are the affections of their heart intent upon? The things of the flesh. Me! Mine! How can I take care of me? How can I get my way? How can I protect me? How can I promote me? When you're caught up in that world and that is what you mind, and that's what you act like. Filthy! Evil! Sinful! But they that are after the spirit, or are they that act like the spirit, they mind the things of the--I want you to see this. This is very important because we took a long time this morning to try to share with you the power of the new birth. The power of what's been deposited inside of you. All things that pertain to life and godliness. Christ is now living in you. How do you tap into that power? How do you get that power activated and working? That power of the new birth is released as you mind the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually mind is what? Life and peace.

What are we talking about here? What is that minding the things of the spirit? The exercising your mind on the things of the spirit? It's really that phrase that Pastor has taught us. It's practicing His presence. It's what we referred to earlier in Jesus. The continual awareness that He is in me wanting to express himself through me. Now, will I let Him? It's the continual awareness, the continual practice of His presence. It's the continual drawing upon His presence. Jesus I need you, I can't do this by myself. If I do this, boy can I mess things up! Father, I just want to be an empty vessel, an empty conduit that you can fill and overflow. Cleanse me. Purify me. Let that washing of regeneration take effect. Cleanse the filth, cleanse the pride, cleanse the selfishness right out me and flow through me purely. It's living in that awareness. That's minding the things of the Spirit. What would Father want now? Well, how would Father say this? How would Jesus approach this situation? What is He speaking to me in that still small voice? What does His Word say to me? What choice should I make at this juncture? How is Jesus living through me at this moment? Are you aware of the Greater One that is within you?

He says, We mind the things of the spirit, "Because the carnal mind [verse 7] is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, [I want you to see this. It's very important you're not in the flesh.] but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God [Is where?] dwell in you." That is the source of power.

Remember I told you this morning that the Elder that used to be here years ago, not here any more, but this is where he was so wrong. He told me several times that the new birth was nothing more than a change of mind, a new way of thinking, a change in attitude. No, it's not! He (Paul) makes it very clear here.

I was sharing this because in verse 11 where it talks about the Spirit of Christ living in us--Verse 11 was a memory verse for your children here within the past couple of weeks. So, I was teaching them on the memory work, which I try to do as much as I can, so they understand to some degree what they are memorizing. But to help them understand the point, I took in a light switch. I compared the light switch in my hand, which obviously wasn't hooked up to anything, to the light switch on the wall. We flipped both switches, and of course the light switch in my hand did nothing, and the light switch on the wall made the lights go on and off. I used that as an example to show them that one light switch is hooked up to the power and one light switch isn't. I was sharing with them, that here, your mind can be that switch. How is today going to go? Will I live in the Spirit or will I live in the flesh? It's what you set your mind on; but just a change in mind isn't enough. You can click that switch that has no power all day and there will be no change. The mind is so crucial, the mind is so important. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is [What?] stayed on thee..." (Isaiah 26:3) "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) The realm of the mind, the soul, the thoughts, the affections are so important in this daily walk and Paul is bringing that out. It doesn't do any good to try to change the way you think without having the power. Your light switch has to be hooked up to the power. He is telling us here, if you look down at verse 11, he's saying, "But if the spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also [Do what?] quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." What is this quickening of our mortal bodies? This is the new birth. This is the evasion of Jesus coming and taking up residence within us. This is His life and power now living through us. This is the law of the spirit of life that sets us free from the law of sin and death. How do we tap into that power? Through the meditations of your heart. Through minding and exercising your mind on the things of the spirit. Just make sure as you flick that switch of your mind, that you're hooked up to the power. That you have that heavenly deposit made into your soul. That you have His presence in you to draw upon. That is what makes it work. He says in verse 10, "And if Christ be in you, the body be as dead because of sin..." He's saying, look, the motions of sin are in your flesh. Sin resides in your body. It is impossible for your flesh to do anything right. It is impossible for your flesh to produce righteousness. It is, in other words, dead, ineffective, with regards to righteousness. Your flesh can do nothing right. It's dead in its ability to produce anything right, as far as God is concerned. But even though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is what? What does it say there? Life, because of righteousness, because of the one living in your spirit. I like it there in verse 11, where he goes in and says that if the spirit of him that did what? Raised up Jesus from the ________. I wonder if he is giving a gauge here to the power that is within you. Think about that for a moment. How much power did it take to raise Jesus up from the dead? How much power did it take to raise Him up on the third day? How much power did it take to raise Him up after He was made sin with the sin of the whole world? How much power did it take to raise Him up when He, for who knows how long--a moment in time, an instant--surrendered Himself to the torments of Hell to take your punishment upon Himself. How much power did it take? Think it took a lot of power? I would say so. He's just giving that illustration to you. If His power can raise Jesus up after being the sacrificial lamb for the whole world, what can that same power do in you? He's trying to give you the magnitude of what you have inside of you. Never underestimate it! Never take it for granted! It is placed there by the incorruptible seed that lives and abides forever. It never dies. It never decays. It never fizzles out. It only grows stronger and stronger. That is what he is saying here. That is what he is trying to explain and illustrate for you and for me.

He goes on and in verse 14 and says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the [what?] sons of God." And I've shared it before in the past. When to look up that word "led" in Strong's or in Vine's. A literal translations for that word "led" is "carried". You could read it this way: For as many that are carried by the Spirit of God. That means that we are no longer living and moving under our own strength, but his strength has come and picked us up. I can't remember whether it was this morning or this evening when we sung that song, "Here I Am Waiting," and it talks about raising on eagles wings, out of Isaiah, there, that "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.". Why? Because as sons, we are being lead in every true sense of the word; but, we're being carried. How many of you know that if you're being carried, you're being led. You're going wherever your being carried. This is the power of the Spirit-filled life. This is the power that starts at the new birth. That power increases in magnitude through being filled with the Spirit.

Look over at Colossians for a moment. Colossians, chapter 1--Go to chapter 3 of Colossians. Just got a glimpse of the time, there. Colossians, chapter three, talks about this consciousness some more. He says here in verse eight, "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds;" It's interesting, the wording here. Verse 10 goes on and says, "And have put on the new man..." which we know to be the spirit man, the regenerated spirit man. But the phrases "putting off" and "putting on" are interesting. The Greek speaks of actual getting dressed or getting undressed--putting on clothing and taking off clothing. Putting on a coat, taking off a coat. He is really speaking there of a consciousness.

How many of you are conscious of what you dress in? Isn't it interesting, you know, we pretend for a moment. Just say you get dressed up in suit and tie. You have a day full of meetings, important meetings, that you need to go too. For breakfast you stop off at Baskin-Robbins and have an ice cream sundae. As you are eating breakfast, you get a triple hot fudge sundae, and you spill it all over you. Now you don't have any time to go home and the meeting is starting in just a few minutes. You go to your meeting and your day full of meetings with this big brown spot on your shirt. You would feel pretty stupid, wouldn't you?

He's talking about this consciousness--You know, when you get dressed and your clothes fit right; and you say, "Man, that's a miracle!" You feel good in your clothes, you think, in your perception that they make you look sharp. It kind of changes our whole outlook, doesn't it? You walk out the front door say, "I'm good today, man." "Step back, world. I'm looking fine!" But how do you feel when you go out in sloppy--I don't know--sweat suit, hair still up in curlers, haven't brushed your teeth, haven't shaved, haven't... People who are shaving hopefully don't have curlers in their hair! You all understand what I'm saying. When you go out and get--We're conscious of what we're dressed in, aren't we? And we're conscious--if we think we look sloppy, we feel sloppy. If we think we look sharp, then we feel sharp.

This is the consciousness that Paul is referring to here. He is saying to consciously put off the old man and to realize that everything associated with that old man is dead, it has no power over me, it no longer controls me; and then put on the new man. This is what I'm dressed in. This is what I'm' conscious of now. This is my awareness. I no longer walk around with a consciousness of the pride and selfishness. It is still there in my flesh. Whenever I want to dress in those sloppy, filthy clothes I can go back to it if I want; but I'm sporting some fine threads today. I'm just putting on Jesus; and I'm aware, I'm conscious of His presence.

He says to "...put on the new man, which is [What?] renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:" This is why I was saying before, the new birth never fizzles out. The new birth should only grow stronger and stronger because of that seed, the Word of God which lives and abides forever. This is what this is saying. The new man, that spirit man, and now you're walking in the consciousness of that new birth, walking in the consciousness of the indwelling Christ. He says that spirit man is renewed in knowledge as I commune with Him. The more I spend time in His presence, the more my spirit man will be renewed and strengthened. The more I spend time listening to His voice, the more I spend time worshiping Him and seeking His face, the stronger my spirit man grows. It's being fertilized by His presence. His life is just being poured into me. I'm being renewed in that knowledge, and it's being renewed after the image of Him that what? Created him. The more I spend time in His presence, the more like Him I am. The more I spend time in His presence, that spirit man is being strengthened and molded to be just like the heavenly Father that created him and gave birth to him. So he says to put on that new man. He goes on in verse 12, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness..." That bowels of mercy and kindness--let bowls of mercies and kindness and humbleness of mind, now be your consciousness. Those things, those thoughts, those principles should be your prayer without ceasing. Father, let me walk in this love today.

He goes on and says in verse 16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you [How?] richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs..." So we're right back to Romans, chapter 8, aren't we? Allowing the word of Christ to dwell in you richly is minding the things of the spirit. It is that prayer without ceasing. It is that practicing the presence of God. It is walking in the awareness as Jesus walked in the awareness, of his Father dwelling in Him. As you turn that switch on and that switch is hooked up to the power that is residing in your heart, you're going to walk free from sin and death. You're going to walk in that realm of the kingdom of God where there is no condemnation, because the righteousness of the law is being fulfilled in you.

Look over at II Corinthians, chapter four. Paul talks about this inner man. He says in verse 6, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts..." Aren't you glad for that? Thank God the darkness is dispelled. The illumination has been given. I can now see with spiritual eyes and hear with spiritual ears. I can now taste the powers of the world to come as Hebrews says. I can walk by the power of God. And he shined in our hearts "...to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest [where?] in our ___________." See, we're coming up to another principle of being born again. How is the power of the new birth released in your everyday life? Well, we just saw it released by minding the things of the spirit, practicing His presence. We're seeing here a different aspect. The power and the life of the new birth is released in your life by you being delivered unto death. Death of self-will. Death to self. He says that as the dying of the Lord Jesus takes place in your life, then the life, also, of Jesus will be made manifest. "For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you." We which live are always delivered unto death.

Now Paul is relating to his sufferings. Trouble on every side, perplexed, persecuted, cast down; but you know the heavenly Father loves you enough to send you through your own crucible. This was Paul's crucible.

He makes it clear over in Hebrews, chapter 12, that every true son goes through the discipline, the chastening, the training, of the Lord. Just as Paul was always delivered unto death, to where he experienced the fellowship of Jesus' sufferings, to where he experienced that death of his pride and death of his selfishness, the death of laying down his life in surrender, Father is faithful to see that you are always brought to that place of death as well.

Have you ever thought, "Why am I always going through this?" The thing that I hate the most is always happening to me. Why is that? Why am I always being confronted with this nagging problem?" I wonder if you're being delivered unto death. I wonder if, in the hands of your loving Father, He is bringing you to that place of crucifixion on a daily basis. Why? Why are you always being brought to that place of having to die to yourself, of being confronted with laying down your life, of being confronted with laying down your preferences, being put under the pressure of dying to self? Why are you always being brought to that place? So that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in your body. So that through death, the Greater One who is in you can emerge. Through death, His life and power can be seen. He goes on and says in verse 16, "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is [What?] renewed day by day." Your spirit man, the power of the new birth--just keeps getting better and better, keeps getting stronger and stronger. The more you practice His presence, the more we mind the things of the spirit, the more we drink and draw upon His presence--we're just getting stronger, renewed day-by-day. "For our light affliction, which is just but a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal way of glory; While we look [and here's that switch of Romans 8: we don't look at] things which are seen, but [we look] at the things that are not seen..."

We don't look at the enticements of this world, nor do we look at the problems and pressures and trials of this life. We don't concentrate on the cares that come along with this life; but we look at the things that are not seen. The invisible God--we follow after Him. "...for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are [What?] eternal."

Look over at I John, chapter 2. We'll get ready to wind down here. The new birth--what a miracle! What a wonder, that Jesus would come and take up residence in us. The life and power that's been deposited in us is unfathomable. Beyond our wildest dreams. The love that Father has poured out to us, poured into us. We're walking every day learning how to practice His presence and learning how to walk in that power.

We see something else here in I John: the new birth, the life that becomes so precious to us. It must be guarded, lest we lose it. Here he gives us a glimpse into that in I John 2:24. He says, "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning." Now what is this that he is talking about? You see down there in verse 27, "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is [What?] truth..." So we know that this anointing is. This anointing is that Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of God that came and infused us with life. It is the living truth, the living Word of God that now has taken up residence in us, causing this new birth; and then, back in verse 24 he says, "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. [This word of God, this word of truth. It's come and brought life. It's taken up residence, let it abide.] If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall [What?] remain. [Well, if it remains, then there must be a possibility that it doesn't remain. But if it remains] ye shall continue in the Son, and in the Father."

Verse 26, "These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. [You see here the heresy of gnosticism. There were teachers trying to draw them away from the truth. You and I can be drawn away from the truth;] But the anointing ye have received of him abideth in you,. ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall [What?] abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming."

We'll look over at Hebrews for a moment. Let me show you three quick passages in the book of Hebrews. We see this guarding. We see this keeping, this protection, of what has taken place in our hearts. Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we ought to give more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest we have any time let them [What?] slip." I've described to you before that phrase, the more earnest heed. It's talking about grabbing on to something and grasping it tighter, and tighter, and tighter. That is what it means there, the phrase, "the more earnest heed." How close are you clinging to Jesus tonight? Do you have a tighter hold on Him tonight than you did yesterday? Is he really the treasure of your heart? Do you seek after Him with all of your heart? He's saying you'd better give the more earnest heed lest at any time they slip. He's talking about that, which is such a great treasure to us, slipping out of our hands and being lost. How does this happen? It can happen a number of ways, but the way he is addressing is found in verse 3, "How shall we escape, if we [What?] neglect..." You mean I can lose what I have through the new birth simply through neglect? Yes. If you're not giving the more earnest heed, there's a world, there's the power of sin, there are enticements, there's a devil that will gladly rip it out of your hands, that want to see you go down as a Christian to rob God of as much glory as they can. If we neglect so great salvation, if we neglect--Are you neglecting your salvation? Are you guarding it as the pearl of great price? Are you guarding it as the greatest joy and the greatest treasure--the passion of your heart. How closely do you practice His presence? How closely do you cling to Him?

Hebrews, chapter 3, the next chapter over, verse 14, "For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold [from the beginning--if we hold] the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the ______" So we partake of Christ of His indwelling, of His presence, but there has to be a holding steadfast to the beginning of our confidence, to that new birth experience. There is a guarding, there's a protecting. Over just three more chapters, chapter six, verse four. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakes of the Holy Ghost..." Listen to this description here because by all descriptions this is describing someone who has been truly born again. They've were enlightened, they tasted of the heavenly gift, they were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, they've tasted the good word of God, they've tasted the powers of the wold to come. He says, "...if they shall fall away [it is impossible] to renew them again unto repentance..." Now this gets somewhat into a difficult area. Because when you deal with this area, people are always ask the question, "Have I committed the unpardonable sin? Is it still possible for God to forgive me?" As Pastor has always said, if you're asking that question, the answer is yes; because the person who is beyond forgiveness would never ask that question, "can God still forgive me?" The state of that person is such that they don't want God's forgiveness. They become so hardened in their own rebellion. Just the fact that you are asking, "Can God still forgive me." shows a tenderness and a softening. It shows the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Yes, prodigal, you need to come home; Father is waiting for you. Yet, at the same time in our daily walk, we need to be always mindful of this danger. We need to be careful to protect the new birth and what God has deposited in our hearts, because there is that possibility of falling away, and it being impossible to renew them unto repentance [why?] "...seeing they crucify to [Who?] themselves the Son of God afresh..." Can you imagine the horror of the life of God dying in your heart? The life of God never dies, we know that, but it can die in your heart. How can it start? It can start with something as simple, with something as apparently innocent as a little bit of neglect. There from Hebrews, chapter 2. What is neglect? Neglect is not, "Oh, gee, I forgot Jesus was living in me today." If you forgot Jesus was living in you, it was a willful forgetting. You were choosing to take this day back into your own hands and live it your own way. It was a self-willed choice and decision. That is where the neglecting comes from. If you begin to neglect that instead of stirring up the gift, there comes a point where it can be lost. Where that life of God dies within you because you crucified to yourself the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame.

As Pastor has taught us many times, this place does come easily. Don't think, "I committed a sin. I'm backslidden. God will never accept me back." It's a long road of hardening your heart, stiffening your neck, receiving the hundred stripes, the many stripes. Continually rebelling against the wooing of the Holy Spirit. It's quite a long process; but I want you to see the heart of one.

Look over at I John. Turn back there. Let me turn with you in my Bible. There is something here in I John that is interesting. I John 5:18. I want you to see the heart of one who has genuinely born again. Chapter 5:18, "We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; [Watch this next phrase.] but he that is begotten of God [Does what? He] keepeth himself." He guards himself. He guards that heavenly deposit in his heart. The Jesus that lives inside of him is more dear to him that his own life. He loves Him so much. He loves Him because the love of God has now been poured out to him, and poured into him; and he guards it like the pearl of great price. He doesn't want to see any of the glory, any of the presence that's inside of him diminish. He wants to see the presence of God increase and grow inside of him. He want to see his spirit man become more like Him. He wants to see his spirit man grow stronger day-by-day, not weaker. So he guards himself against the neglect that Hebrews 2 was talking about. Instead of just doing enough to make it and get by, he invests into the deposit that has been made in his heart and he seeks God and practices His presence. He minds the things of the spirit and keeps himself and guards himself. It's his greatest treasure. The greatest treasure you have tonight, you carry with you in your heart. He'll never leave you. He'll never forsake you.

Let me ask you this question in closing. Are you keeping yourself? How closely are you guarding what He has placed within you? What He has caused to be born inside of you by the new birth? Are you feeding it? Are you keeping it? Has some neglect crept in? You'd better cast off every weight and every sin. You better throw yourself headlong into the mercy of God and begin to feed and drink from His spirit once again and strengthen that inner man within you. "...he that is begotten of God keepeth himself; and that wicked one[Does what?] toucheth him not." Wouldn't you love to walk in that spirit of life in Christ Jesus? It's possible! He's placed everything within you, all things that pertain unto life and godliness to finish this race. Let's close there for this evening.

Father, we thank You once again for this new birth. Father, we thank You for the simplicity of Jesus coming and living in our hearts. The power of the new birth, Father, is so far beyond our comprehension. Father, we see tonight, with Nicodemus, that this kingdom of God is beyond our grasp. It's nothing we can attain to. If we don't get there supernaturally by being translated by the Spirit of God, then we have no hope of entering into the kingdom of God; but Father, tonight You have given us all hope. You've given us every hope and it's through the new birth. It's by being born again into the kingdom of God. Father, what a supernatural induction! What a glorious translation! To think that now You've come and invaded these temples, and all things are new and the old things have all passed away. All the new things are of God, and nothing can be left the same, but Your spirit day-by-day is recreating us, changing us, molding us more and more into Your image.

Father, we love You. We're so excited of what You're doing in us. We ask that You would teach us more than ever to practice Your presence--to walk in the same consciousness that Jesus walked in. That our heavenly Father is living in us and it's He that does the work, not us. It's He that gives the strength and the energy. It's He that gives the ability to love, because we could never love on our own. Father, give us that awareness. Teach us to pray without ceasing. Teach us to mind the things of the Spirit. Teach us to draw upon that which You have placed within us. Teach us truly what it means to have Christ in us the hope of glory, the hope of You shining forth from our lives. We thank You for it, Father, and we give You all the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen!

Back to Top | Audio   |   Purchase Audio   |   Bible Teachings   |   Print