Born Again and Again and Again...

A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT:

Today we are going to learn more about the journey that every Christian must make if they hope to spend eternity in heaven. Early on in the Scriptures the Lord told us to get a new heart and a new Spirit so that we could live. (Ezekiel 18:31) Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? (32) For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord GOD. “Therefore turn and live!” How do we acquire "a new heart and a new spirit" in order to live? (Let us look to the Bible to find out what is required for us to accomplish this. What "religion" tells us, does not matter at all if it doesn't line up with the WORD of God.) (John 3:3) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”. Even if your religion says that we must be baptized as an infant, believe in Jesus, and then be confirmed, Jesus says something quite different. Jesus says that in order to enter God’s Kingdom you must be “born again”. Now what does Jesus mean when He says you must be “born again” (Greek- born from above)? (John 3:4) Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (5) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Jesus explains that to be “born again” we must be born of water and the spirit as explained in Ezekiel.

THE BORN AGAIN SPIRIT- SAVED UNTO LIFE:

(Ezekiel 36:25) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols I will cleanse you. (26) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. God prophesied through Ezekiel of the time when He would purify us with “clean water”, a “new heart” and a “new spirit”. This is the water and the spirit Jesus was speaking of; "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God". You receive this new spirit, this “born again” spirit by faith in Jesus Christ. You receive this new heart and this “born again” spirit simply by repenting of your sins, and believing on Jesus Christ as your Savior. (Romans 10:9) If thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God 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. This is the first step in the born again experience. Yes, I said the first step. Many Christians today believe this is the only step in becoming “born again”, or saved. In reality, this only begins the “born again” journey to eternal life. It’s what gives you the spirit prophesied in Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you”. This is what the Bible calls the spirit of Christ. (Romans 8:9) “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him”. Yes, we must have that born again spirit of Christ or we don’t belong to God. So this is the first step in our new journey to truly being “born again”. (This first step happens in your spirit. The second step is your born again soul, and the final step is your "born again", resurrected body). If this has happened in your life, CONGRATULATIONS! You now have a “born again” spirit. That’s the good news; the bad news is that’s the easiest part of the “born again” journey.

BAPTISM: WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?

Let’s now look at the next step the Bible commands of us in our process of being saved. (Mark 16:15) And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (16) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved… Please remember, what our "religion" teaches us about baptism means nothing if it does not agree with scripture. Jesus says you must first believe, and then be baptized. Simply put, infant baptism just cannot be found in the Scriptures; not once. Instead we read in the Scriptures that when sinners believed on the Lord Jesus they immediately got baptized. (Acts 2:37) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (38) Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call”. These men believed on the Lord Jesus and asked “what shall we do”? Peter’s answer was simple: repent and be baptized. (Acts 2:41) So those who received his word were baptized.

Time after time we read about new believers (never babies) being baptized. (Acts 16:31-33) And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (32) And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. (33) And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. What does baptism signify and why was baptism so important to the believers back then? Baptism is really a confession of your faith. As it represents the steps in your “born again” journey.

First, being lowered into the water, this represents the washing of the water of the Word and the death of your "old self"; receiving your "born again" spirit of Christ. (Col 3:3) For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Second, being when you're underneath the water, represents the burial of the “old you”, just like when Christ was dead and buried. (Col 2:12) Having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith.

Third, coming out of the water represents our being resurrected with Christ. Just as when Christ came out of the tomb with His resurrected body, you come out of the water with your new spiritual body. (Col 3:1) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is… When you come out of the water you’re a new creation; it’s that new “born again” child of God who comes up. You are now raised with Jesus and it’s Christ who now lives in you and not the old you. By faith it’s no longer you that lives but Christ living in you! Paul sums up the whole meaning behind baptism right here. (Romans 6:3) Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. This is a beautiful picture which Paul paints for us on the meaning of baptism. Paul shows us the journey of the born again spirit, the born again soul, and finally the born again resurrected body. Please re-read this again so you can have a solid understanding of the importance of being baptized. It’s simply an outward act of faith of what you profess has happened to you and will happen to you. From this point on we’re living by faith that it’s Christ who now lives in us. (Galatians 2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Have you been baptized yet; not just as an infant but since you received your born again spirit? Jesus set the example for us when he went to John the Baptist to be baptized. (Matthew 3:13) Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. If you haven't been baptized yet, “Now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name' (Acts 22:16). If you haven’t, I along with Jesus and the Apostles encourage you to do it now. Why wouldn’t you do what Jesus has commanded us?

THE BORN AGAIN SOUL- BEARING FRUIT:

Your baptism signifies that you’ve now entered into the second and longest leg of your “born again” journey. Now that you have that “born again” spirit that’s required for eternal life, next comes the “born again” soul that’s also required if you hope to enter Heaven. The soul is who you are; what makes up your personality; everything about you - both good and bad. Most “Christians” don’t understand this but if you stop at just a “born again” spirit, you become what Jesus calls unfruitful. (John 15:1) “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (2) Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Jesus is clearly speaking about “born again” believers here. You cannot become a branch in Jesus unless you’re saved. Once you're saved and you're a "branch", then one of two things will happen. The first is that you bear the fruit of Jesus and when you do He prunes you in order to bear more fruit. It’s that never ending process of being “born again” in your soul. It’s that process the Lord uses to clean up your life and make you holy. The other thing that happens to branches/believers is that they don’t bear the fruit of Jesus and are "taken away". Let’s see where the unfruitful are taken. (3) You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (4) Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (5) “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (6) If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. Are you a bare branch without any fruit? Jesus clearly tells us what happens if we are. This is why it’s so important to understand that we must not take for granted our new “born again” experience.

REGENERATION:

With our born again spirit and souls we must now continue in the Lord in what Jesus called the regeneration. (Matt 19:28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The Greek word for regeneration means “new birth” or “spiritual regeneration”. When we look through the New Testament we clearly see that this is a PROCESS and NOT a onetime event, nor a one time sinner’s prayer, nor a trip to the altar. It’s a process of continually dying to the person you used to be and becoming more and more like Jesus. (Ephesians 4:22) That ye put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man, that waxeth corrupt after the lusts of deceit; (23) and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind, (24) and put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. Remember that “old man” that died in the water at your baptism? That’s your former life and now that the old you died, you’re to be renewing your mind with the spirit. You’re putting on the “new man” that spiritual man who obeys the Word of God in holiness and in truth. This is what Jesus was speaking about when He said we must be “born again” to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what Jesus was speaking about when He said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it” (Luke 9:23,24). Jesus plainly says that you must deny yourself and lose your old “SELF” life in order to gain your eternal life. Jesus says that you must take up your cross daily, not just when you gave your heart to Jesus. The only way you can take up your cross is to die to your old self. Just like Jesus had to go to the cross, so do you. Instead of a physical death it’s your old soul, your old self that needs to die in order to be re-born. It's the way we produce the fruit of Christ. It’s a daily journey and it’s what is required in order to have a born again soul and eventually receive your “born again” body.

(Ephesians 5:25) Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. When you first receive Jesus and get the born again spirit I spoke of earlier, you are counted righteous due to your faith. Now its Christ's righteousness which God sees instead of your faults. This is when Jesus begins to do His work of sanctification and cleansing within us. “That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word”. The more you hear the Word of God, the more you receive that renewed mind of Christ and begin to walk in holiness. He is doing that work in our hearts. He is convicting us to change. We are to respond to this by obeying these convictions about our behaviors. You begin to move from righteousness by faith into righteousness by manifestation in your life. For example, before we are born again we felt it was ok to keep the extra change the store attendant mistakenly may have given us. After we are born again we will feel a conviction about this behavior and know in our hearts that we are really stealing money. We must respond to this by returning the extra money. Be prepared for this to "feel" strange. That's because your soul is in the process of becoming "born again" by how you think and how you act according to what you know from the Word of God and according to that small voice of the Lord. You're now starting to produce that "fruit" Jesus speaks about. When we obey those convictions it will start transforming us.

When you first become that new “born again” creation in Christ you're covered by faith with Christ’s righteousness, while having very little yourself. Then God starts to cleanse us by the Word of God “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word”. The more you hear and read the Word of God, the more you receive that renewed mind of Christ and begin to walk in holiness. You begin to move from righteousness by faith into righteousness by manifestation in your life. Your soul is in the process of becoming “born again” by how you think and how you act according to what you know from the Word of God. You’re now starting to produce that “fruit” Jesus speaks about.

Even though the Lord is patient with us to bear this fruit, He will not wait forever. (Luke 13:6) And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. (7) And he said to the vinedresser, 'Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?' (8) And he answered him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. (9) Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down'". The Lord is waiting for us to produce fruit and that fruit is Jesus being manifested in our physical bodies. If you've been guilty of being a "plant" (a Christian) and for all these years being only a bare branch; confessing Christ while living in the world; I encourage you to confess this to God and change your way of thinking to what the Bible says. It's not too late to ask the Lord to do it in you and He will!

TRANSFORMED INTO A NEW CREATION:

In order to produce fruit you must first be reborn in your spirit, then in your soul. (John 6:63) It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. Jesus says that His words are spirit and life. It’s by the reading and the hearing of the Word of God that we are transformed from flesh (our old sinful self) into spirit (the born again new creation in Christ). The Words of Jesus are spiritual and are supernatural. They transform your soul from flesh into spirit on a continual basis if you are really becoming “born again” in your soul. This all starts with your mind. (Romans 8:5) For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (6) To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. To live with your mind set on the flesh is to live according to your desires and what pleases your flesh. It’s all about you and what makes you feel good. That ends in death. The sad fact of this matter is that this describes many who have "asked Jesus into their hearts" and now they've become an unfruitful branch. To live with your mind set on the spirit is to submit to the Word of God. It is turning the other cheek, not returning evil for evil, seeking first the kingdom of God instead of career and money, loving your neighbor as yourself. It is reading the Bible and obeying the commands Jesus set forth for us. This is what God expects from His "plants". The word "Christian" means "Christ-like". If we are not "Christ-like" then we are not really a Christian; we are a bare branch destined for the fire.

(Romans 12:2) Be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. You’ll find that 98% of your battle between flesh and spirit is fought between your ears. Your mind is the battle ground upon which Satan wages his fight, using temptations to appeal to your flesh. If you renew your mind, your way of thinking by reading and hearing God's Word then you’ll be what Paul calls “transformed”. This word in the original is the Greek word metamorphoō in which we get the word metamorphose, or "to change, to transform". So we received that “born again” spirit; now we’re receiving that “born again” soul. We are in the process of transforming into the likeness of Jesus day by day. By us denying ourselves we are putting to death the "old man" and we're renewing our minds according to the Word of God. We are more and more receiving that “born again” soul. (1Peter 1:22) Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, (23) having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever. Only the Word of God and your obedience to the Spirit will purify your soul so that it may be re-born. Verse 23 above says that we are born again through the incorruptible seed of the Word of God. Nothing can transform your soul except the Word of God and you changing the way you behave according to that Word you hear.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS:

It’s true that we must have faith in our salvation right now; that if you died tonight you’d be in Heaven but we must never, ever take for granted that it’s already been accomplished; that we’ve somehow crossed the finish line and we’ve made it into heaven. (Romans 13:11) It is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed. Salvation is nearer because we are walking out our salvation a born again spirit into a born again spirit and soul. The Apostle Peter tells us that we must make our “born again” calling sure by practicing, or doing, what we see in the Word. (2 Peter 1:10) Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. Yes; when we do what the Word of God says, we are proving by our actions that we really love the Lord and we will never fall. It’s the same thing Jesus said about not just hearing His Word but doing it. (Luke 6:46) “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? (47) Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: (48) He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Only when we do what Jesus commands us do we move from a “born again” spirit to a “born again” soul. We have now built our foundation on rock instead of sand. Only then will we receive our “born again” body in the resurrection to come.

Even the Apostle Paul didn’t take his “born again” position for granted. He continually worked on renewing his soul by disciplining his body. (1 Cor 9:25) And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. (26) Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. (27) But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. The Greek word for disqualified is "adokimos", meaning "unapproved, rejected, castaway, reprobate". The Apostle Paul is saying that he disciplines his body and brings it into subjection so that he won’t be reprobated, or not make it into heaven! In other words he doesn’t want to be a bare branch which does not produce fruit! Now if someone like the Apostle Paul doesn’t take for granted his salvation, should we? It seems that today in the Christian church this is our greatest sin; the sin of self assuredness in our salvation. Are you disciplining your body into the subjection of Christ so that you won't be disqualified?

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

(1 Peter 2:2) As newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation. Yes, the “born again” journey that leads to heaven is a long and narrow road with many opportunities to stumble into the ditch. As this Scripture says, we grow into our salvation in order to be saved. It first starts with a new heart and a new spirit, and then we must grow up into a “born again” soul by drinking the “spiritual milk” of the Word. But it’s not us and our works that are doing this but the Lord working in us. (Titus 3:5) But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, (5) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit that does the renewing and regeneration of your soul. Do you have the Holy Spirit or just the “born again” spirit of Christ?

Most Christians believe that because they’re saved they have the Holy Spirit, but that is not what the Bible teaches. "Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)". We can see here clearly that the Holy Spirit is not automatically given when you first become “born again” but only after you have hands laid on you. There’s a big difference between believers who only receive the born again spirit of Christ and that new heart versus those who also receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit which gives you God's Spirit.

Let’s examine again the promised spirits that we would receive and you’ll notice God promises two; one spirit in verse 26 and one in verse 27. (Ezekiel 36:26) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. This is the born again spirit of Jesus and not the Holy Spirit which God promises in the next verse. This new heart that you have is the born again spirit of Jesus which speaks to your heart to tell you right from wrong; it’s that conscience. This next verse is now speaking of the second spirit promised; the Holy Spirit. (27) And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You’ll notice that this is a different spirit than in verse 26. This is God’s spirit; the Holy Spirit that causes us to walk in the ways of the Lord and obey His Word. Simply put, it’s your new heart with the “born again” spirit of Christ which speaks to you and tells you right from wrong and it's the Holy Spirit within you which gives you the power and ability to listen to the spirit of Christ and resist the devil. It isn't we who do the resisting but God doing it in us by the power of His Spirit. This is what most Christians don’t understand. They think that just because they’ve accepted Jesus they now have the Holy Spirit but that’s not true; they only have the spirit of Jesus.

Notice the two spirits which Paul talks about in this next verse. (Romans 8:9) You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God [Holy Spirit] dwells in you. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you then you’re living in the Spirit instead of the flesh. Let's continue with verse 9: Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ [Jesus’ born again spirit] does not belong to him. Do you notice another spirit besides the Holy Spirit? If you don’t have the “born again” spirit of Jesus you don’t belong to the Father. (11) If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you [Holy Spirit], he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. You can clearly see the same two spirits that we just read about in Ezekiel 36 above.

Just above we read in Acts 8 that believers were baptized into Jesus. They were “born again” and received the spirit of Jesus but had not received the Holy Spirit until hands were laid on them. Let’s read another account for more proof of this. (Acts 19:2) And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." (3) And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." (4) And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." (5) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (6) And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. If you’ve only believed and been baptized and haven’t had hands laid on you to receive the Holy Spirit, then you may find that’s the reason you’ve struggled with sin. You don’t have God’s Spirit! If you do have the Holy Spirit then He will be “causing you” to obey God’s Word. Without God's Spirit doing it in you, you'll constantly fail and continually wander off that narrow road.

A snapshot of this is when we see Christians repeatedly going back up to the altar, “rededicating” their life to Christ. This is because they don’t have the Holy Spirit, they only have the “born again” spirit of Jesus in their heart; that born again Spirit is telling them what’s right from wrong but they have no power in themselves to obey. Remember God said, “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules”. That person who hasn’t received the infilling of the Holy Spirit will struggle all their life until they receive the Holy Spirit. It’s only when you receive the Holy Spirit that He will work in you to cause you to obey the Word of God. That’s why this is such an important element to your rebirth into that new creation. Your receiving the Holy Spirit is an essential part of producing fruit and growing in your faith; from just having a “born again” spirit into having a “born again” soul.

Have you been filled with the Holy Spirit yet? If not just ask. (Luke 11:13) If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him”! We simply need to ask God to fill us up with His spirit. The promise of receiving the Holy Spirit is for everyone whom the Lord calls to Himself. (Acts 2:38) And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (39) For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself”. The Holy Spirit has been promised to you. If you haven't been filled with the Holy Spirit find a couple of Spirit filled believers to lay hands on you and pray the prayer of faith to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

As we look to Scripture we see the biggest evidence for those who have received the Holy Spirit is the gift of tongues. “And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying”. Some may indeed receive the Holy Spirit without having hands laid on them or the evidence of speaking in tongues but we do see throughout Scriptures the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in tongues. Simply compare the power the disciples demonstrated after receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. They were completely changed because it was now God’s power working in them. (Luke 24:49) And behold, I send forth the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high. This is the power promised by God in Ezekiel 36. The same power is promised to us. Jesus' parting words prior to His ascending into heaven were (Acts 1:8) But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (9) Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Yes, it's the Holy Spirit of God which gives us the power to stand and not continue to fall into sin. (Jude 24) Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy. It’s God’s Holy Spirit keeping us from stumbling; it’s Him and His power that makes us blameless before the throne. When you receive the Holy Spirit you’ll find that instead of having to travel the long, narrow road alone, continually falling off and trying harder on your own that it’s now Him taking over your life, traveling it with you, guiding you and your decisions. That, my brothers and sisters, makes for a much smoother journey. Why don't you ask now to be filled with His power, God's Holy Spirit?

AM I BORN AGAIN YET?

Now that we've established all that is involved in the "born again" experience you may be asking yourself "Am I finally born again after all of this?" I’m sorry to disappoint if you are hoping for the "it is finished" moment at this point in our lesson. Your soul is in a continual process of being reborn; it’s that sanctification (purification) we read about in the Scriptures. (Romans 6:22) But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life. You’ll notice that first comes the sanctification or purification of your soul or your life that we live here on earth and only then comes the end of your salvation, which is the new resurrected body which brings eternal life. This is the process to be truly “born again”; first spirit, then soul, and finally body. If you skip the first two you’ll never receive your new body and eternal life in heaven.

JUST HOW BORN AGAIN ARE YOU?

If you’re wondering how you’re doing, you can just look at yourself to see the areas in which you have been “born again” in your soul. Can you go day after day without lying or stealing? Congratulations, that part of your soul has been reborn. When you’re unjustly persecuted or insulted, can you truly turn the other cheek or are you defending yourself and returning insult with insult? Until you can take your persecution, turn the other cheek and pray for those coming against you, then you have not been “born again” in that part of your soul. Until each part of your old fleshly self is completely conquered you haven’t been reborn in that part of your soul. The good news is that the blood of Christ is covering you in those areas until you are cleansed by the Lord. (Philippians 1:6) Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Yes, the Lord will be working on you and complete it until the day you die.

Other enemies in our soul that we must defeat on our “born again” journey would be things like greed, gambling, covetousness (wanting more), lust, gossiping, prejudices, judging others, anger, gluttony, loving worldly things more than God. These are just some of the areas of our soul that need rebirth in order to eventually receive that born again resurrected body.

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:

The Apostle Paul describes the fruit we should manifest in our soul. (Galatians 5:22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (24) And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If you are Christ’s, you have crucified the old you, with it’s old fleshly desires and are continually receiving that “born again” soul. With a born again soul, you’ll be a different person than you used to be. Your life and your personality will be more and more ruled by the Spirit in love, in joy, and in peace. You’ll find yourself having more patience and being kinder to others; goodness, faithfulness and self-control will just be part of you because it’s no longer you that lives but Christ who lives in you. This is the fruit for which Jesus is returning. Only those who have overcome the world and have bore the fruit of Jesus will enter eternity. (Revelation 3:5) He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life.

CONCLUSION:

Clearly the example we see in the Scriptures is for the first step of believing and receiving that “born again” spirit, the second step water baptism, and thirdly baptism of the Holy Spirit. These were the steps for the Apostles and the early church in order to even begin the process of renewing your mind and becoming “born again” in your soul. If you will just follow these steps, the Lord promises that He and not you will do the sanctification in your soul.

I hope this study has helped you to understand what it really means to be “born again” and that it’s not a onetime thing, but a continual process until we die. If you obey the Word you will always have companionship on your long journey in life. (John 14:23) Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Yes, both the spirit of Jesus and the spirit of God will make their home in your heart and guide you through your journey in life.

If you haven’t decided to fully follow Jesus please do it today and receive His “born again” spirit. If you haven’t been baptized since you became “born again” please do it today! If you have not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit please do it today. Tomorrow may be too late! Do these things as we are commanded and the Lord will do His part in your spirit, soul and body. (1 Thes 5:23) And the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (24) Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.

God bless,

Mark, a servant of the Lord, www.HeavensHelpers.org

Questions/Feedback - email me: mark@heavenshelpers.org