PERTINENT questions and offshoots arose from last week’s offering on introduction to the testimony of Jesus Christ. We will address them henceforth so that we do not proceed without much hanging over our heads and clogging the mind of our spirits. The church or the body of Christ needs to mature and spiritual growth becomes imperative.
It was easy for some to understand the simplicity of salvation and new birth. We, teachers and expositors of the Word, often assume the congregation knows things we think are basics, yet they do not. Therefore, putting them across will not harm. Let us look at the curriculum vitae of someone who we will say was part of a bishop’s forum if it was our day. We read John 3:1, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:” Jesus was to later ask in John 3:10, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master [teacher] of Israel, and knowest not these things?”
Entrance to the Kingdom of God was and still is by being born again so he heard from Jesus. We read 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.” What is striking is that he was thinking of the physical body.
I will make this statement, just shelve it somewhere in your mind, it will be handy shortly. You are your physical body. Let us finish quoting part of the discourse between Jesus and Nicodemus. John 3:4, records, “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?”
Please read the following slowly and absorb it, John 3:5-6, “[5] Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water meaning the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” We apply the Genesis principle here, after its kind. Flesh gives birth to flesh and the Spirit to spirit.
After accepting the Gospel of Christ, our human spirit got life from the Spirit of God. We became alive. From what we read last week, all things are passed away, not cast away. The physical body remained the same in terms of height and complexion for example. Our soul, where we find the mind, was not born again. If you were at school, certain topics remained tough just as an example.
We usually say we possess a soul and live in a body. The moment we are born again, we should quickly be exposed to sound Bible study and attend a church (read denomination or ministry) sound in its handling of the rightly divided Word of truth. Your memory knows very well that you aborted and strangled that newly born baby in a pit. Someone might have been a thug used by the rich and infamous to kidnap and kill for rituals. The Gospel of Christ reached you and you are heaven bound. The spirit says you are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
When we say declare and confess, I am the holiness of God in Christ Jesus, your mind will whisper and tell you to sober. If you are unfortunate, you will meet those who tell you to continue to confess sins until you hear the voice of God and that can be a lifetime of condemnation and unbearable sin consciousness. But the spiritual reality is that you are innocent because of acceptance of the Gospel of Christ.
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We are instructed by Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” As you read, study, meditate on the Word and listen to good teaching/preaching, your mind is being renewed. Let us say, for example, that at the time of salvation you were smoking weed, you will just notice the hunger gone.
I for one do not waste time preaching beer, I preach Jesus Who empowers comers to thrash ungodly habits. Let us leave that for clinical psychologists or philosophers of that field. There is a path for the believer. Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:23-24, “[23] And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; [24] And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”
Next week, I will speak to those of you who are being labelled because of your conduct while dead in trespasses in the kingdom of darkness. Sometimes the “church” will frustrate you though you mean to serve but because they know the old person. In their circles they ostracise you. However, we know 2 Corinthians 3:17, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
Let me recall the Scripture we used last week. It is Romans 8:6, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” To be spiritually minded is life and peace. Now unto him is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
- All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
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