|
Born again... what exactly does this mean?!
The subject of Born again is grossly misunderstood. Traditional Christian religion believes being Born again is something that occurs once you "accept Christ." This is a very cheap and disrespectful approach toward God. If you've been reading the previous related material on God's Family you will realize that to be of the family of God, being formed as His very nature and Holiness, you will realize that the cheap grace the Christian world teaches is a shame to God. Born again... born a SECOND time! How many of you would like to have Charles Manson as your son? How about any of the other mass murders? How about any of the many criminals that walk the earth? Would you like to have them living right next door to you... forever? Would you want any of your children to have a mind and nature that practiced theft, adultery, rape? Would you like to spend eternity with them like that? We tend to view only the real bad things as "wrong," but God doesn't ultimately distinguish between lesser sins and greater sins. ANY sin, any wrong that a person does or thinks condemns them to death, not eternal life burning in fire. YES, Christ's death, the death of the only being like God himself, is what reconciles us to God and we are forgiven of all sins (wrong actions and thoughts) that are PAST! This in NO way changes who and what we are, our natures or the evil that we do. Everyone sins. That nature is NOT of God and WILL not be resurrected to eternal life without some sort of PERMANENT (Born again) change. THAT is what this website is all about and what God Himself is doing through Christ. It is Christ's nature we must be conformed to and this isn't done through a simple, "I believe." God has a plan, and yes that plan requires forgiveness, but it also requires being "born again" (or "born from above" which is the more accurate rendering of these words), as a new creature. Consider these things. How does the sacrifice of Christ, a very valuable and vital thing, change your heart? God doesn't, as most traditional Christians believe, simply wipe away sins, and then overlooks the very nature (what we actually ARE) that causes us to sin. It is ridiculous to believe a Holy, just, righteous God would consider bringing into His family someone whose nature is that of Satan, the spirit that influences this whole world. Christ's sacrifice enables the forgiveness of sin but there is another step in the process as you will read in this website, that actually results in being born again... a NEW birth into the nature and kingdom of God. If you don't know what that process is, then how can you possibly expect to be a part of God's family? Being "born again (born from above)" is that moment when, just like our first birth, we are given a new life. Let's look at John 3: John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said to him, truly, truly I say to you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus says to 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? 5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Except a man be born of water and [of] 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. 7 Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell where it comes from, and where it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." Let's notice a few things that most people overlook:
Notice the contrast between being born of the flesh and that being the same as flesh, and then being born of the spirit, and how THAT is the same as being spirit. You can't use two different interpretations of these two scriptures. That which is born of flesh, is naturally flesh and blood. It can't be anything else. The same is true for being born of the spirit. If one is born of the spirit, that means they are born SPIRIT. NO one on this earth, except Jesus Christ, has EVER been born of the spirit. That comes at the resurrection of God's children, those who have been called, who made the commitment to be changed, received God's spirit, and have obeyed God laws to death. There simply is no other way. Christ's sacrifice is the beginning, not the end as many believe. To think that the Father thinks so little of His son's sacrifice that He would simply overlook the true nature of mankind and grant them eternal life is a shame. Christ walked the path that WE are to walk. His death paid the death penalty for us, but it doesn't blind God's eyes to the truth. His death gives us grace, imputes righteousness because of our responding to His molding and shaping. God does NOT impute "character" to us. God simply isn't going to resurrect people who have the same nature as Satan. Christ's sacrifice removed the sin, when we repented. If we sin again, we need to repent. Grace covers us as we have a repentant attitude and accept the sacrifice through obedience and submission to the spirit of Christ. If we don't repent and submit, even though we believe in Christ, the death penalty is again on our heads. Think about it. Sin is so bad and evil, it took the death of a God being to pay the penalty for it. On the other hand, this penalty, now being paid by this death, does nothing to change our minds and character. That takes the LIFE of Christ. His resurrection - His being born from above - is what gives us life and is what, over time, changes our character, conforming it to that of His own. If we do not become a part of that mind-altering, life-long experience, we are NOT ultimately saved. If you study God's word, you will see much about "repentance." You will realize that repentance actually means to "change direction." It means we are to actively turn away from sin and submit to God's molding of our spiritual lives and nature to be like His sons. That doesn't come from some sleight of hand by the Father. If you look carefully, you will see that it is CHRIST that is doing the work of transforming us for a future purpose... but ONLY as we respond in obedience to His laws and submit to His word Add up the context and all the references to spirit:
What of Christ Himself? 1 Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, [and] become the firstfruits. . .Rom 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the "first born among many brethren." Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the "first born" over all creation. Col 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. Rev 1:5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. Notice that even Christ Himself is stated to be the "firstborn FROM THE DEAD." Christ is the first, and only, to ever be resurrected to a new life... first "born again" to spirit life. If "born again" means receiving the spirit, or being saved, then how is Christ "born again" or "saved?" He was sinless, and had the spirit from birth. This is further proof that to be "born again," you must reach the level of the image of Christ. This truth isn't a threat to anyone's salvation who believe that they have already been born from above. It just means that there is MORE to the process than just being "saved." We have to work out our OWN salvation, with fear and trembling...Phil 2:12 "Wherefore, my beloved, as you 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." That truth is what Satan, the spirit on this earth, wants you to miss and overlook. It makes his job easier. Godkind web pages created
and material written by Jeffrey T. Maehr. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Reproduction allowed if credit to this
website is listed with material. All other authors or copyrights listed accordingly.
|