“re-think!”
…
No.4
It is time to look again at what we believe and get away from the futile traditions of man
We will look at the meanings of certain words and especially their context endeavouring to hear the mind of Christ on the matter in question. God’s thinking does not vary, so we will let His word all through the bible bring forth His conclusions. We are established by revelation not by education! The Holy Spirit will teach us ALL things (John 14:26) and His Word is spiritual and much higher than the natural, letter word. The Living Word, Jesus, said, ‘My words are spirit and they are life’ (John 6: 63)
BORN AGAIN?
The commons usage of the term ‘born again’ is given to a person who has ‘given their heart’ to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is conversion where one’s thinking is changed and a surrender made to Christ who removes all sin and guilt.
By observation the many converts declaring that they have been born again, have no idea what the Kingdom of God is! One concludes that it is much more than being converted from heathenism to Christianity!
Seeing something is perceiving it.
(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.
The Greek word for’ again’... ANOTHEN = from above.
The Greek word for ‘born’... GENNAO = to regenerate: - bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, to gender, to make, to form, to spring.
The source of this new life is not from the earth or even earthly thinking. This life stems from ‘above’, from a higher realm than natural earthly life. It is the impregnation from Father-God of His life into a human being that He is drawing to Himself.
THE PROCESS OF BEING BORN
In our natural birth the whole process starts with the act of conception. There follows a gestation period in which the embryo develops until it is ready to be brought forth fully formed. This new babe comes out of the darkness of mother’s womb into the marvellous light of an entirely new realm. This parallels salvation for that also is a process of change . . . for the Word declares that we were saved, we are being saved and he who endures to the end shall be saved. In one’s spiritual birth, there is likewise a conception where each one receives a definite encounter with Father and it is the beginning of the developing process towards being fully birthed. The whole developing is referred to as ‘being born again’ or being ‘born from above’.
Father placed His Seed in you of the incorruptible life of Christ. (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ‘Every seed brings forth after its kind’ we are told in Genesis.
(23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
This ‘conception-seed’ is the living word, Christ-JESUS. The seed being ‘word’ , then the womb is the mind. The incorruptible seed, the word of God, starts to develop the mind of Christ which is in us (I Cor. 3:16). Such new thinking directly from God enables one’s eyes to be opened to see or perceive that which God desires and purposes which is definitely ‘from above’ ... a much higher understanding than hitherto encountered.
There are many evidences of being born again. Verse 22 above shows us that each one will cleanse one’s old thinking and desires by obeying the truth to the point where each will have a ‘no conditions’ love for all believers (v.22 above).
ENTERING
into THE KINGDOM
Entering into something is . . . EXPERIENCING it . . .
(John 3:5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
WATER and SPIRIT . . .
The ‘water birthing’ does not refer to the natural birth for Jesus said, ‘My Kingdom is not of this world, if it were so, I would have told you’ . . . this would mean that every man would be able to perceive the Kingdom of God which is not the case! (John 3:6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. There is a distinct difference between the old life and the new. We must get away from the old evangelizing of getting some to ‘add Jesus to their life’! It is not an adding, it is a complete ‘trade-in’ of one’s old life for the life of Christ as revealed to us in Jesus.
‘Born of water’ means being brought out of the darkness of a sin-orientated life of ignorance into the awareness of an entirely new life emanating from the Living Word who reveals Himself through the preaching or sharing of the ‘water of the word’ (Ephesians 5:26). This equates with one being ‘saved’ experience. (1 John 5:6) This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. Jesus is the Pattern Son who most certainly lived a supernatural life by the Spirit of God living it through Him. The provision of the Water of the word and the Blood of Christ go hand in hand.
As we begin to perceive the Kingdom of God, we are shown that we are to add the birthing into the realm of the Spirit. This is the baptism in the Holy Spirit which makes one more aware of the way in which the Spirit operates. This baptism releases the mind of Christ from within. This surrender to the mind/will of Christ is an essential further step in order for one to ENTER into that Kingdom .
When one makes a decision for Christ it is like conception. Then the embryo has to grow in the womb. The babe in the womb is fed and cared for by mother until the time of the birth. Mother still is used to instruct the new child. This pictures Mother-Church caring for the young ones in Christ.
When one is truly conceived of the Father, there will lots of noticeable changes to the life. However when the born-again process is complete, everything will be different. Until then, there will certainly be steady evidences of the spiritual growth or development.
Impregnated with an incorruptible ‘seed’, there can only follow an incorruptible birthing — thus from such we read that whoever is born of God does not commit sin and the enemy does not touch him .
(1 John 5:18) We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not. This is NOT the evidence usually seen in those who have just been converted and are ‘babes’ or beginners. They most certainly are in the family of God.
If any man be in Christ, old things are passed away and behold, all things are new. Worldly things no longer have first claim upon a life born from above.
(1 John 5:4) For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Faith in the new life being processed in one.
(John 3:7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. This birthing process MUST run its course in order for one to enter into that full union with His life.
(John 3:8) The wind blows where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but can’t not tell whence it comes, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. The old carnal mind cannot tell (solve) where this life stems from. This life of Christ within is a supernatural life that is far higher than any previous living it is a supernatural life, is it not?. (1 John 5:1) Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: many believe that Jesus WAS the Christ when He walked this earth, but NOW Christ is many-membered and He expresses the Jesus-life-pattern in each of us. It is Christ in you that expresses the Father’s life and our assurance comes when we have complete trust (belief) in the Indwelling Anointed One.
CHRIST TO BE FORMED IN EACH
Starting as a ‘seed’, there has to be an expectation of ‘harvest’ of that which was sown. (Gal 4:19) My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.
(Gal 1:16) To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: This does not come forth into reality by the unrenewed mind of reasoning man. Firstly this revelation of Christ in you, must be seen as being for each one individually and then one’s attention will be focused on the whole body of Christ.
When Father brings forth new life out of Himself, there are no abortions, no stillborns, no breach-births even though to our natural eyes it looks like it sometime happens!
BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN?
The common term ‘born-again Christian’ is simply a religious term which misleads the new believer into not pressing into the fullness of Christ which is why they were apprehended by God in the first place.
God is for us and He will bring each through this metamorphosis that we might end up in His image and likeness which was His original unchanged plan (Gen. 1:26-27).§
Ray Knight
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