That Christianese term "born-again"! That term is so misused and abused that oftentimes I am afraid to utter it in terms of myself. But there it is ... in John 3:1-9. Nicodemus himself asks in a puzzled voice in Vs 9, "How can these things be?"
The simple truth is this...we can do nothing of ourselves to be "born again" or given "spiritual life". Read Scott's notes from today's sermon at Morningside Baptist Church. Check the additional scriptures carefully, and read thoughtfully for this is an excellent teaching on being "born again".
2 comments:
Romans 10:17 clearly teaches "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
So what does the WORD of GOD say about being born again?
YOUR CONDITION WITHOUT CHRIST
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10).
Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one (Job 14:4).
What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? (Job 15:14).
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me (Psalm 51:5).
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
CHRIST’S PROVISION FOR SIN
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time (1Timothy 2:3-6).
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man (Hebrews 2:9).
And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world (1 John 4:14).
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men (Titus 2:11).
HOW TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already [now], because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18).
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36).
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life (John 5:24).
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst (John 6:35).
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life (John 6:47).
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26).
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness (John 12:46).
To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins (Acts 10:43).
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16).
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness (Romans 4:5).
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).
Of course, I know those who follow "Calvin" believe the atonement of Christ is "limited" to the "chosen" and the "elect" and the only ones who can believe are the elect.
I wonder what this verse means?
2 Peter 2:1 warns, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, EVEN DENYING THE LORD THAT BOUGHT THEM, and bring upon themselves swift destruction."
Did the Lord Jesus die on the cross for all men, the whole world, and every person? Or for all chosen men, the chosen world, or every chosen person?
We may disagree on doctrine Grandma Whitestone, but still love each other. I love you in Christ and am continuing to pray with you and dear Hubby!
Thank you, Forrest, for your good comment and excellent scriptures. I agree wholeheartedly that all who desire to come to Christ may do so. The question is this ... who and what creates the desire in a man? Can fallen man in his unregenerate state desire God? Or is it that God regenerates and thereby creates the desire? I'm sure this will be debated until Christ returns. Either way, for those who love God, Scripture gives us assurance of His ability to keep us safely in His hand.
On another note, when teaching in jail (sadly I'll be missing out on that for some months), I always present Scripture (many of which you listed) on the premise that I do not know whom God is calling. But I do know this, that He reveals Himself and His salvation through Scripture.
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