General Articles

Why You Must Be Born Again :: By Gene Lawley

Published on: by RR7

Jesus made that title declaration as recorded in John 3, and it was not a suggestion for an alternative choice to enter heaven. That seems to be pretty stern, but He did not leave any alternatives. Now what does that say to those who blatantly claim that there are more ways to heaven than just by Jesus Christ? Do you mean to argue with Jesus about it? You might want to argue, then, with the Apostle Peter, for he said in Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Then Jesus also said, in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” There is absolutely no “wiggle room” in any of those passages.

So let’s work our way through all of it.

When man was created, Genesis 2:7 says God “breathed” into this newly created person the breath of life, and “man became a living soul.” The man became alive spiritually (soul) and the “dust-formed” creature took on physical life. The man was told that he could eat of any tree of the Garden, but if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he would die. As the story unfolded, he ate of that tree as his wife (whom God had also created) urged him to, and both immediately knew that they were not dressed decently. They sensed guilt and tried to cover their nakedness and hide from God. Man had discovered the knowledge of good and evil, just as God said he would if he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was destined to die a physical death just as he had already died a spiritual death.

In His mercy, God provided skins of animals to cover the two human beings, thus establishing the method for restoration to fellowship with God—a blood sacrifice. Adam lived physically, 930 years, then died physically.

All humans, then and now, are born with the stamp of death in their genes from that first man, Adam. His nature is that of every one following him. That nature will not be allowed in heaven for it is dead in trespasses and sins. There must be a new birth. Surprisingly, perhaps, is the fact that one cannot repent for that sin of Adam. Only by death can it be eradicated, and for the non-believer in Christ, even that doesn’t work. That transformation of the new birth is the only means of ridding one of the sin of Adam. When the resurrection occurs, those bodies of the “dead in Christ” will be raised fully free of that old nature of Adam. Likewise, the living believer will be transformed (John 11:25-26).

Nicodemus, who was confronted with that “must” in John 3, wondered aloud just how a person could be born again from his mother’s womb. Here is the response Jesus gave him:

“Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8).

That reference to being “born of water” does not mean being baptized in water, but rather of the intricacies of the physical pregnancy and birth process. He points to the two types of births in the verse. Note also that Jesus specifically points out that the new birth is a spiritual one. Titus 3:5 is a reference that clarifies this in more understandable terms:

“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.”

The verse reminds us that one cannot regenerate something that was not once generated, nor can he renew something that was not once new or present. It remains, then, that the “born-again” experience restores a person to that relationship with God that existed before the fall of man in the Garden, yet this time it is with the knowledge of good and evil. That old nature and the physical body are still doomed to die and return to the dust from which it came. Thus, when a believer in Christ, the saved person, physically dies, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Even that ancient patriarch Job knew the truths of the physical body and then its resurrection in an eternal body that is without sin and degradation:

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:25-26).

When Paul writes about our bodies being the temple of the living God in 1 Corinthians 6:17-20 and that believers should not conduct immoral activities therefore, we tend to slip on by what verse 17 says about our spirit, but it is an amazing truth that  also resounds with a positive fallout from Galatians 2:20-21. Look at verse 17 first:

 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Then, Galatians 2:20-21:

“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. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”

So Paul directs the believer, in Romans 6:11, to “Reckon ourselves dead indeed to sin but alive to God.”

Because every person is born into this world with the nature of Adam, he is already contrary to God, thus John 3:18 says, “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already.”

The transformation is truly a “regeneration” that is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 in these words:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation; old things are passed away, behold, all things have become new!”

That new person now living in your old body is an eternal one, yet that dying physical body is still subject to evil desires. Here is how the Apostle Paul described his situation and his solution to that ever-present urge to do evil things with that new knowledge of both good and evil:

“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank my God through Jesus Christ my Lord, that with the mind I, myself, will serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:24-25).

With the thought of the mind being a resource for fighting that personal battle to live righteously, look at Philippians 2:12b-13 where we use the words “enables us” instead of “works in us” to clarify what actually happens:

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure.”

Closer thought on the passage reveals that man has a decision to make, and if he makes the right one, God will enable him to set his mind on it and do it.

We find that same principle in Ephesians 3:20:

 “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.”

That is why we must be born again. The old Adam nature will not be allowed in heaven for there is no evilness in heaven. It is not by human effort but only by faith, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

How can you be born again? Acknowledge your sinfulness to God and ask Him to save you. He will take care of the details of your transformation and renewal of His Spirit in you.

Contact email: andwegetmercy@gmail.com

Something to Think About :: By Jason White

Published on: by RR7

One of the most incredible things I believe a person can experience in this life is the Bible. The more you study and understand God’s Word, the more fascinating it becomes. From Genesis to Revelation, it all weaves together so perfectly when time is taken to understand what God has given us as a guide from the Holy Spirit.

In God’s Word, He gives us an incredible amount of prophecy. He tells us so many things that have happened since the men He chose put His words to literature. He did so with purpose.

God gave us His seven Feasts in chapter 23 of Leviticus. These are not Jewish Feasts like many believe; they are God’s Feasts that the Jews are commanded to follow. These Feasts are as follows: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. As we now know, Christ fulfilled the first four Feasts beginning with Himself as the sacrificial Lamb on Passover, and the last to be fulfilled was the Holy Spirit indwelling the Disciples on Pentecost.

He fulfilled the first three Feasts in the spring with His death, burial, and resurrection. The fourth feast of Pentecost was fulfilled with the indwelling of the disciples and others with the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem after His resurrection. The last three are yet to be fulfilled. I, as well as others, believe that there is a significant possibility that the fall Feasts will be fulfilled with His second coming.

About a year and a half ago, I came across something while doing my Bible studies that has been very interesting to me, and I would like to share it with you. Before I go any further, I want to state, in the most definite terms that I can, that this is only speculation when considering the dates of future Feasts and the length of days given for the tribulation. There have been too many Harold Camping’s of the world that have been a disgrace to Christianity. What follows is nothing more than an interesting timeline to consider. But I do think those who have studied the Feasts will indeed find it intriguing!

God laid out His judgment against the Jewish people in the book of Daniel chapter 9 for their iniquities and not letting the land rest in the 7th year. He prophesied 70 weeks against the Jews, which is 70 years times 7 as foretold in Leviticus chapter 26. 69 of those weeks have already been fulfilled, and the 70th week will be fulfilled with the coming Tribulation. I have long believed that the 7 years of tribulation may run concurrently with the Jews’ current sabbatical 7-year cycle of letting the land rest. After all, it was their neglect of God’s commandment in chapter 25 of Leviticus that led to the 70 weeks being prophesied against them. It would make sense that the two 7-year event/cycles are simultaneous. Think about that!

So, for that to happen, the Tribulation would begin on the first day of the sabbatical cycle which also happens to be the Feast of Trumpets. The signing of the covenant by Israel and the Anti-Christ is what begins the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27). The rapture will take place before this date and be one of the events that allows the Anti-Christ to come forward and gain the power that he needs once the true Church and restraining power of the Holy Spirit have been taken out of the way.

Between the Book of Daniel and Revelation, we know the Tribulation will be 2,520 days or seven Jewish years of 360 days. But when you read Daniel chapter 12 from verse 5 on, Daniel is speaking to the man clothed in linen who is above the river. Daniel refers to this Man as “O, my Lord” in verse 8. The Man speaks to Daniel, and it is in verses 11 and 12 that sparked this paper. They state, “And from the time that the daily sacrifice be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days” (KJV).

The Tribulation is 2,520 days with the first and second half each being 1,260 days. But the Man above the river (which is most likely Christ Himself) just added 30 days and then another 45 days.

After researching the extra 30 days, a prevalent belief is that these 30 days will be for the sheep and goat judgment that Christ spoke of in Mathew chapter 25. After He separates the sheep from the goats, He will judge. Feasts of Atonement is known as Judgment day. It’s also speculation, but I believe that the next 45 days could likely be the time Christ heals the earth from the incredible destruction caused by the tribulation and prepares the sheep for the Millennium. At the end of the extra 75 days that the Man clothed in linen above the river spoke of will be the beginning of the Millennium, and that’s why I think He stated that those who waited would be blessed.

So, let’s get to the point of this article. If you consider the next sabbatical year for Israel which begins on Feasts of Trumpets September 26th, 2022 and add 2,520 days for the tribulation, it falls on August 20th 2029. But if you add the extra 30 days spoken of by the Man clothed in linen above the river to Daniel, the new date falls on September 19th, 2029 which is also Feasts of Atonement that year. Judgment Day! An online date calculator will assist you in researching this fact.

When Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation, He will defeat the antichrist and his armies with the sword from His mouth. He will simply speak, and they will be decimated. There will then be left, both tribulation believers and non-believers. Not all non-believers will be part of the antichrist army, and Christ will have to deal with them. I believe that this may be the time of the sheep and goat judgment spoken of in Matthew chapter 25 and the need for the additional 30 days.

I will state again, this is speculation.

The Lord’s Feasts laid out by God in Leviticus chapter 23 are biblical. The date calculations in the paragraph above are accurate. What makes this extremely intriguing is when you consider everything that the prophecies of the Bible state and look at the world around us today. You can see all of them coming to fruition and very fast.

Israel has been in the land for close to 72 years. The invaders of Gog and Magog (Russia, Turkey and Iran) are now in Syria. The list is great of how everything that is supposed to be in place for Christ’s return are in place. To me, that is what makes this very interesting.

Christ chastised his disciples for not knowing the timing of His first coming. He gave us so much prophecy to make sure that those who know Him will know the season of His second coming. There is no doubt that we are in that season. He said, we would not know the day or the hour. But He certainly wanted us to know the season.

The rapture must occur before the Tribulation, and there will be a gap of time before the Anti-Christ and Israel will sign the covenant. This gap, in my opinion, will be for at least one year if not more. When the rapture occurs, there will be panic like never before. The financial markets will collapse. There will most likely be major war in the Middle East. This will bring about the conditions necessary for the Anti-Christ to gain the power he needs.

I have prayed and pondered for over a year on writing this paper since I came across how the dates line up. No one can know if it is a coincidence or if it will transpire like I suggested above. But I have to say that it has me looking up more now than ever!

God Bless and be with you always!

jlw343@yahoo.com