SPIRITUAL BIRTH
Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3) He must be BORN AGAIN. This truth continued to develop through the Gospels, and on the day the Church was born after Peter’s famous first Pentecostal sermon, the crowd asked what must we do ? Peter said:
1. Repent
(a) Have a change of mind
(b) Have a change of direction
(c) Have a change of attitude
(d) Have a change of affection
2. Obey
(a) Be baptized in water
3. The Result
They would receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit
The Apostle Paul continued in his writings to say this is what it means to be born again.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST ?
1. The Word of God was preached in the power of the Holy Spirit
2. The Word of God produced conviction of sin
3. The Holy Spirit drew the people to that place of repentance.
Peter tells us (1 Peter 1.23) We are born again because we receive the incorruptible seed (sperma) of the Word of God into our lives. Can you see the picture (truth) of spritual reproduction) The divine sperma enters the womb of our heart, spiritual conception takes place and we sre born again.
In that seed there is spiritual Colustrum, like what is in a new mother’s milk for a few days). It is called “High Octane milk” as it is full of antbodies and immunoglobulins that protects the new baby from so many of the germs and bugs it confronts when it leaves the womb. It also contains a strong laxative to reject the rubbish that pollutes its body.
What was it like for you following your conversion? many belivers seem to live on cloud nine for days and weeks following. The change is so many can be quite dramatic. Sadly, it doesn’t continue this way, but God has other things he wants to bring into operation in our lives.
In our generation there is so much “easy believism”
Little if any anointed preaching of the Word of God
No call to repentance
No real change in people lives
I do no not want to judge if a person is born again or not, but THERE MUST BE CHANGE, and often we cannot see it.
Job’s life is an interesting story, The Bible says he had a fence all around him to protect him, (spritual Colustrum) but God at Satan’s request began to remove the fence so Job could be tempted and attacked. This I believe happens in the new Believer’s life, and this is where the outworking of The Great Commission comes into play. It is not only ‘preach the Gospel” BUT
MAKE DISCIPLES
Sadly, there are many interpretations to this. Keep in mind the Bible is an Eastern book, and in the mind of the day, the role of a Guru would immediately in their thinking, Jesus practiced this with His 12 disciples.
We have talked about previously how the word FEED in John 21: 15 &17 is the picture of the Shepherd going through the wool looking for the cuts and bruises and rubbish that gets caught up in the wool and the shepherd is so close the sheep that the smell of the sheep is on the shepherd.
So Discipleship is especially teaching, both in a group and one on one so the new Christian grows and comes to maturity and can then himself disciple others.
We all know that just because we are born again doesn’t mean all our old habit practices and attitudes instantly disappear. So the Discipler has an exciting challenging job to do:
To assist the new believer to drink (chew) the sincere milk of the Word of God (Heb. 5:12-14
To go onto to the meat of the Word of God, just as it happens with babies and infants.
To develop communion (intimacy) with God through prayer
To understand and experience the awesome inheritance we have through the work of the Cross so that we can live victorious holy lives.
To get planted (set) in a local church, we cannot grow to be a balanced Christian unless we are a functioning part of a local church. There are no Lone Rangers in the Body of Christ.
Why do so many believers backslide (if they were born again in the first place) or simply never grow spiritually????
Let us make sure we do it right in the first place, preach the Word, expect conviction and repentance, then disciple. We would never throw a new born baby into a swimming pool and expect it to swim but that is what happens to many who make decisions for Christ. YOU CANNOT LEAVE A NEW CHRISTIAN TO GROW ON HIS OWN.
In the Evangelical world, some say if we retain 10% of our converts we should be happy,
JESUS PRAYED THAT NOT ONE WOULD BE LOST.
Let us do it the Bible way, (and believe for 100% RETENTION) otherwise we are simply playing games.
I trust the above does not offend, please feel free to comment on this blog. God bless.
