Posted on 03/17/2012 6:19:50 PM PDT by pastorbillrandles
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. (John 3:18-20)
The new birth that Jesus spoke of in his talk with Nicodemus, is good news. We can start all over again with God. We can become ‘as children” again. We can be born again unto God, and walk in a new relationship with Him as His children. We can enter into a hope of eternal glory, the very glory which by the fall of man we have all fallen short of. God the Father has made a way to bring us into the fellowship of His Son.
This was all made possible by the gift of love, that is, the offering of the Son of God for our sins.
All sins can be forgiven,All of the evil things we have done against God and one another has been accounted for, and paid in full, in the sacrifice Jesus made, on Calvary. Jesus died for all sins and for every sinner, “…once and for all, the just for the unjust to bring us to God…(I Peter 3:18).
But receiving the gift of the new birth requires that like the risen Lazarus, we step out of our own tomb of darkness and walk into the light of God .
What does it mean to walk in the Light of Jesus?
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.(John 8:12)
What does light do? Light reveals things, it allows for things to be seen as they truly are. This is the effect of the coming of Jesus, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.“(Isaiah 9:2).
Jesus revealed by his words, and his works, “the only true God”. Now we know fully what God is like, for in seeing Jesus we have seen the Father. “The darkness is past and the true light now shineth…”. The God Jesus reveals is a loving Father, merciful and gracious, healing, and resurrecting. His words are life, he knows about us, our struggles, fears, and faults.
Jesus also revealed that God is also a Holy and Righteous Judge who will one day summons all mankind before his throne of judgment. Most of what we know biblically of hellfire comes from Jesus. We get “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, and “cast out into outer darkness” from the words of Jesus!
Jesus also reveals the true character of men. By Jesus, the secrets of men’s hearts are fully revealed, and it isn’t a flattering picture. Men are fallen, blind, hypocritical, and murderous. They are selfish, and unforgiving, and estranged from God by their sins.
Jesus shatters the world’s estimation of itself, he contradicts its proud humanism entirely, exposing the utter spiritual and moral bankruptcy of even the ‘best’ of men. He holds back nothing in his critical analysis of the hearts of all men….
That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.(Mark 7:20-23)
His cross is perhaps the greatest offense of all, because it presupposes profound human guilt, as well as being a statement our human inability to atone for ourselves.The cross is also a profound revelation of the Divine hatred of sin. Jesus died for our sins, as a substitute and an offering to God.
We look at the tortured figure shuttering on the cross in agony, abandoned by all, even by his God, mocked and humiliated by his enemies, and we breathe a whispered prayer,”Dear Lord is this what it took to save me from my sins? Is this how bad sin really is? Could the breach between God and man be so great that it took this to bring us to you?”.
But the wicked are offended by this revelation of Jesus. They take an exception to the exposure of the true nature of man as revealed in Jesus, and especially in His cross. The light is too glaring, the exposure is uncomfortable because it is condemning, even damning.
In fact many spend their lives fleeing the light of Jesus, shutting the shades, closing the door, and averting their gaze whenever the light happens to shine. They don’t want to be told that man is fallen, and that they need to be rescued from their own sins.
The call to be “born again” is in itself an insult.” Why should I start all over again,I am good enough as I am!” People don’t want to be ‘born again’ if it means confessing their sins to God, or admitting their sinfulness and spiritual bankruptcy.
Remember what Paul the apostle told us by the Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 1. The ungodly are under Divine wrath because they “Suppress the truth in unrighteousness” They fully know that they were created by a personal God, that they have broken or failed to live up to any moral code, and furthermore, that because of this, they are liable to judgment.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;(Romans 1:28)
Jesus said that the real condemnation of the wicked is that when light came into the world, “…men loved the darkness more than they loved the light…”. They actually love to “not know” the truth about themselves, they do not want to be seen by God, nor are they willing to be known for who they really are. They refuse to see themselves in the light of God.
This is a truly deep look into the psychology of godless man, that he prefers fantasy and illusion to truth, for the truth humbles him, it shows him to be a dependant and needy creature. He doesn’t want to face a judge, so he imagines there isn’t an ultimate one. Man wants to craft his own rules, his own personal ethic, therefore he resents and even hates the commandments of God.
He would create his own world, on his own terms, and define his own righteousness, if only it were possible. He doesn’t want to know the “Right way”. Man crafts his own plan of salvation, but always one that exalts man, never one that humbles him. Fallen man hates the light of Jesus.
Jesus warns us that this will be the basis for the final judgment, the love or hatred, acceptance or rejection of the Light that came into the world.
BTTT!
Yep, no other path..and even Christians have trouble with His message as it applies to the world today, it is because as you say the when the light of God shines on us we can become blinded like Paul or man’s eyes are so dark the light cannot enter the soul and the hatred of God and the reality he brings is seen as reality, because the world has not developed faith..The Bible is the beginning, and only the beginning, without seeking God with all the heart mind and soul the relationship with God which the Bible was intended to bring, is as seeds on hard ground..
It is the living relationship with God through Christ that we are tuned to His ways through our suffering for rightiousness,,being that all rightiousness is fulfilled there are many levels of fulfilled faith, however as followers of Christ we can expect a reality as that which Christ showed on Earth, ie..the birds of the field do not sow or reap for food, no need to worry about tomorrow(retirement etc) Mankind has certainly warped the reality which Christ lived before us, the disciples barely understood..another perfect choice of our risen Lord, But to those who endure and are not afraid to be ridiculed and persecuted for Christ sake, who seek Him in all things in all ways, who accepts Christ sacrifice for the remission of our sins..we will walk upright before the throne as His children..no longer crippled in our sin, all I can say is since alpha and omega have meaning, if we find ourselves in Eden and the Lord says do not eat the fruit of this tree lest you die, we now know Father your words create, you are reality, else the circle starts again if God be so kind to allow for the redemption of the dead through eternity..
Peace in Christ, thank you for your words my friend..
When was our soul/spirit created? Even back in Genesis when the Adam was formed he was not alive until the 'breath of life' means soul, was breathed into his nostrils. When does 'life' begin? Well according to Luke the doctor, in describing the 'Conception' of Christ the instant His Soul/Spirit was placed in Mary, John the Baptist 6 months in the womb of Elizabeth recognized the presence of Jesus.
Was Jesus 'born again', or was Jesus born from ABOVE as is spelled out in John 3:13
The book of Jude is about those fallen angels of Genesis 6 that left their estate and will not pass through this 'flesh' age as is stated by Christ first requirement just to see the kingdom of God.
Amen pastor. We are at the door of the new age that only Jesus Christ can and will open for those who believe Him and follow Him. He is very good indeed and has warned us of all these evil days in His Word of God, the holy Scriptures so we can be aware of the times and seasons and have our hope solely in Him alone. May the good Lord bless and keep you and yours.
Jesus did not need to be “born again” (in this very philosophical argumenmt) becuase 1) He is God and therefore perfect, Holy, Righteous, 2)He was never dead like us, before spiritual birth, because he never sinned. His connection to His Father was only ever broken (on the Cross-Halleluia) for our Sake, not His own! ~What amazing Love.
Doesn’t it seem odd that Jesus taught a Hebrew prayer in “Our Father”? There’s not a shred of Christianity in it.
:)
1 Peter 1:19-21
King James Version (KJV)
“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot...”
Pastor—it seems that only mankind can be redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus. Those fallen, dark angels who fell with Lucifer are condemned forever. We humans have tje choice too but although we all are born sinners we can repent and by faith through Christ be redeemed. Not so the fallen angels it seems—they cannot be saved by the shed blood of Jesus as humans can. If someone can prove that is incorrect through biblical scripture please do share,
I have never heard anyone curse and make light of the name of Jesus and His belivers as Howard Stern and the athiests that work for Him.
John 3 is probably one of the most misread Scriptures, and yet the answer is given in John 3:13.
Peter says in IIPeter 3 there are three different heaven/earth ages. The 'world' or 'age' that WAS according to Peter was destroyed. We are not told the 'date' when the world/age that WAS began or how long it lasted. What we are told is that Lucifer/Satan rebelled and a number of the sons of God followed him. Lucifer/Satan the first rebel was judged and sentenced to death.
Solomon in writing the book of Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, 'See, this is new?' it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
Paul then gives a slightly different approach in Hebrews in this 'born from above' (NOT again) 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
So when was the 'soul/spirit' created? There is not one word in the description of the formation of the flesh body of the Adam, that hints or suggests his soul/spirit was newly created. It says that Adam's flesh body was not living until the breath of life, which means soul was breathed into his nostrils.
Christ fully expected that Nicodemus should understand what he was being told as demonstrated in verse 10 of John 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? (11) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye received not our witness.
12 IF I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
The explanation comes in verse 13 And NO man hath ascended up to heaven, but He That came down from heaven, even the Son of man Which is in heaven.
Christ did not say verse 3 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, Christ said "Verily verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born from 'above', he cannot *see* the kingdom of God."
Somebody at some point in time changed the word above to again and then a tradition became 'born again', when in fact every soul/spirit that has passed through this flesh age was born from above and only they will have opportunity to 'see' the kingdom of God.... There is nothing here that says all who 'see' the kingdom of God will enter. This is NOT a new doctrine, as Solomon among others wrote about it before Christ ever dwelled in a flesh body on this earth.
You are right, only people can be redeemed, not fallen angels.
Doesn’t seem odd to me, that Jesus, A jew “of the seed of David” according to the flesh, would pray as the Jewish prophets, and teach his disciples to pray to the Jewish God in the same way. There is an unbroken continuity, between Christianity and Judaism. Christianity is Jewish, at the core, it is based upon the revelation God gave to Moses, the prophets, until the fullest revelation came, which is in the person of Jesus the Messiah.
You are correct. The devil and a numbered of his fellow travelers have already been judged to be destroyed. (The fallen angels of Jude and those sons of God in Genesis 6.) Not one 'soul/spirit' born into a flesh body has been judged to eternal death, 'yet'!! That is in my humble opinion why it is Written to 'Judge not lest ye be judged', that is God's business and we in these flesh bodies have no clue the mind/heart that only answers to the Heavenly Father.
Christianity is Christ, and Christ made Moses, along with the rest of the prophets one and the same as His gospel. Who taught the Hebrews how to pray?
The One God.
Paulinity.
I'm not trying to be a wise guy. But it took nearly 2000 years for American Christianity to realize that the Jews had something to say about existence. Prior to that it was predominantly persecution.
Please.
It is indeed a truth there is but ONE Heavenly Father. He owns all and controls all it is His expectation that His creation have no other 'gods' before Him.
Since Able many have lost their flesh lives in the service to Him. But the promise was not limited to only this flesh journey but for eternal salvation. From Moses onward every elected writer of the WORD of God points to that time wherein all, rebels and trouble makers included choose life or death.
It matters NOT what Christians or Jews 'say' if either or both are deceived, unlearned, or rebels.
I do not know what Paulinity means. IF it is a reference to Paul, and what he wrote, he was of the House of Jacob, and of the youngest tribe Benjamin. Paul certainly was not initially a 'believer' and he sure did not go hunting for that role but instead was struck down on his way to persecute Christians. And like Paul writes some were predestined to do and be from before the foundation of this 'flesh' age. Why? Because of their 'perfect' love for the Creator.
As Solomon penned 'there is nothing new under the sun' what has been will be again ..... just that we now alive have the script of what will be again.
Speaking of persecution, I am reminded of the book of Job.
“when in fact every soul/spirit that has passed through this flesh age was born from above and only they will have opportunity to ‘see’ the kingdom of God”
No, you have a wrong docrtrine (and the statement above is not backed up by scripture), we in fact are born (the first time physically) dead, except for children who God makes an exception for, we do not know God untill “born again” which is the same as born from above.
1Th 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Be easier to carry on the conversation if you would believe what the bible actually says instead of what you want it to say...We have a body, a soul, and a spirit...
All people are born with a body, a soul, and a spirit...Christians however must be born again from above with the Spirit of God...Pretty simple, and true...Why do you have this fixation with the word 'again'???
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