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You Must be Born Again

These were the words Jesus spoke to one of the most religious men of his day (John 3:1-8). Nicodemus had come to Jesus one night to inquire about His new doctrine. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He believed in God, he prayed, fasted, tithed, attended worship services, read the Scriptures, and tried to keep high moral standards. Yet, with all these credentials, Jesus told him he had to be born again in order to enter the Kingdom of God.

The Word and the Spirit.

Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Later in the book of John He said, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3)

Paul wrote that Christ gave Himself to sanctify and cleanse the Church with the washing of water by the WORD (Ephesians 5:26).
Peter wrote that we are born again “not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and
abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23). The WORD is the seed that comes into your heart and causes faith to grow.

Not only must you have God’s Word in order to be born again, but you must have God’s Spirit. It is “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” (Titus 3:5)

There are several ingredients needed in making concrete. You need sand, cement, and water primarily. There is plenty of sand in the desert, but concrete doesn’t appear just because it is there. There is an abundance of water in the ocean and plenty
of sand, but the ocean is not full of concrete. Likewise, in order for you to be saved, the Word and the Spirit must be mixed with repentance and faith in your heart.

Believe and Confess

“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you CONFESS with your mouth the Lord Jesus and BELIEVE in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one BELIEVES unto righteousness, and with the mouth CONFESSION is made unto salvation. Romans 10:8-10

Your faith in God’s Word is expressed with your heart (believe) and with your mouth (confess). If you truly believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, there is 7 no reason you should not be willing to confess Him as Lord. The moment you believe in your heart upon Jesus and confess Him as your Lord and Savior, you are born again.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”
John 1:12

Saved by Grace Through Faith

There is a mixture of God’s grace and power with your will and faith. It is not just all of God, and certainly it is not just all up to you. It takes both GOD’S ABILITY and YOUR WILLINGNESS to bring about the new birth.

For by grace you have been SAVED through FAITH, and that NOT OF YOURSELVES; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.Ephesians 2:8-9

We could never be saved except by the pure grace of God. Man is certainly undeserving according to his own merits. It is God’s power working through His Word and Spirit that brings about the new birth. Yet without an attitude of repentance and
faith, God’s power will not work in a man’s heart. Man’s will must be obedient to God’s will before he can receive God’s blessings.

A New Creation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

The new birth makes you a brand-new creation. You are created after the image of Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:10). In your heart you are made to be like Christ.

In order to live like Christ you must “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:10). This is done by RENEWING THE MIND WITH GOD’S WORD and submitting your body to
the authority of that Word (Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:23-24).

Into God’s Kingdom

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. HE HAS DELIVERED US FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS AND CONVEYED US INTO THE KINGDOM OF THE SON OF HIS LOVE, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14

When you are born again, you are taken out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness, and you are placed into the Kingdom of Jesus, the Kingdom of light. It is not something you 8 just hope or wish for. It is a fact. The child of God does not have to be lorded over by
Satan ever again. ”Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

This new kingdom is a spiritual kingdom; but just because salvation is basically a spiritual rebirth does not mean that it has no effect on your body, mind, or everyday living. It can and should have a great impact on every part of your life. In every society, there are certain laws that govern the actions of the inhabitants of that area. It is the same in spiritual life. There are laws for those in Satan’s kingdom, and there are laws for those in God’s Kingdom. The new birth gives you a new law.

“FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2)
The law of life includes love, joy, peace, happiness, prosperity, abundance, health, contentment and blessings.

These provisions are made for the Christian in the New Covenant. It is law – spiritual law. You must enforce it in your life. God will back you. His Word is true and unchanging.

Forgiveness – Remission of Sins

The day you make Jesus your Lord and Savior, you are forgiven of all your sins; in fact, you were legally forgiven when Jesus gave His life as a ransom for you. But you do not experience that forgiveness until you receive it by faith.

Although a person may have committed many sins, the chief sin of the unsaved is NOT BELIEVING ON CHRIST (John 16:9). When a person gets that straightened out, the root of the problem is solved. The blood of Christ cleanses the heart the moment a
person believes and confesses Him as Savior. Thus all past sins are remitted or taken away by the powerful cleansing work of His blood (1 John 1:7). “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”
(Ephesians 1:7).

Water Baptism

It is clear from the Scriptures that water baptism is important to the believer. In the Great Commission Jesus told His disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16: 15-16).

Matthew records these words of Jesus in the 28 th chapter and the 19 th verse: “Gotherefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the 9Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus Himself was baptized by John in the Jordan River (Matthew 3:13-17).

At the close of his message on the day of Pentecost, Peter told the Jews, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Luke records, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized . . . “ (Acts 2:41).

Paul was baptized after his conversion (Acts 9:18). He later baptized the believers at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-6). Those at Cornelius’ house were baptized after they had received the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:44-48). The Philippian jailer and all his household were baptized after they had believed on Jesus (Acts 16:31-33).

Assurance of Salvation

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. HE WHO HAS THE SON HAS LIFE; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, THAT YOU MAY KNOW that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to BELIEVE IN THE NAME of the Son of God. 1 John 5:11-13

If you meet the conditions given in God’s Word for salvation, you can know you are saved. God’s Word says that you can know. That is what you must stand on – His Word – not your feelings, emotions, church membership, high morals, or sincerity.

Prayer for Salvation

God in Heaven, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. I confess that I haven’t lived my life for You. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that He died on the cross and rose again from the dead so I might have a better life now and eternal life in heaven. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. From this day forward, I’ll live my life for You to the best of my ability. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

You Are the Righteousness of God in Christ

December 15, 2010 by Olga 1 Comment

Righteousness simply defined is RIGHT STANDING WITH GOD. It gives you the ability to be free of guilt, condemnation, fear, and inferiority. These four problems rob many Christians of God’s blessings, It is easy to see why an understanding of
righteousness could transform your life. Imagine: no guilt, no fear, no condemnation, no inferiority. What a blessed life that would be!

Righteousness Is a Gift

There is a world of difference in a man’s self-righteousness and the gift of righteousness from God. Self-righteousness boasts in itself, but the gift of righteousness can boast only in the finished work of Christ.

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS will reign in this life/through the One, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17

Jesus Bore Our Sin

The human race owed a tremendous debt of sin. Because mankind was unable to pay its debt, God sent His own Son to pay for it (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus was your substitute. He took your place. He paid the awful price for your sin. He did it because
He loved you (John 3:16-17).

Now that the debt is paid, you are given a right standing with God. It is actually the right standing that Jesus earned as a result of His obedience unto death. You receive His righteousness the moment you take Him as your Lord and Savior. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

If Christ dwells in your heart, you have the righteousness of God. You are made to be the righteousness of God in Him.

Righteousness for All Who Believe

I had a struggle with the idea of being righteous because I was well acquainted with the scriptures declaring man’s sinfulness. What I did not realize was these scriptures refer to men who do not receive Christ. Since all men are sinners, the gift of
righteousness is available to all who believe on Jesus Christ.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD,

THROUGH FAITH in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-24

Receiving Righteousness by Faith

Righteousness is actually received at salvation. Because many have not understood the righteousness of God which is by faith, they have failed to experience the full joy of God’s gift.
The message of righteousness is good news. The moment you hear this word, it should cause faith to rise up in your heart. You want to receive. It is yours – a gift from God. You must BELIEVE and CONFESS. “For with the heart one believes unto
RIGHTEOUSNESS, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10)

No Condemnation or Guilt

A sense of righteousness gives you confidence that God has truly forgiven you of your sins. You begin to see that the judgment and condemnation that you deserved fell on Jesus. You have been justified (declared not guilty) because of the blood of Christ that was shed for you (Romans 5:9).

“There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). You are freed from sin, with all its guilt and condemnation, so that you may become the SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Romans 6:18).

By an act of faith, youbegin to think not of your sins and shortcomings, but of your righteousness in Christ. Why should you continue to think and talk about your unworthiness? You have been made worthy by Jesus Christ. He has qualified you to “be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians 1:12). It is not your works but your faith in His works.

No Fear

Righteousness is right standing with God. If you are in right standing with God, then He is not fighting against you. He is on your side. He is for you. He desires your best.

What joy will fill your heart the day you realize, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Yu have nothing to fear. David said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of
whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

God has given you the gift of righteousness because of His love for you. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made prefect in love” (1 John 4:18).

A loving father does not want his children to be so fearful of him that they are afraid to talk to him. He desires their respect, reverence, and obedience, but he wants them to feel comfortable in coming to him. God invites you to “come boldly to the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:1y6). “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

No Inferiority

Occasionally when someone is asked how they are doing, we hear them respond with these words : “Under the circumstances, I think I’ll make it.” As a Christian, thank God, you do not have to be under the circumstances. In fact, after you receive the
abundance of God’s grace and His gift of righteousness, you are to reign in this life by Jesus Christ.

Because you have a right standing with God, you do not have to feel inferior to the powers of Satan. You are an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). As you receive the righteousness of God, you become partakers of the divine nature of
God (2 Peter 1:4). His strength has become your strength. His ability is your ability.
His life is your life.

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. Galatians 2:20

Continual Cleansing from Unrighteousness

As a Christian, you may miss the mark and sin. Sin is unrighteousness. It is not pleasing to God. It must be dealt with. The best time to do this is immediately if not sooner. Do not wait to repent. The promise of God is, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to FORGIVE US OUR SINS and to CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS” (1 John 1:9). “The BLOOD of Jesus Christ His Son CLEANSES us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Our Prayers are Effective

With a right standing with God, you can come boldly into His presence with your praises and petitions (Hebrews 4:16). One of the most important things you must do as you enter into God’s Presence is to be sure your heart is cleansed from all sin. This comes by faith in the cleansing power of the blood of Christ.

After you know you are cleansed, you can have confidence in your prayers. “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God” (1 John 3:21).

God delights in hearing the prayers of His righteous children. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). Evidently, if you are not righteous or if you are not seeking God’s righteousness, your prayers will not be very effective.

Thank God, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much “ (James 5:16). God will hear and answer your prayers if you maintain your right standing (righteousness in Christ) by faith.

You Must be Born Again

You Are the Righteousness of God in Christ

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