1. Men who entered the Kingdom of God are born again.
A. A man that is not born again, that is, born of water and the Spirit, can neither see nor enter the kingdom of God.
B. River of water of life, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
C. To be born of water.
D. To be born of the Spirit or to be born again.
2. First resurrection. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
3. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
4. Men who are born again die to sin and live in the Spirit.
A. The great battle between the soul and the flesh.
B. Those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, are dead to sin, and buried with Him through baptism into death.
5. “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
1. Men who entered the Kingdom of God are born again.
A. A man that is not born again, that is, born of water and the Spirit, can neither see nor enter the kingdom of God.
B. River of water of life, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
C. To be born of water.
D. To be born of the Spirit or to be born again.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A. A man that is not born again, that is, born of water and the Spirit, can neither see nor enter the kingdom of God.
“Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
"flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God"
(John 3:3-6) “3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 15:50) “50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”
By being ignorant and slaves as a result of living in sin, death and condemnation, we must be born again, raise in the spirit.
But how shall we understand “to be born again”?
Where does come from the regenerative power of "giving life?" No from the flesh, certainly.
Any act or deed that we perform in the flesh can guarantee nothing before the eyes of God.
The revival we need, the renaissance, the transition from death to life, from a son of disobedience, dead in trespasses and sins, to a son of the living God in Jesus Christ is possible only through the Holy Spirit of the Living God.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself explains the importance of being born again in the Spirit. This revival happens in all those willing to surrender their lives to God, regardless of age and position of the person.
(John 3:1, 3, 5-8) “3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 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.””
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
B. River of water of life, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
“I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring”
(Isaiah 44:1-3) “44 “Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant, And Israel whom I have chosen.
2 Thus says the Lord who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant; And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;”
(Ezekiel 1:22) “22 The likeness of the firmament above the heads of the living creatures was like the color of an awesome crystal, stretched out over their heads.”
(Ezekiel 47:1) “47 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.”
(Revelation 4:6) “6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.”
(Revelation 22:1) “22 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
C. To be born of water.
To be born of water means to be born by the word of God's truth, and the word can be received, perceived and understood through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The members of the ancient people of Israel drank water from a physical rock but died in the desert.
(Exodus 17:1-7) [ Water from the Rock ]; (Numbers 20:1-13) [ Moses’ Error at Kadesh ]
(Deuteronomy 8:15) “15 who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock;”
God promised to pour water from the spiritual rock on the offspring of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the rock is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
(Isaiah 44:3) “3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;”
(Isaiah 48:19-21) “19 Your descendants also would have been like the sand, And the offspring of your body like the grains of sand; His name would not have been cut off Nor destroyed from before Me.”
20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, Declare, proclaim this, Utter it to the end of the earth; Say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob!”
21 And they did not thirst When He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow from the rock for them; He also split the rock, and the waters gushed out.”
In (Isaiah 55), we read: “Come to the waters;” “Listen carefully to Me” “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live;”, which means that we should hear the Living Word from the mouth of the Lord, which for us is food and drink that leads to eternal life and satisfies man preventing him from looking for other food, words from the mouths of men.
"Come to the waters"
(Isaiah 55:1-3) “55 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you— The sure mercies of David.”
“the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
(John 4:10-14) “10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
11 The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12 Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.””
(Revelation 21:6) “6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”
(Revelation 22:17) “17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Born again, offspring, renewed as the eagle, baptized or sealed through the Word of Truth.
(Job 29:18-20) “18 “Then I said, ‘I shall die in my nest, And multiply my days as the sand.
19 My root is spread out to the waters, And the dew lies all night on my branch.
20 My glory is fresh within me, And my bow is renewed in my hand.’”
(Psalm 103:2, 5) “2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Men who received the true word of God were baptized with the Holy Spirit.
"Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth,"
(James 1:17-18) “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.”
"having been born again, (…), through the word of God"
(1 Peter 1:3-4, 23, 25) A Heavenly Inheritance
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”
"after you heard the word of truth, (…), you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
(Ephesians 1:13) “13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
(Acts 2:41) “41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Born again, offspring, renewed as the eagle, baptized or sealed through the Word of Truth are the ones who receive the true bread from heaven, bread of life; and the true bread is the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 4:4) “4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’””
(Deuteronomy 8:3) “3 So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.”
(Luke 13:27-30) “27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.””
"And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever;"
(John 6:32-51) “32 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.””
<<<<<<<<<<<
Whoever fears the Lord will be fed with the bread of learning and with the water of wisdom.
"Bread will be given him, His water will be sure."
"The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, …You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,"
"He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat"
"And fills you with the finest wheat."
(Ben Sira 15:1-3) “1 Whoever fears the Lord will do this, and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom. 2 She will come to meet him like a mother, and like a young bride she will welcome him. 3 She will feed him with the bread of learning, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.”
(Isaiah 33:15-17) “15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil:
16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure.
17 Your eyes will see the King in His beauty; They will see the land that is very far off.”
(Joel 2:23-27) “23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.
24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.
27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.”
(Psalm 81:13-16) “13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies, And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him, But their fate would endure forever.
16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.””
(Psalm 147:12-15) “12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates; He has blessed your children within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders, And fills you with the finest wheat.
15 He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
The word of the Lord Jesus Christ that dwells in man teaches him wisdom and the Truth of God.
(Daniel 12:3) “3 Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.”
(Ben Sira 15:1-3) “1 Whoever fears the Lord will do this, and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom. 2 She will come to meet him like a mother, and like a young bride she will welcome him. 3 She will feed him with the bread of learning, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.”
(Colossians 3:16) “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 12:13) “13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
D. To be born of the Spirit or to be born again.
To be born of the Spirit or born again means to be resurrected from the dead and anointed or baptized with the Holy Spirit of God through the Lord Jesus Christ.
(John 15:26) “26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”
(John 16:7) “7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
(Luke 24:49) “49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.””
(Acts 1:4-5) “4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father,“which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””
<<<<<<<<<<<
(John 7:37-39) The Promise of the Holy Spirit
“37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
He who establishes us in Christ and has anointed us through the Lord Jesus Christ is God Most High.
“…the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”
(John 14:15-17) Jesus Promises Another Helper
“15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
(Luke 11:13) “13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!””
(John 14:26) “26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
(2 Corinthians 1:21-22) “21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
(Titus 3:4-7) “4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 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, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
(Galatians 4:5-7) “5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:6-8) “6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.”
(Ephesians 1:17) “17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,”
(Hebrews 2:4) “4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”
(Acts 5:32) “32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.””
(Acts 15:8) “8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Those born of the Spirit or born again are children, spiritual children, of whom the Lord Jesus Christ speaks, because only those born again can see or enter the kingdom of God.
(Matthew 19:14) “14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.””
(Mark 10:14-15) “14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.””
(Luke 18:16-17) “16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.””
(1 Corinthians 3:1) Sectarianism Is Carnal
“3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.”
It is to children in Christ that God reveals wisdom.
(Luke 10:21) “21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”
Children in the Lord Jesus Christ are the ones who worship the Father in spirit and truth.
(John 4:21-24) “21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””
(Psalm 8:2) “2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.”
(Matthew 21:14-16) “14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant 16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?””
<<<<<<<<<<<
The child in the Lord Jesus Christ who teaches the wisdom of the Kingdom of God is a person born again through the Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 18:4-6) “4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
6 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
(Mark 9:36-37) “36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.””
(Luke 9:47-48) “47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.””
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
2. First resurrection. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
(Exodus 3:4-6) “4 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” 6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.”
(Matthew 22:31-32) “31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.””
(Mark 12:26-27) “26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.””
<<<<<<<<<<<
Born of the Spirit or born again means that the soul of man awakes from the dead, this is the first resurrection.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God;”
God raises the poor from the dust, raises the dead of His people, opens our graves, brings us up from our graves, puts in our hearts of His Holy Spirit.
(Acts 26:8) “8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?”
(1 Samuel 2:8) “8 He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap, To set them among princes And make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them.”
(Psalm 113:7-8) “7 He raises the poor out of the dust, And lifts the needy out of the ash heap,
8 That He may seat him with princes— With the princes of His people.”
(Hosea 6:2) “2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.”
(Isaiah 26:19) “19 Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.”
(Ezekiel 37:5, 12-14) “5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.
12 Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. 14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’””
<<<<<<<<<<<
"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live."
(John 5:24-29) Life and Judgment Are Through the Son
“24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
The true children of God, or conversely, children of the resurrection are those whom God the Father raises through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in this present time and fills with His Holy Spirit.
(John 14:19) “19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.”
(Ephesians 2:5-7) “5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
(Colossians 2:12-13) “12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,”
(Colossians 3:1) Not Carnality but Christ
“3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.”
(2 Corinthians 5:17) “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
(Romans 6:4) “4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
(Romans 8:10-11) “10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
(Revelation 20:4-6) “4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
(Ephesians 5:13-14) “13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.””
<<<<<<<<<<<
Only after having been born of the Spirit through the Lord Jesus Christ one can see the Kingdom or enter the Kingdom of God.
(John 3:6) “6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
(Psalm 17:15) “15 As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
3. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
(John 3:6) “6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
(Matthew 22:29-30) “29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.”
(Mark 12:24-25) “24 Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
(Luke 20:34-38) “34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.””
<<<<<<<<<<<
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”
(1 Corinthians 3:16-17) “16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
(1 Corinthians 6:15-20) “15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
“the body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body”; “those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.”
(1 Corinthians 6:13) “13 Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
(2 Corinthians 5:15-17) “15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
(Philippians 1:20) “20 according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.”
(Romans 8:10-11) “10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
4. Men who are born again die to sin and live in the Spirit.
A. The great battle between the soul and the flesh.
B. Those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, are dead to sin, and buried with Him through baptism into death.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A. The great battle between the soul and the flesh.
(John 6:63) “63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.”
(Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38) “41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””
Our Lord Jesus Christ asks us to deny ourselves to the thoughts of our weak flesh.
(Mark 8:34) Take Up the Cross and Follow Him
“34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Live as pilgrims, watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation; abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
(Luke 21:34-36) The Importance of Watching
“34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.””
(1 Peter 2:11) “11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,”
(Galatians 5:16-17) “16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
“that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
(Romans 6:15-23) From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God
“15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:1-9) Free from Indwelling Sin
“8 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. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”
<<<<<<<<<<<
Do not fulfill the lust of the flesh, as in your ignorance.
“that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,”
“Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”
(Ephesians 2:3) “3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
(Colossians 3:9-10) “9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,”
(Ephesians 4:22-24) “22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
(Romans 13:12-14) “12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
(1 Peter 1:13-14) Living Before God Our Father
“13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;”
(Colossians 3:5-6) “5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience,”
(Galatians 5:16) “16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
(Romans 6:12-14) “12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”
(Titus 2:11-13) “11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”
(2 Corinthians 7:1) “7 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Why?
Because “those who are in the flesh cannot please God”
(Romans 6:21) “21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.”
(Romans 8:5-8) “5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
(Romans 8:13) “13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
(Galatians 6:8) “8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”
(1 John 2:16) “16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
Because those who live fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, are by nature children of wrath.
(Ephesians 2:3) “3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
B. Those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ, are dead to sin, and buried with Him through baptism into death.
(1 Corinthians 15:36) “36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies.”
(Colossians 2:11-12) “11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
(Romans 6:1-11) Dead to Sin, Alive to God
“6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 7:4) “4 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
(Romans 8:10-12) “10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.”
(Colossians 2:20-22) “20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” 22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?”
(Colossians 3:3) “3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
(2 Timothy 2:11-12) “11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”
(Romans 8:35-39) “35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7-11) Cast Down but Unconquered
“7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
(1 Corinthians 15:31) “31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”
(2 Peter 1:4) “4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;”
(Galatians 2:20) “20 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.”
“our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
(Galatians 5:22-26) “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
(Galatians 6:14) “14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
Dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord; being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
5. “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Look unto our Lord Jesus Christ who is sitting at the right hand of God.
(Colossians 3:1-4) Not Carnality but Christ
“3 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
(Hebrews 12:1-2) The Race of Faith
“12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7,16-18) “7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
“16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
The Road to Eternity 