Dear people of God, the Lord Jesus says in John 3:3 (AMPC)“I assure you,
most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from
above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the
kingdom of God.”
Apostle Paul under inspiration of the Holy Spirit re-echoed the
same message in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (AMPC), “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in
Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old
[previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the
fresh and new has come!”
This is why God in passing His message through Paul the Apostle’s
letter to the Corinthian Christians makes it clear that the gifts, teachings
and revelations of God are meaningless to a person who uses reason to try to
grasp its meaning.
What does it mean to be born again?
First, an acknowledgement of one’s depraved human nature in
relation to God’s Divine expectations, repentance or change of one’s mind from
such despicable behaviour, confession of one’s sins, forsaking these sins, accepting
Jesus Christ as Messiah and Lord of one’s life and a firm decision to live an
uncompromising life of obedience to God’s commandments in His Word.
This is the salvation experience where the born-again person’s human
spirit is recreated by God. This is the first step in walking with God.
Many Christians stop at this stage of their Christian walk,
which is why they continue to struggle with sin because they are still
spiritual babies and immature in the faith.
This is stage where they still falter, tell lies, steal, cheat,
dress immorally, argue with spiritual authorities, listen to worldly music,
read immoral literature, take alcohol, visit nightclubs, crack coarse jokes,
etc.
It is the duty of the spiritually mature Christians to teach,
guide and lead the baby Christian by example in word and deed consistent with
God’s infallible Word.
The baby Christian’s soul (mind, will and emotion) does not
become born again but can only be saved by the rooted or implanted or engrafted
Word of God – James 1:21.
Take note that God’s Word becomes rooted or implanted or
engrafted in a person’s soul by constant spiritual feeding or daily study,
meditation (thinking about it) and prayer because God’s Word contains His Spirit
and Life – John 6:63.
This is the next step for Christian spiritual development and
maturity through ingesting God’s Word daily. Remember that faith comes by hearing and
hearing by the Word of God – Romans 10:17.
There is food for the physical body, which is the one we eat
daily for nourishment and body function. There is spiritual food for the soul,
which is God’s Word in the Holy Bible and there is spiritual food for the human
spirit, which is constant prayer.
A Christian must take in daily spiritual food for the soul and
for the spirit otherwise he would starve and die spiritually for the devil to
take damaging advantage of him.
The third step is the sanctification experience where God’s
Spirit completely transforms the spiritually mature Christian and as we are
told in John 8:34 and 1 John 3:7, he is no longer a slave of sin but of
righteousness ordained by God.
At this stage, the person detests sin, is no longer interested
in worldliness but on how to satisfy God’s command always.
The person is pained by the moral depravity in society and is
always available to share with baby Christians and non-Christians the same
Gospel of Christ, which all humans need otherwise they would surely perish in
HELL.
Dear friend, with all these steps, you can see why contrary to
what many people believe, academic credentials CANNOT qualify anyone to
understand, discuss and discern God’s Word because that is working by reason
alone and would end in spiritual failure for the devil would surely defeat such
a person with worldly distractions.
Unfortunately, many people are operating on this level
castigating and rejecting the Gospel message from the One Who loves them with
an everlasting love, Who created them and is inviting them into a genuine
relationship with Him, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, it is a waste of precious time getting into
argument with anyone who wants to rationalize spiritual Truths of God’s
infallible Word using human reason as we see in today’s world.
This is why theology alone cannot transform a man for we see
many theologians today living a double life of sin in violation of their Divine
calling to follow Christ in Truth, Holiness and Righteousness.
We see examples of such people in the Bible like
Judas Iscariot (John 12:6),
Ananias and Saphira (Acts 5:1-10),
Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:13-24),
Demas (Colossians 4:14, Philemon 1:24, 2 Timothy 4:10),
Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Timothy 1:19-20)
Diotrephes (3 John 1:9-10)
A well-known Christian apologetic man (whatever that means) was renowned
for debates with non-Christians (Atheists, Muslims, Relativists, Buddhists,
Hindus, etc) in defence of God’s existence and Christianity USING REASON.
After his death from cancer last year 2020, it was recently discovered
that this same man had invested in two health spas and was secretly involved in
several years of sexual abuse of women he imported from his native India and
Thailand including the ones who worked at his health spas.
Again, this true story supports the fact that reason alone
cannot qualify a person to discuss spiritual issues pertaining to the
infallible Word of God. Reason alone cannot allow one to experience true
Christianity that would show in the person’s character consistent with God’s
Word.
No matter how long, as the Lord Jesus Christ has said, there is
nothing hidden that would not eventually come to light for all to see – Mark
4:22; Luke 8:17.
There are also those I want to refer to as “Internet Christians”
who claim to know the Bible, post motivational messages to advise others but
they refuse to submit to God’s Authority as contained in His Word, refuse to
attend Church fellowship, refuse to pay tithes, refuse to show love to others,
refuse to help others, refuse to preach the Truth of God’s Word to others but
choose to live according to the dictates of their own minds.
They are however, ready to use reason to argue to justify their
actions even when they are shown the Truth of God’s Word that contrasts their
lifestyle.
Dear friend, total submission, uncompromising obedience to
Christ Jesus’ every command and allowing yourself to depend and be led by His
Holy Spirit is the only way to remain in Him till the end.
You cannot rely on reason to know God’s Ways because Jesus
communicates with His children through His Word and through ministration in their human spirit
using that “small still Voice” as we know it.
Make up your mind and ask Jesus Christ to help you through the
Holy Spirit every step of your Christian walk. Where you fail to do this
faithfully, the devil would surely take advantage and make you sin against God.
Are you a self-professed Christian or a non-Christian who has
chosen to walk in his own way and not according to God’s Way in the Holy Bible
because of your academic credentials?
Jesus Christ loves you and is calling you today to change your
mind and follow Him and in the right way before it is too late.
No matter how long you live on this earth, you would surely die one day and only then would you find out you have been living in error by
the wrong choices you made while alive.
But even though I can assure you that you would repent at that
time, unfortunately, it would be too late for you because the time to repent
and come to Jesus Christ is today and now.
Do not say you were not told, for by reading this message
inspired by His Spirit, God has warned you and this may be the very last
message to you from God.
Jesus Christ is coming shortly to take in Rapture ONLY those who
are qualified according to His righteous standards in the Holy Bible.
Are you living a genuine life as His disciple? Are you ready for
Him? Come to Jesus today, for tomorrow may be too late for you.
May the good Lord bless you as you heed His Word today, act on
it and share with others in Jesus’ Most Powerful Name, Amen.
Gabriel Ama.
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