Reference: John 1:11-13
Have you ever taken into consideration myfriend, of how astounding the statement is when you confess to the fact thatyou are a born again child of God having become his son or daughter? Are youaware of the fact that Jesus Christ is referred to as being the first born ofGod and that all of God's children born of him will have all the very samecharacteristics as he did? The word of God tells us that Christ was the firstborn among many brethren. Have you ever read God's word and found out justexactly what Christ was like as concerning his way of life? The Bible revealsthat Jesus was a man that never committed any sin. He was tempted in all pointslike we are, but he never yielded to any of them. Every man that was born fromthe womb of a woman, with the exception of Christ, was a partaker of sin havingbeen born with a sinful nature. Christ was born of a woman, but he was the Wordof God that became a man and dwelled among his creation. Christ was made in thelikeness of sinful flesh, but not once did he yield to sin's temptation. He wasthe only man that ever failed to yield to sin's temptation. He was tempted inall points like any other person, but yet we find that he stood firm and neveronce committed an act of sin. Christ came to this earth for a very specialreason. He came and proved that man can live without sin provided of coursethat he obeys and follows in the footsteps that he walked. Please notice thatwe are told that we become a born again child of God because of the fact thathe gives us the power to do so.
God's word tell us that as many as receivedChrist, while he was on this earth preaching the way of salvation, that he gavethem power to become sons of God, and it also states he gave power to them thatbelieve on his name. Right here is where the false teachers are deceiving theworld about becoming a born again child of God. I want you to notice that theBible says that Christ gave power to those who received him so that they could becomethe sons of God. This scripture does not say that you are a child of God at theprecise moment that you confess to believe on him. God's word plainly tells usthat Christ gives power to become sons of God. To become a son of Godmeans that we possess the power to be transformed into a son of God, but tobecome a son of God is a process that takes time and patience. This fact iswhat the world will not accept and believe, because they have been taught thatone becomes a born again child of God at the precise moment that belief andconfession is made on Christ. Did you know that all people are either childrenof God or else children of the devil? What do you think distinguishes the twoapart? The apostle John tells us thatwhosoever is born of God, or has become a child of God, then that individualdoes not and cannot commit sin. Now friend, can you say that you are a son ofGod in the light of this statement? Do you know that sons of God are created inthe same likeness as Christ Jesus? If you are confessing to be a son of Godthen you are actually saying that you are like your heavenly Father. Does notthe son bear the image of their Father? If you partake of sin, how then can yoube born of the Father in heaven? God's sons and daughters bear the sameattributes as does the firstborn, which was Christ Jesus. There is nodifference between the sons and daughters of God that has been born of him. Howcan a person that yet partakes of sin be a born again child of God when thevery word of God tells us that he who commits sin is of the devil? Sin is theattributes of Satan and not of God. If you confess to be a born again child ofGod and yet commit sin then you are deceiving yourself, because the power ofGod is more than sufficient to do above what we may think or say. God's wordsays that Christ gave power to them that received him in order that they could becomea son of God. This power is the Holy Ghost in your heart. The Spirit will leadyou into all truth that will set you completely free from sins power andinfluence. If sin has power over you then it is because you do not possess thepower of the Holy Spirit in your life. There is only one way to receive theHoly Spirit in your heart, and this way is to be obedient to God. To beobedient to God is done by obeying his revealed word of the gospel. The word ofGod says to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for theremission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The HolyGhost is given to you so that he will lead you into all truth that will set youfree. The receiving of the Holy Ghost is only the beginning of the process ofyour becoming a born again child of God. To be born of God means that it is Godthat is performing his operation of the new birth on you. The new birth is yourbeing transformed into a child of God which is brought about by the power ofthe Holy Spirit through the word of truth. The truth will form Christ in you ina daily process. Christ can only be revealed in you by your coming to theknowledge of the truth revealed in the gospel of Christ. You do not receiveChrist by just saying you believe on him. Christ is the Word of God meaningthat you must walk in and receive the truth or else be cut off from Godcompletely. Saying that you believe on the finished work of Christ is not whatmakes you a born again child of God like the preachers are saying today. If youconfess to believe on Christ and that God raised him from the dead then you canbecome a son or daughter of God by your receiving and walking in the light ofthe truth that the gospel reveals. If you truly repent of sin and confess andbelieve on Christ then God will forgive you of your sins and give you the powerof the Holy Spirit in your heart so that he will begin the operation of the newbirth on your whole being. The operation of the new birth involves the wholeman, which consists of body, soul, and spirit. When the Spirit of Christ comesinto your heart this will purify your heart removing all carnality from withinit. Having your heart purified does nothing toward the renewing of your mindand the crucifying of your fleshly desires. Your mind is renewed through theknowledge of the truth contained in the gospel revealed to you by the HolyGhost. Paul tells us to be renewed in the spirit of your mind so that you willknow the will of God for your life. (Romans12:1-2 ; Ephesians 4:22-24) Walking in the truth will renew the mind andcrucify the desires of the flesh. The flesh loves the pleasures of sin, but weare told to abstain from sin and we must or else be taken out of the vine,which is Christ. The power given us is the Holy Spirit in our heart. If theHoly Ghost dwells in your heart then you do possess the power to cease fromsin. Your abstaining from sin is what preserves you in Christ and you willeventually come to a position where sin will have no sway over you whatsoever.The converts in today's churches are told that sin will forever reign in theirlives without them being able to cease from it, but this is false doctrine andwill sear your conscience causing you to speak lies in hypocrisy to beeternally doomed. If you want to be a child of God then you must receive andwalk in the light of the truth....