Scripture References: John 3:5 and John 13:5-8
Gods word clearly reveals that it's totally necessary for an individual to be "born again"in order to enter into the kingdom of God. So therefore if any personcomes short of this birth and is not born again, then his destinationis to be destroyed in the lake of fire, which is termed as being thesecond death. In the above scripture we find that a man named Nicodemuscame to Jesus by night inquiring of him of things concerning God. Jesusgot direct to the point and told him that he must born again to see andto enter into the kingdom of God. Nicodemus could not understand how hecould do that thinking he would have to go back into his mother's wombto be born all over again, but Jesus was not referring to a physicalbirth, but rather to a spiritual birth. To be born again can only bedone by being spiritually born again of God and certainly notreentering into a womb of a woman to be physically born again. We needto understand first of all that the spiritual birth is not performed onour body, which is our outer man, but rather it's our inner man, whichis our spirit that must be reborn again. Jesus said it is the spiritthat is born of the Spirit, but yet we need to understand the total manconsisting of a body, a soul, and a spirit is involved in the processof the new birth. The body of flesh will still be a fleshly body, butit's the sin that infests the body that must be removed as the newbirth is being performed. The new birth begins when the Spirit ofChrist takes up his abode in the heart and when this happens the heart,which is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, asJeremiah 17:9 reveals, is miraculously purified of all it's evils andwickedness. This purifying of the heart did not touch the sin of boththe flesh and the spirit that yet must undergo a cleansing work, whichwill in a process of time cleanse all the sin they both contain aswell.
The cleansing of sin from both the flesh and spirit is accomplished by what Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 that says, "Ibeseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye presentyour bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which isyour reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be yetransformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what isthat good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." To present both "our body and spirit" untoGod holy and acceptable unto him is our reasonable service to do, asPaul clearly tells us here. Notice that Paul in these two verses ofscripture does not reveal to us how we are to do this, but he revealshow we can do it in what he said to the church at Corinth. What Paulsays in II Corinthians 7:1 is where we find the instructions telling ushow to cleanse ourselves from all the filthiness of both our flesh andspirit. Keep in mind that without the Spirit of Christ abiding in ourheart we cannot possibly do what Paul tells us to do there. Paul saidthese words in II Corinthians 7:1 saying, "Havingtherefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves fromall filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fearof God." The "promises"
that Paul refers to here are the many truths revealed throughout theteachings of the gospel of Christ. As we, being led of the Spirit,begin to believe and obey these many truths of Gods word, it is thecleansing power of these many truths that will spiritually begin tocleanse all the filthiness of sin from both our flesh and spirit thatwill in time perfect holiness in the fear of God. Paul tells us aboutthis work, which is Gods way of bringing us to salvation. Paul revealsthis work of God in II Thessalonians 2:13 that says, "But we arebound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of theLord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvationthrough sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."
God chose us to salvation through and by sanctification of theSpirit and belief of the truth, but reading the preceding verses inthis chapter reveals that many will not receive the love of this truthin order to be saved, and for this very reason God will send themstrong delusions to be damned. In II Thessalonians 2:10-12 we find Paulsaying these words that says, "And with all deceivableness ofunrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the loveof the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shallsend them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That theyall might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure inunrighteousness." When exactly do these people fail to receivethese truths that would save them as Paul says? It's at the verybeginning when they take membership in some church they begin toattend. Is it not a fact that when a person decides to go to churchthat they do not know the truth of Gods word before they go there? Theyjust take for granted that the church they go to is Gods church andthat truth is being taught there, but they have nothing whatsoever tobase that theory on, and whatever is taught there they accept andswallow it hook, line, and sinker.. This is why the wise preacher tellsus in Proverbs 14:15 these words saying, "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going."
Just how many people do you suppose there are that did not take forgranted that what all is being taught in churches is the truth of Godsword? Very few I would say that was truly concerned enough to make surewhat they were hearing was the truth of Gods word or not. When I firstcame to God seeking for forgiveness of sin and for salvation I did nottake upon myself to join some church even though my wife was attendinga church at the time. So I can say without hesitation and pride thatwhat I learned from Gods word at the beginning was not taught to me byany man, but rather I stayed home and read Gods holy word for myself. Idid not know why at the beginning, but it did not take me long to findout when I began to hear what was being preached in the average churchin that day. The first church I went to was the one that my wife wasattending and I went there just long enough to be asked (not politely)to leave and I did. It was a Pentecostal church called the "PentecostalFull Gospel Mission" but found out it didn't have any spiritual gas atall in it's tank, but was trying to run on some fumes of the past. Iwent to other certain denominational churches as well and found outthey were running on the fumes of the past as well. You check out whereall their roots began and it will lead you somewhere in times pastwhere it was started by certain individuals. Most people being simpleminded in things concerning God and their eternal destination willbelieve anything as long as the name of Jesus is mentioned andconnected to it, but a prudent person looks well to their going; theyknow their soul is at stake. Christianity today has evolved intonothing more or less than a multiplied millions of sinners callingthemselves Christians. It's only a confession without a possession ofChrist; sad but true. But did not Jesus say these words in Matthew24:37 saying, "But as the days of Noewere, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Howwas it in the days of Noah? All one has to do is read Genesis chaptersix and find out what conditions existed in Noah's day and you willfind out it's about the same in our day and age.
The thing that stands out from all the conditions that existed in Noah's day is what it says in Genesis 6:12 saying, "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.?Can you not see that mankind has once again corrupted his way upon theearth again? Listen to all the hundreds and hundreds of religiousteachings throughout the world today, which certainly includesChristianity. How many ways are there that leads to life revealed inGods word? Let Jesus answer this question in what he said in Matthew7:14 that says, "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." But listen again to what he says in Matthew 7:13 the preceding verse that says, "Enterye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." Allthese broad and easy ways covers up sin teaching the people that sin isnot the issue. They teach that as long as you believe in Jesus andaccept him as your own personal Lord and Savior, then you are going toslide into heaven with ease. But one does not slide into heaven becausethe "way" that leads to life goes up the rough side of the mountain, but the "ways" that leads to destruction is slippery as oiled glass. Listen to what Jesus tells us in Luke 13:24 that says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Whywill many not be able to enter into life that seek to as Jesus said?Why, because they are not striving in accord with Gods holy word.Christians can be compared to what Jesus said about fish.. In Matthew13:47-48 Jesus said these words saying, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, andgathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away." Irefer to a concerned true confessing Christian as a salmon fish, andthe deceived unconcerned confessing Christian as any of all the othertypes of fish. A salmon fish will fight the current of the water to layit's eggs upstream, but any other ordinary fish will float lazily downstream being carried about with no concern at all where they lay theireggs. An unconcerned person is a person that is referred to in Proverbs14:15 as a simple person that will believe every word somebody may say,but a concerned person are the prudent people that looks well to theirgoing and will not believe everything they hear especially of thingsconcerning Gods word. Now look at all the hundreds of differentdoctrines that are being proclaimed in our day and age on thingsconcerning Gods word. You would think that somebody would be aware ofthe fact that a lot of people are wrong in what they teach and believe.They may be, but is it not a fact that everybody seemingly is lookingat everybody else thinking that person is wrong and not themselves? Ifeverybody does this, which they seem to do, then things will remain ata stalemate and nobody does anything about it and continues to thinkand believe they are right and everybody else is wrong. This mess iscalled confusion that seemingly nobody knows what to do about it, otherthan just leave it alone for nature to take it's course and of courseit will, but not for the better but for the worse.
Have you been born of the cleansing water of Gods word? Has itwashed you clean from all sin making a new creature out of you? Onlythe truth of Gods word can do this.. When Jesus was washing thedisciples feet as recorded in John 13:5-8 we find that Jesus came toPeter and Peter told Jesus that he would never wash his feet. But whatdid Jesus tell Peter when he told him he would never wash his feet?Listen to what Jesus told Peter as stated in John 13:8 that says, "Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."Do you know what Jesus meant when he told Peter that if he washed himnot that he would have no part with him? Jesus did not tell Peter thatif he did not wash his feet he would have no part with him. The washingof their feet was only an example that meant something else and Peterbegan to see the truth of it. What Jesus spiritually meant when hesaid, "if I wash thee not" he was not referring to washing his feet,but rather that was only an example of being washed from all sin body,soul, and spirit by the word of God. So Jesus was spiritually saying toPeter and all other disciples that if Gods word does not wash andcleanse them from all sin, then they have to part with Christwhatsoever. Did not Jesus say this same thing when he said these wordsin John 17:17 saying, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." Weare sanctified and cleansed from sin by the cleansing power of the wordof God, which is truth and was not Christ the truth of Gods word madeflesh? If Gods word does not wash us from all sin, then we will have nopart with him whatsoever. The washing of the feet of the disciples wasonly an example of a spiritual truth, but many wash one anothers feetwith water thinking that's what it means to literally do. Christ is theword of God and if the word of God does not wash you clean from allinbred sin of both the flesh and spirit, then you are none of his.Listen to what Paul says about this as stated in Ephesians 5:26 saying,"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." Christwashes each member of the church with the washing of the water of theword of God, but if you fail to allow the truth of Gods word to washyou, then you will die in your sins and be eternally lost. He that hasan ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to thechurches...amen