From the recording 77 Lessons of Life #1-11
Lyrics
Lesson 7 of 77
Born-again Believers
{See Lessons 9, 18, 22}
by Lawrence DeMetrius
One must have a personal encounter with the Holy Ghost before they can become spiritually born-again. Only Yahweh can orchestrate this encounter, which is the cause of one’s faith in HIM, HIS sovereign Godhead and all things taught pertaining thereto. In His dialogue with Apostle Peter the Lord Jesus said,
Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
And they said, Some say that Thou are John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.
Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ.
[Mt 16:13-17, 20]
Apostle John writes,
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
This is He of Whom I said, After me cometh a Man which is preferred before me: for He was before me.
And I KNEW HIM NOT <like the rest of Christ’s Own Creation [St Jn 1:10]>: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him.
And I KNEW HIM NOT: but HE that sent me to baptize with water, the SAME said unto me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the Same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
[St Jn 1:29-34]
Regarding His brethren the Lord Jesus also said,
All that the Father giveth Me shall come to ME; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine Own will, but the will of HIM that sent Me.
And this is the Father’s will which hath sent ME, that of all which HE hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of HIM that sent Me, that everyone which seeth <or that can truly recognize Who> the Son <is>, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto Me.
Therefore, said I unto you, that no man can come unto Me, except it were given unto him of My Father.
[Jn 6:37-40, 44, 45, 65]
Apostle Paul writes,
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost.
[I Cor 12:3]
Upon one’s personal encounter with the Holy Ghost and His revelation of Who Christ is in relation to Yahweh, they acquire a taste and hunger for more insight about Yahweh, HIS Christ, and the Holy Ghost. This desire is only satisfied with consistent and effectual scriptural study, prayer and fellowship with likeminded believers. Apostle Peter writes,
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby.
[I Pet 2:2]
And that from a child <said Apostle Paul to young Pastor Timothy> thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
[II Tim 3:15-17]
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
[II Tim 2:15]
The Lord Jesus said,
If ye continue in My word then, are ye My Disciples indeed;
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
[Jn 8:31, 32, 36]
Holy communion in scriptural study, prayer and Christian fellowship are major elements of the spiritual perfection that takes place within born-again believers. Apostle Paul writes,
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.
<Why?> For whom HE did foreknow, HE also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of HIS Son, that He might be the Firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover, whom HE did predestinate, them HE also called: and whom HE called, them HE also justified: and whom HE justified, them HE also glorified.
[Rm 8:28-30]
The Book of Hebrews notes,
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
[Heb 10:25]
As Christ the Seed of Faith, is conceived within each born-again believer, they are liberated from the power of sin in their flesh or carnal nature. In acknowledgment of this truth the Lord Jesus said,
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
[Mt 26:41]
Apostle Paul writes,
For all have sinned, and come short <past and present tense> of the glory of God;
[Rm 3:23]
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh <carnal nature>: For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
[Rm 6:19]
But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! WHO shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with my mind I myself serve the law of God; But with the flesh the law of sin?
[Rm 7:23-25]
King Solomon also notes of this inward war writing,
And moreover, I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
[Eccl 3:16]
It is important to realistically acknowledge that this inward warring is within all mortals including those who are spiritually born-again, and will exist until one’s final transition to immortality.
Apostle Paul writes,
For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
[Phil 3:20, 21]
The ability to overcome the power of sin in the flesh and carnal nature, comes only through Christ the Word, without Whom one remains under Yahweh’s wrath. Concerning Christ’s ability to destroy the power of sin in the lives of His brethren, Apostle John writes,
He that committeth sin <as being enslaved to the power of sin> is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil <in the lives of born-again believers>.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin <as one enslaved to the power of sin>; for HIS Seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin <not being enslaved to the power of sin>, because he is born of God.
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
[I Jn 3:8-10]
Born-again believers are deemed righteous in Yahweh’s perspective because Christ is abiding within their hearts. Apostle Paul writes,
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned <have been enslaved to the power of sin>, and come short <past and present tense> of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by HIS grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His Blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time HIS righteousness: that HE <Yahweh> might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
[Rm 3:21-26]
But of HIM are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
[I Cor 1:30]
There is no higher honor for mortals than to be born-again sons of God. Apostle John writes,
He <Christ> came unto His Own, and His Own received Him not.
But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
[St Jn 1:11-13]
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, the we should be called the sons of God: therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew HIM not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He <Christ> shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He <Christ> is pure.
[I Jn 3:1-3]
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