Real Life Part 4 - The Spirit-Filled Life
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· 9 viewsReal Life in Christ cannot be lived without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
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Signs of a Changed Life
Signs of a Changed Life
What is life? Is it merely thought, emotion, choices and actions? Is life a religion, a philosophy, or an idea?
Did Jesus make a distinction between this life and the life to come in context of the Father? When He said that He was”The Life” was He merely referring to life after death of this mortal flesh?
Jesus gives us some clues to the life He had in mind in John Chapter 3.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
The point I want to highlight here is that this man, Nicodemus a Pharisee, points out that in Jesus, he has seen signs or evidence of a divine encounter.
When people look at the life you live in front of them every day, can they say that they are witnesses to signs in you that are evident that you have had a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ? What about if they were to see the life you live at home, at night, or when you are on vacation?
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 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?”
A kingdom is a place of governance, rule, reign and authority. It is established by a set precepts and principles by which a people are governed and live daily. The lives of the people reflect the reign of the kingdoms king.
So often, in the church, we take the gifts from God and turn them into our identity. Your identity is not found in the gifts but in the Gift Giver. The gift does not determine your value, the Giver does. In the days of the Tabernacle and the Temple, the most valuable things in the land were not in the kings house or the marketplace. They were in the presence of God, in the Holy place. The most valuable things were those things that belonged to God. Nothing or no one can give you value except belonging to Jesus.
Does your life reflect the rule and the reign of King Jesus? Can you honestly say that the precepts and principles of Christ govern your daily life, your thoughts, your desires, and your choices?
Jesus answers in this way because he perceived that this man at least desired to know the Kingdom of God. Unfortunately, in modern day Christianity, once people think they are “Saved from Hell” they have no further desire for the King much less His Kingdom.
Jesus spoke of the Kingdom more than he spoke of salvation. Why? Because to see the Kingdom you must surrender to the King. In the Kingdom of God you cannot live and be your own king.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus continues his conversation with Nicodemus by pointing out that one has to first have been born of the womb of woman. In other words, he has to be living. But to truly be alive he must be born of the Spirit of God. He cannot live the righteousness of God in the carnal flesh. The ruach (spirit) of man must be quickened alive only by the Ruch ha Kodesh, the Spirit of God which is Holy, divine, undefiled, sinless, pure, righteous, and from the breath of God. Apart from the Holy Spirit every fleshly attempt at righteousness is self righteous and unholy or defiled.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
So what does Jesus mean to be “Born Again” or “Born of the Spirit”?
Let’s ask someone who was there with Jesus when this conversation was being held. Someone whom Jesus would have expounded understanding of this concept to besides Nicodemus. Let’s get the Apostle Peter’s perspective on the subject.
Born Again to Living Hope
Born Again to Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Note that the Apostle Peter in, 1 Peter 1:3, uses the same language as Jesus. He says that by God’s great mercy he has caused us to be “Born Again” to a “Living Hope” through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So, is Peter just referring to the life to come or is he making reference to the resurrection life of Christ that conquered the sting of death and death’s power through sin? Well, let’s continue:
to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
So, we are “born again” to something. That means we were brought from something. That something was the fallen sinful nature in disobedience to the righteousness of God. But through the person of Christ Jesus, we have been born again to an inheritance, not of death and eternal separation from God and the power of sin, but to an inheritance that is eternal and undefiled by God’s power. And through God’s power that inheritance is guarded through faith.
Many would read this to say that we are guarded through the power of God. That may be true, but the context is that the inheritance is guarded through faith (belief and obedience) for a salvation to be revealed.
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Whose faith does the power of God work through to guard this eternal inheritance?
Peter says that it is your faith and he goes a step further to say that God requires (not merely suggest or hopes) that your faith (belief and obedience according to Hebrews 11) be genuine or sincere. God wants to ensure the genuineness of your faith so much so that He will actually try it or test it by trials and fire. God views the genuineness of your faith as more valuable and precious than gold.
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Peter takes this concept a step further to lay out the definition of being “Born Again” in this new and real life. He says your love (ahava demonstrated through shema - obedience; love that is not just heard from the service of ones lips but that is demonstrated in ones living) has to be genuine. And your belief (values, ethics, morals) reflect that love obtaining the outcome of your faith which is the salvation of your soul (neshamah).
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.
It is amazing how the prophets of the Old Testament sought and inquired of this thing we now call salvation with great care, concern and caution. To even speak of the King Messiah was done so with great fear and reverence. Yet, we treat the entire idea with complacency and callous. As if to say, ”What a great deal we got for free. Yeah, I’ll subscribe to that at my own convenience.”
The Apostle Peter concludes with a greater understanding of this thing we call Born Again, Salvation, or Real Life through Christ Jesus.
Called to Holiness
Called to Holiness
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
Give me the Kingdom over this culture. They have “Cancel Culture”. But the Kingdom of our God cancels their culture. Yet, the Church MUST live the Kingdom not this culture.
Are you truly Born Again? Is the spirit within you (that which defines you, your thoughts, your desires, your actions) is it holy? If not, then you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You need to be born again.
If you accepted Christ as your Savior but the old you is still living, then you need to be Born Again into the newness of Christ Jesus. I’m not talking to folks on the street and neither was Peter or Jesus. I am talking to people who profess to be followers of Christ and living His life, yet continue to live unchanged. It is time to cancel the old you. That’s your biggest problem. It’s not others, your finances, your spouse, your kids. It’s you still doing you and not truly doing Christ. You MUST be Born Again Nicodemus. You must be born of the Holy Spirit.
Some would say doctrinally that when you got saved you were filled with the Holy Spirit. Well, does your life, thinking, attitudes, appetites, and moral choices reflect that? If not, you need to be Born Again into real life who is Christ.