Basorge

Understanding New Birth - Part 12

2 Corinth 5:16 “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer”. NKJV

As new creations, we must learn how not to see man and the world from the outside. Man sees his fellow man from the flesh/outside. Recall the discussion God had with Samuel at Jesse’s house. Samuel saw Eliab and other sons of Jesse as potential kings. God told him that He doesn’t look at man that way. God looks at the inner man (the spirit and soul of man).

The reason is pretty simple. As the maker of all men, He knows that if He is to bring about any change in man, it must be from inside out. What matters to God is the condition of your spirit and soul.

The danger of seeing men and life from the outside is that you will make judgments based on what you see. For example, if a man does good works, you may be quick to conclude that he/she is a new creation, and vice versa. This has become the common practice in the body of Christ. We often make our judgments from what we see in the outside.

You may say how else do you want me to make my judgment? Shouldn’t I observe with my eyes? Of course you must of necessity observe attitudes and behaviours of men. But you must not make your conclusions by them alone. Trust the Holy Spirit to reveal the real person in the inside to you.

As a man in search of a spouse, as a manager of people, as a business man, as a leader etc, please learn to see the inner man and the hidden things of life. Satan knows how to transform into a messenger of light. But he cannot deceive all men. He will only deceive carnal and simple men.

There are genuine Christians in fake congregations i.e. churches not founded on Christ but seems to be on the outside. There are genuine Christians in the wrong marriage relationship. There are genuine and trustworthy business men who fall prey to fraudsters.

I know you are asking the question “how do I know the genuine ones”? You must depend solely on the Holy Spirit to lead you. Your experiences are valuable but don’t lean solely on them. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will direct you by leading you to make sound judgments based on past experiences. Some other times He will not. It is His prerogative on how to lead us.

I remember persuading my colleagues and house mates to pay for the rent of a house that was owing electricity bill to the tune of one year rent. When we inspected the house, PHCN had disconnected the building from power. We asked the Landlord when he will make payment and connect the house back to power, he answered that when the tenant pays him 2 years rent. Funny isn’t it? What guarantee did we have that he will clear the debt when we pay? Just his word. You know how risky it is to commit to such a thing especially when you know very little about the character of a person.

You see, from the moment we stepped into that house for inspection, I had the inner witness that this was the place we were going to stay. So when these unfavourable conditions came up, it didn’t discourage me because I still had peace. The testimony is that the three of us that took up that 3 bedroom apartment left our current job to bigger paying jobs in one year. We paid for two years rent but none of us stayed for up to a year. God told me that house was Rehoboth (a place of increase and enlargement) for us. It didn’t look like it but His word was fulfilled with time.

Not too long ago, a very close friend shared a business opportunity with me. I was willing to invest in it. From the outside, it looked good and profitable so I told my friend that I was in. I prayed about it and asked the Holy Spirit to guide me. It was right until my money was available that the Holy Spirit told me not to invest again. The Holy Spirit told me that the opportunity will not yield.

I didn’t know how to share this change of decision with my friend. I decided that I was lending him the money and not investing anymore. He agreed to pay back in due time. He paid this money back in piecemeal and over a protracted period. The money lost its value in my hands. The opportunity also never yielded result. The truth is that I had no business investing or lending my money to that project. I took a sentimental decision and was just lucky to get my money back though with less value.

You can always trust Him because He sees the tomorrow you can’t see. Please practice seeing man and opportunities from the inside. Don’t be quick to condemn a man because of his/her failings, neither should you be quick to exalt another because of their good works. As a child of God, you can function like your Father. Paul in our opening verse said he no longer saw Jesus in the flesh but in the spirit. We are the ones who see Jesus as the Saviour of the whole world and not a good and great man who lived and died. We believe He resurrected from the dead because we have witnesses to this truth. Just like Him, we will one day resurrect from the dead to reign with Him.

This series continues in part 13, thank you for your time and enjoy God’s blessings.

Understanding New Birth - Part 9

2 Corinth 5:18 “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation”. NKJV

Through the sacrifice of the Son of God, man has been adopted into God’s family. New creations are now partakers of the divine nature of their Father. This isn’t a promise that will be fulfilled at the end of this age. It is a present hour reality.

Rom 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together”. NKJV

The verses we just read explain a whole lot. The good-news of the gospel isn’t just that our sins have been forgiven but that we have been reconciled back to God. Our sins were taken away for a reason. And that reason is no other than God being so desirous of having a more robust relationship with man (the object of His love).

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life”. NKJV

Everlasting or eternal life is the exact kind of life that is at work in God. Jesus stated clearly that He has come that we may have life and in abundance of it. Don’t you for one second assume that the abundance there means long life; no way!!!

Abundant life is superfluous life i.e. the God kind of life. This is the higher life; a life where you are in command of the supernatural. A natural man receives natural things only because he can’t decipher spiritual things for they don’t make sense to him. However, the spiritual man receives spiritual things and runs with them.

You must come to the knowledge that God is interested in your everyday life. He desires to be a part of it. This is what it means to be in Christ. In Him we have the ability to live by the Spirit every day. God wants to make you a success in life. He wants you to be victorious in life. The first step to this greatness is new birth. Without new birth, no man can enter into God’s kingdom.

God’s kingdom isn’t the same thing as the kingdom of Heaven. The kingdom of God has come down and is here on earth. Ever since the Spirit of God was sent down to the earth as the Helper, Comforter, Teacher and Standby, God’s kingdom was established on earth.

It doesn’t make sense to be in Christ and not experience the kingdom of God. There's a proverb that one doesn’t have soap in his/her eyes and is stranded in the river. When I say God is interested in every bit of your life, I mean every little bit. If anything bothers you, then take it to Him in prayer.

He has said it repeatedly that we should cast all our cares upon Him for He cares. He doesn’t want us to be anxious for anything, but by prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, we should make our requests known to Him and His peace shall garrison our hearts and minds. Jesus called out to all who are heavy laden with the vicissitudes of life to come to Him and find rest for their souls.

Recall that when Jesus gave up His spirit, the curtain or veil that separated the Holy of Holiest from the inner court ripped into two from the top to bottom. What was the significance of this sign? The Jewish man made no mistake of the significance of this sign because they knew exactly what it signified.

That sign signifies that God doesn’t have need for intermediaries like Moses, prophets, priests etc, in order to relate with man anymore. He has set up His resting place in the spirit of a new creation. Eph 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ”. 18 “For through Him (Jesus) we both (Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit to the Father”.

Now that you are in Christ, you have been reconciled back to God; therefore, develop a healthy relationship with Him. The Spirit of God given freely to us at new birth has a ministry in us. He makes all things new. You see God in a different light now.

The gift of righteousness (right standing before God) and eternal life (the God kind of life) is poured out to us in full measure that we might benefit from it. You must know that the Holy Spirit in you is to your advantage. By working together with Him, you can manifest His fruit and gifts. With the help of the Spirit, we can change many things in the place of prayer.

In part 10, I’ll share on how a new creation can live the victorious life by the Spirit. Thank you for your time and enjoy God’s blessings.