PRAYER

Prayer is as old as man, as universal as religion is, and as instinctive as breathing (Gen. 4:26 OT). All men of all faiths practice it in some form. Prayer springs from the heart with a need – a need greater than man’s ability to encounter. Prayer is man’s acknowledgement of a being higher than he is.

Most men try to pray, yet so few know how. There are two kinds of prayers: the prayer that does not reach God and the prayer that does reach God. This is illustrated by our Lord in the parable of the Pharisee and the publican (Luke 18:9-14). Both men went to the same place, at the same time, for the same purpose – to pray.

The Pharisee prayed in his religious pride, expecting God to answer because he thought himself worthy. He informed God of his own goodness, that he was better than others were. He boasted of his good works. He said, “I fast; I gave.” This is the kind of prayer that does not reach God. It is self-righteous prayer.

Now look at the publican and his prayer. He came to God in great humility, conscious of his unworthiness, confessing himself a sinner, and begging for mercy. This is the kind of prayer that does reach God. This is righteous prayer.

It is a rare privilege to pray; because it brings you into close fellowship with God, admitting your need for Him and your utter dependence upon Him.

1) What is Prayer Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking (Matt. 7:7-11) 7) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8) “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9) “Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10) “Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11) “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Prayer is asking and receiving; it is talking with God. It is making your request known to Him in faith. The above Scripture is so simple on the surface that we are in danger of failing to recognize its immensity. Our Lord instructs the believer to ask, see, and knock; because these three works cover the whole spectrum of prayer.

1. Prayer is asking and receiving. When you know the will of God regarding a need, whether it is material or spiritual, you can ask and receive. This is prayer according to the revealed will of God (1 John 5:14-15)
2. Prayer is seeking and finding. When you do not know the will of God regarding a need, whether it b e material or spiritual, then you are to seek His will in prayer concerning this need until you find it. This is prayer for knowledge of the unrevealed will of God in a specific need (Col. 3:1; also Jer. 29:12-13 OT)
3. Prayer is knocking and opening. When you know the will of God, and yet you find a closed door, you are to knock, and keep knocking until God opens the door. This is tenacious prayer – prayer for mountain-moving faith. Knocking prayer perseveres until the impossible becomes the possible this is miracle-working prayer (Matt 17:14-21). All things are possible when you ask, seek, and knock

2) Why Pray? The Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1) Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to prayer and not lose heart.
Pray:

1. Because Jesus said, “Men always ought to pray” (above verse 1). Prayer is imperative. You are commanded to pray (Matt. 26:41).
2. Because prayer is the only way to get things from God.  “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2).
3. Because there is joy in prayer (John 16:24)
4. Because prayer will save you out of all your troubles (Ps 34 OT).
5. Because prayer can unlock the treasure chest of God’s wisdom (James 1:5).
6. Because prayer is a channel of power (Jer. 33:3 OT).
7. Because it is a sin not to  pray (1 Sam. 12:33 OT)
8. Because sinners can be saved when they prayer in faith (Rom. 10:13-14).
9. Because Jesus, while here in the flesh, prayed often to the Father. Now if Jesus, the Son of God, needed to pray, then we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes. 5:17)

3) How to Pray (Matt. 6:9-13) 9) “In this manner, therefore, pray; 10) Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11) Give us this day or daily bread. 12) And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13) And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and glory forever. Amen.

“In this manner, therefore pray.” Our Lord gave this as a model prayer after one of His disciples said unto Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1).

1. We are to pray to our Father in heaven” (verse 9), because He is all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful. We are also instructed to pray in the name of Jesus (John 14:13-14) depending on the meditative influence of the Holy Spirit.
2. We are to pray for His will to be done in everything.
3. We are to pray for the coming of the Kingdom (Matt. 25:31-46).
4. We are to pray for our daily necessities.
5. We are to pray for forgiveness and are to practice forgiving others.
6. We are to pray for the leading of the Lord and for deliverance from evil.
7. We are to pray in faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Heb. 11:5).

This model prayer is brief, to the point, and not repetitious. It is the perfect prayer.

4) Where to Pray Peter Freed from Prison (Acts 12:5) Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

There was a remarkable change in the prayer life of the disciples after the resurrection of Jesus, and it is noted again after Pentecost. Before the death of Jesus, the disciples slept while Jesus prayed in the Garden (Matt. 26:36-46). But, after His death and resurrection:

1. They assembled in the upper room, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit and they prayed. We should always pray when assembled with believers (Acts 1:13-14)
2. They prayed as they went from house to house (Acts 2:42-47)
3. They prayed in the church when Peter was in prison (verses 5-19)
4. Paul and Silas prayed in prison (Acts 16:25). Here we see Christians praying in the presence of unbelievers, but not to be heard of them. Never pray to please others present; pray only to please God.
5. The most important place to pray is any place where you can be alone with God (Matt. 6:6)
6. We are instructed to pray in all places at all times (1 Tim. 2:8).

It is great joy to be able to talk with God, any time, any place, under any condition, and to know that He will hear and answer.

5) Hindrances to Prayer A Word to Husbands (1 Peter 3:7) Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

When prayers are not answered, you should examine yourself in the light of God’s Word. If you find anything not pleasing to God, confess it, believing God for forgiveness that you prayers may be answered (1 John 1:9)

1. An inharmonious relationship between husband and wife will hinder prayer (verses 1-7).
2. Selfishness will hinder prayer (James 4:3).
3. An unforgiving spirit will hinder prayer (Matt. 5:22-24). Many Christians go without answers to prayer because they have wronged others, or have been wronged and have failed to humble themselves and seek reconciliation.
4. Unbelief will hinder prayer (James 1:6-7 and Heb. 11:6)
5. Known sin in the heart will hinder prayer (Is. 59:2 OT also Ps. 66:18 OT).

When you pray, go to God in all humility. Ask Him to reveal anything in your life that is not pleasing to Him. Then judge it; confess it, calling it by name and forsake it. Pray in all simplicity and earnestness, believing, and God will hear and answer.

6) Does God Answer All Prayers? (John 15:7) ”If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

The Bible is filled with answered prayers from Genesis to Revelation. You are command to pray, and God has promised to answer (Jer. 33:3 OT). In the above Scripture, there are two requirements for answers to prayer. First you are to abide in Him; that is, to continue in Him. It means to remain in His perfect will at all cost (Rom. 12:1-2). Second, His words are to abide in you; they are to become a vital part of you life. You are to be filled with and guided by His words (Col. 3:16-17). Meet these two requirements, and your prayers will be answered.

1. ​The answer is sometimes immediate. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, and as he began to sink, he prayed, “Lord, save me!” The answer was immediate (Matt. 14:22-31)
2. The answer is sometimes delayed. The delay is according to His will (Rom. 8:28). The resurrection of Lazarus is a good example of delayed answer to prayer. Lazarus was sick. Mary and Martha sent for Jesus to come and heal him. But Jesus delayed coming until Lazarus was dead and in the tomb for four days. Then He came and raised Lazarus for the dead. The answer was delayed – but not denied (John 11:1-44).
3. The answer is sometimes “no.” When God answers with a “no,” He always accompanies the answer with peace (Phil. 4:6-7) and grace (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
4. The answer is sometimes different from what you expect. You pray for perseverance and God sends tribulation – because “tribulation produces perseverance” (Rom. 5:3). God answers all your prayers – not according to your wishes, but according to His perfect will.

FAITH

“The just shall live by faith.” This declaration of he Christian’s principle of life is found four times in the Bible: Hab. 2:1-5 (OT); Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:10-11; and Heb. 10:38. In Habakkuk, we see the difference between the lives of the unjust and the just. The unjust are puffed up and live by their own self-sufficiency. But the just live by faith – their confidence is in God. To them, faith is more than a philosophy of life; it is the very principle of life (Hab. 2:4 OT). The just shall live his whole life by faith. He saved by faith (Acts 16:31); he is kept by faith (1 Pet. 1:7); and he lives by faith (Gal. 2:20). His faith shall be tried many times and in many ways (1 Pet. 1:7), but faith will always be vindicated, because it is more than equal to any occasion. Faith knows how to wait on the Lord (IS 40:31 OT), and it is always victorious (1 John 5:4)

Faith defies reason; it moves mountains (Mitt. 17:14-21). Faith does not always face facts; it never gives up (Heb. 11:32-39). Faith says, “God is working out His perfect will in my life, and I can wait, endure, and suffer.” Faith does not make anything easy, but it does make all things possible.

1) What is Faith? By Faith We Understand (Heb. 11:1-3) 1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  2) For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3) By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

“Now faith is the substance [title deed] of things hoped for …” Your faith is your title deed to eternal life. Just as a title deed is evidence of real estate, so you faith evidence or your eternal estate in God (2 Cor. 4:18).

1. Faith is taking God at His word and asking no questions (Heb. 11:8).
2. Faith is knowing that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28). Faith does not believe that all things are good, or that all things work well.  It does believe that all things (good or bad) work together for good to them that love God.
3. Faith has two sides.  One side has to do with the intellect. It is an intellectual conviction that Jesus Christ is God.  The other side has to do with the will. It is a volitional surrender of the will to Jesus Christ as Master.  This is seen when Thomas believed and confessed, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).  “My Lord” this was volitional surrender; “My God” this was intellectual conviction. Together you have saving faith (John 20:31). Saving faith is an intellectual conviction that Jesus is God, and a volitional surrender to Him as Lord (Master) of you life. By faith, the mind trusts in God; the heart responds to the love of God; the will submits to the commands of God; and the life obeys in the service of God.
4. Faith is paradoxical. It goes beyond reason. It believes without understanding “why.”  It sings in prison (Acts 16:25). It glories in tribulations (Rom. 5:3). It chooses to suffer afflictions (Heb. 11:25). It accepts all things as a part of God’s will (Phil. 1:12)
5. You are not born with this faith. It comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). This is why we are commanded to preach the gospel to every creature, that they may hear and believe (Rom. 10:13-14).

2) The Importance of Faith (Eph. 6:16) … above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

The shield of faith is a vital part of the Christian’s armor.  You are to put on the “whole armor of God” because the Christian life is a warfare, a spiritual conflict. As Paul names the different parts of the Christian’s armor, he comes to the shield and emphasizes its importance by saying, “Above all, taking the shield of faith…”

For with the shield of faith, nothing can hurt you; “… in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37)

The importance of faith is seen in that:

1. You can not be saved without faith (John 3:36
2. You cannot live victoriously over the world without faith 1 John 5:4)
3. You cannot please God without faith (Heb. 11:6)
4. You cannot pray without faith (James 1:6)
5. You cannot have peace with God without faith (Rom. 5:1)
6. You cannot have joy without faith (1 Pet. 1:8 )
7. You are justified by faith and not by works (Gal. 2:16)
8. You live by faith Gal. 2:20)
9. You are made righteous by faith (Rom. 14:1-4)
10. Christ dwells in your heart by faith (Eph. 3:17)
11. The Holy Spirit is received by faith (Gal. 3:2)
12. “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23)

Faith is important because it honors God, and God always honors faith.

3) Little Faith (Matt. 14:28-33) 28) And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. 29) So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30) But he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord save me!” 31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32) And when they got into the boat the wind ceased. 33) Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

At this stage in the spiritual growth of Peter, he was a man of “little faith.” However, after Pentecost, he became a spiritual giant.  Let us take of good look at his “little faith” and profit from it.  Jesus, walking on the water in the midst of a storm, came to His distressed disciples. Peter asked to come to Jesus on the water. He must have thrilled at the thought of doing the impossible. Jesus said, “Come.”

1. Peter did the impossible thing: He walked on the water, by faith.
2. Next, Peter did the conceivable thing: He saw the storm and had a second thought – he doubted. For a moment, he lost sight of Jesus. He may have turned and started back to the boat (Luke 9:12).
3. Now Peter did the natural thing: He feared destruction. Doubt always breeds fear.
4. Then Peter did the expected thing: He began to sink – he failed.
5. Now Peter did the right thing: He prayed – “Lord save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him. Once more Peter made contact with Jesus by faith.
6. Again Peter did the impossible thing: He walked on the water with Jesus to the boat. In this lesson, we see the success and failure of “little faith.”

Now, let us recap the steps that led to failure. Peter started by faith and walked on water. Then he saw the storm and had second thoughts that lead to doubt, that produced fear, that caused him to turn back, that brought about failure.

You need a faith that is bigger than the elements that would drag you down to defeat.  You can have big faith “prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:20-21) and by feeding your faith on the Word of God (Rom 10:17). You can have mountain high faith.

4) Three Kinds of Faith(John 11:21-44) 21) Now Martha said to Jesus “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died. 22) “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23) Jesus said to here, “Your brother will rise again.” 24) Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25) Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26) “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27) She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 28) And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” 29) As soon as she heard that she arose quickly and came to Him. 30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. 31) Then Jews who were with here in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.” 32) Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33) When Jesus therefore saw here weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, 34) and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35) Jesus wept. 36) And so the Jews were saying, “Behold how He loved him!” 37) But some said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have kept this man also from dying?” 38) Jesus therefore again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb.  Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39) Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40) Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41) And so they removed the stone.  And Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me. 42) And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that “Thou didst send Me.” 43) And when He said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44) He who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings; and his face was wrapped around with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”                     .
In this chapter, we see the faith of Martha in connection with the resurrection of her brother Lazarus. Now Lazarus fell ill, and Martha and her sister Mary sent for Jesus to come and heal him. Jesus delayed His coming until Lazarus was dead and in the tomb for tomb for four days. Then He came to raise him from the dead, and found the limited, fundamental faith of Martha His only obstacle.

1. Martha’s faith was limited. She said, “Lord if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” The death of Lazarus meant the end of Martha’s faith. She believed that Jesus had the power raise her brother up from the sick bed, but not from the dead. Her limited faith restricted the power of Christ. Limited faith is controlled by circumstances, and motivated by fear of failure.
2. Martha’s faith was fundamental. Jesus said, “Your brother shall rise again.” These words were spoken to kindle hope and faith in Martha; but, she said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Martha declared here fundamental faith in a great truth, but that is not enough. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus was saying that He had all power over life and death. Then He asked, “Do you believe this?” Martha evaded the question by stating her fundamental faith in here creed, to the living, all powerful Christ. Her faith limited the power of Christ, and “Jesus wept.” Jesus wept when He came to raise Lazarus from the dead and found limited, fundamental only.
3. At last, unlimited faith came to Martha when she consented to have the stone moved from the grave.  When Jesus first ordered the stone taken from the grave, Martha objected in unbelief. Then Jesus, challenging her to believe, said, “Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Martha believed and waited to see the glory of God, and she was not disappointed. We often here that”seeing is believing,” but this is not so.  You believe and then see. Faith comes before sight. Now Martha’s faith no longer limited the power of Christ.  She consented to have the stone moved from the tomb and Jesus “cried out with a Lord voice, “Lazarus, come forth,”” and Lazarus was raised up. Don’t be satisfied with limited, fundamental faith only, when you can have unlimited faith that pleases God and reveals his glory.

5) The Hall of Faith (Heb. 11:32-39) 32) And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon,  Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33) who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34) quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35) Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection, 36) and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.  37) They were stoned, they sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38) (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. 39) And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, [40) because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

This chapter is call the “Hall of Faith.” You need to come here often and linger long, that your faith may become strong in the Lord; for in this Scripture we get a view of the history if Israel and the church, as it is written by faith, in the blood of the saints.

They worshiped by faith as Abel. They walked by faith as Enoch. They worked by faith as Noah. They lived by faith as Abraham. They governed by faith Israel.  They fought by faith Joshua. They conquered by faith as Gideon. They subdued kingdoms by faith as David.  They closed the mouths of lions by faith as Daniel. They walked through the fire by faith as the three Hebrew children. They suffered by faith as Paul. They died by faith as Stephen, the first Christian martyr.
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By faith they were patient in suffering, courageous in battle, made strong out of weakness and were victorious in defeat. They were more than conquerors by faith. It is only by faith in the all-powerful Christ that you can be superior to circumstances and victorious over all the evil forces that would destroy you. “Fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith.” The faith of the saints inspires us, but we look to Jesus as our example of faith.

 ​THE ABUNDANT LIFE 

“… I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly” (John 10:10)  The only way into eternal life is through faith in Jesus Christ as personal Savior (John 3:15) But do not stop here; to have eternal life is great-but there is more.  Christ came that you might have life abundantly.  All believers have life, but not all have abundant life.  You are living beneath your privilege if you are a believer and not enjoying the abundant life

For life to be abundant, it must have abundant resources, and the only unlimited source of life is in the person Jesus Christ, the son of God (John 14:6) To possess this fuller life, the believer must abide in Him (John 15:1-5). Dynamic, abundant living is not for just a few, it is God’s norm for all believers. It is spiritual life in depth, and without it, the Christian life becomes inane and meaningless.

If you do not have abundant life within you, you will soon yield to the carnal (fleshly) life around you (1 Cor. 3:1-4) The carnal life is circumstance-controlled; the abundant  life is Holy Spirit-controlled.  The carnal Christian life leads to defeat; the abundant life leads to victory in Christ.  Man seems to know everything about life except how to live it abundantly.  From this moment on, determine not to be satisfied  with anything less than God’s best: living life abundantly.

1) The Abundant Life is a Yielded Life Rom. 6:10-13 10) For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13) And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

How to live the abundant life is no secret; it is revealed in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  “For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God” (above verse 10).  Faith that saves identifies you with Christ in His death-this is eternal life.  Faith that yields identifies you with Christ in His resurrection-this is abundant life (Col. 3:1-4)

1. It is one thing to have eternal life by faith. It is quite another thing to have abundant life by faith.
2. It is one thing for you to “… become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21);  it is another thing for you to realize His righteous life is in you (1 John 3:7).
3. It is one thing for you to live in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17);  It is another thing for Christ to live His life through you (Col. 1:27).

​In the above verse (verse 13),  the believer has a choice. He may yield to God by faith and enjoy abundant life or he may yield to sin and endure a defeated life (Rev. 3:1).  God would have you know the power of a yielded life; it will lift you above circumstances that circumvent abundant living.  The abundant life begins when you yield to Him as Master, allowing Him to live His life through you by faith.

2) The Abundant Life is a Service Life (Rom. 12:1-2) 1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

To live abundantly, you must serve the Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself became our example. He served all the way to Calvary, and there He was the obedient servant,” …obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:7-8) In the verses 1 and 2 the believer is urged to take the necessary steps for abundant living.

1. You are to “present“. This is volitional surrender to the perfect will of God, even though you may not know God’s perfect will for your life; it is, on your part, an act of faith (John 7:17
2. You are to “present your bodies“. God must control and use the whole man. “And may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.” Your whole man was redeemed on the cross and sanctified (set apart for service) (1 Thess. 5:23).
3. You are to “… present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.” This is exemplified in the life of the Apostle Paul; he was a “living sacrifice”. In life, he was “a servant of Christ Jesus” (Rom. 1:1). In battle, he was a warrior (Eph. 6:10-18). In the will of God, he was a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” (Eph. 3:1). These words were spoken from a Roman prison; he never referred to himself as a prisoner of Rome. To the Apostle, prison was a part of the perfect will of God. With this conviction, he lived abundantly (Phil. 1:12) In death, he was victorious (2 Tim. 4:7-8).
4. You have been “transformed”, changed by the power of God, and no longer “conformed to this world” but now you can be conformed to the “good and acceptable and perfect” will of God, and live abundantly!

3) The Abundant Life is a Separated Life. Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to bean apostle, separated to the gospel of God.

Separation is both positive and negative. You are to be “… set apart for the gospel of God”, this is positive (Rom. 1:1). You are to come out from anything that is contrary to the perfect will of God (2 Cor. 6:17) this is negative.

To be separated means to be sanctified (set apart) for salvation and service.

1. The word of God has the power to separate the believer from sin (John 17:17) and (Ps. 119:11 OT)
2. God the Father has the power to separate the believer to the “… coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:23).
3. God the Son has the power to separate the believer to righteousness, “… having no spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:24-27)
4. God the Holy Spirit has the power to separate the believer unto salvation and service (2 Thess. 2:13)

Without being separated, you can have relationship with God; but, you cannot have fellowship with Him. You may be united to Him in Calvary, but separated from Him in sin (Isa. 59:1-2 OT). Without separation, you can have influence without power, movement without achievement; you may try, but not trust; serve, but not succeed; war, but not win. Without separation to God from sin, your whole Christian life will be “wood, hay, straw”. The abundant life is made possible by death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and made a reality by being separated to Him.

4) The Abundant Life is a Spirit Filled Life. (Eph. 5:18-20) 18) And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20) giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer. You may be immature, weak and imperfect; but, if you have been “born again” of the Spirit (John 3:3-7) He dwells in you (1 Cor. 6:19 and Rom. 8:9). It is one thing for you to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, but does the Holy Spirit have you, that He may fill you with abundant life? The abundant life is not found in environment or circumstances, or in the things you may possess. It is found in the infilling of the Holy Spirit. “But filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18 ) is a command. You may be filled many, many times (Acts 2:4 and Acts 4:31) The apostles that were filled in Acts chapter 2, were filled again in Acts chapter 4. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be: Spirit-possessed, Spirit-empowered, Spirit-led and Spirit-controlled (Acts 8:26-40).

1. You are filled with the Spirit that you might have joy (Eph. 5:19-20).
2. You are filled with the Spirit for service (Acts 6:3 and Acts 11:22-24).
3. You are filled with the Spirit for power to be a witness (Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:4-7).
4. You are filled with the Spirit for the hour of persecution (Acts 7:54-60).
5. You are filled with the Spirit that you may “walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-26).
6. You are filled with the Spirit that you may be led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14).
7. How can you be filled with the Holy Spirit? First, You must desire Him to fill you. Second, you must ask Him to fill you. Third, you must believe that He does fill you (John 4:14 and John 7:37-38).

The Abundant Life is a Mature Life (2 Pet. 3:18 ) but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). The scriptures reveal four stages of spiritual growth in the Christian life:

1. The baby stage (1 Cor. 3:1-4) A baby thinks only of self; and, if denied the things desired, it will raise a rumpus. It seeks its own; its feelings are easily hurt and it is often jealous. A baby lives to be served-it never serves. It drinks milk, and cannot eat strong meat. It cries, but never sings. It tries to talk, but never makes sense. These infant characteristics are so prominent in the lives of many church members. They have been born into the family of God, but have failed to develop spiritually. They are spiritual babies-carnal Christians.
2. The little child stage (1 John 2:12) Some Christians grow to be little children spiritually, but stop there. Here are some of the characteristics of children: they are often untruthful, envious, and cruel. If rebuked, they become martyrs; if crossed, they are resentful and often make a scene. They are talebearers, repeating everything they hear (in adults, it is called gossip). They are given to emotional outbursts, and are easily puffed up. They love praise, and will accept it from any source. They seek only the things that appeal to self. Are you a spiritual child?
3. The young man stage (1 John 2:13) Spiritual growth to that of a young man is not reached by many. He is strong and virile and is well able to overcome his enemy. He has a vision for the future and the faith and courage to tackle it. He is preparing for his productive years. You, too, can become a young man spiritually by doing “away with childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11)
4. The father stage (1 John 2:13) This stage of spiritual development can be reached by all, but so few ever attain it. The spiritual father has peace with God (Rom. 5:1) He knows the peace of God (Phil. 4:7). He rejoices in his spiritual children (1 Thess. 2:19 and 1 Tim. 1:2) He has learned contentment under all circumstances (Phil. 4:11) He knows the only source of true strength (Phil. 4:13) He does not brood over the past, but looks to the future (Phil. 3:13-14) He knows that all things work together in his life for his eternal good (Rom. 8:28 ) He enjoys abundant life now and will enjoy it in the life to come (Eph. 2:7)

REPENTANCE

“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper. But, he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Prov. 28:13 OT).

God desires “truth in the innermost being” (Ps. 51:6 OT). And commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). The sinner must repent before he can become the recipient of salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). The saved must practice repentance if he is to enjoy unbroken fellowship with God (Job 42:1-6 OT). Someone said, “I repented before I understood the meaning of the word, but since then, as a Christian, I have repented many times.”

Repentance is granted by God (Acts 5:31 and Acts 11:18). “The kindness of God leads you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4). The kindness of God is not merited; therefore, the result of His kindness which is repentance is a gift. This gift of repentance is an inward change produced by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit as the Word of God is proclaimed (Acts 2:37-38; and John 16:7,11). The results, “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21); faith that Christ died for our sins; and that He was buried and that He rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

Repentance qualifies a man for salvation, but it takes a faith in Christ to acquire it. True repentance is always coupled with faith. It is impossible to have saving faith and not repent. “Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” are essential and inseparable in salvation.

Faith without repentance is the ultimate of hypocrisy and repentance without faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is sheer folly.

1) Repentance Defined (Read: 2 Pet. 3:9): The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

• First, let us see that repentance is not:

1. Sorrow. “Sorrow that is according to the will of God produces repentance without regret, leading to salvation” (2 Cor. 7:9-10). Godly sorrow is a guilty feeling that leads to repentance, but it is not repentance.
2. Penance. Penance is an act on the part of the guilty to render payment for sin. It is to make an effort, in some way, to atone for wrongs done against God of man. God calls all men to repentance, not to do penance.
3. Jesus did not say, do penance and believe the gospel. He said, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
4. Peter did not say, do penance and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ. He said, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of you sins” (Acts 2:38).
5. Paul did not say, God is declaring all men everywhere to do penance. He said, “God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30) If penance is repentance, then salvation is not the gift of God, and we are not saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9)
6. Reformation. Reformation is a change brought about by the efforts of man for self-glory (Matt. 12:43-45). It is a turning away from known sin, or giving up bad habit, or trying to overhaul the old nature, or turning over a new leaf, or making restitution. Judas reformed but it did not save him and neither can it save you (Matt. 27:3-5)

• Second, let us see what repentance is:

1. A change. The change is always evidenced in three elements.
2. The intellectual element, a change of mind.
3. The emotional element, a change of heart.
4. The volitional element, a change of will. 

• Third, The parable of the prodigal is a perfect illustration of repentance. He had a change of mind, a change of heart, and a change of will (Luke 15:11-32)

1. The intellectual element, “He came to his senses.”
2. The emotional element, “I have sinned.”
3. The volitional element, “I will get up and go to my father.”

Repentance is a change. The prodigal had a change of mind; and his change of mind effected a change of heart; and his change of heart effected a change of will. No one is ever saved until he wills to be (Rev. 22:17). Repentance is change of mind, of heart, and of will.

2) Repentance Preached (Read: Mark 1:1-4) 1) the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2) As it is written in *the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” 3) “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'” 4) John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
Repentance was preached in the Old Testament before the birth of Christ, and during the life and during the life and ministry of Christ. It was preached on the day of Pentecost, and in the Book of Acts after Pentecost. It is taught in the Epistles and the Book of Revelation. It is a doctrine to be preached and practiced in all dispensations.

• ​John the Baptist preached repentance.

1. He preached the baptism of repentance (Luke 3:3)
2. He preached. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2) He was “THE VOICE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD'” (Matt. 3:3) John’s preaching of repentance exalted Christ, denounced sin, warned of judgment, and it cost him his head.

• Jesus preached repentance.

1. He preached, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). He went about doing mighty works and calling sinners to repent and to have faith in the good news of God.
2. His preaching of repentance was an ultimatum, repent or perish (Luke 13:1-5). Salvation by grace is for the repentant soul, and judgment, without mercy, for those who resist!

• Peter preached repentance.

1. At Pentecost he preached, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38).
2. In his second Epistle he preached that, the Lord “… is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Every soul that goes to hell goes against the will of God.

• Paul preached repentance.

1. He preached that God ” is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30). This message was given on Mars’ Hill to the intelligentsia of Athens. The results were three-fold: First, some mocked; second, some procrastinated; third, some believed (Acts 17:32-34).

3) Repentance From Dead Works (Read: Heb. 6:1) Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.

What does the writer of Hebrews mean by, “repentance from dead works”? First, we need to see the other two categories of works. They are:

1. Good works (Matt. 5:16). Only saved souls can do good works and please God. Of the lost, He said, “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Ps. 14:1-3 OT). The believer is not to hide his good works, but lit them be seen to the glory of the heavenly Father. Mary of Bethany anointed the head and feet of Jesus with precious perfume while He sat at the table of Simon the leper. Some of the disciples called her deed an extravagant waste, But Jesus said, “She has done a good deed to Me… She has done what she could” (Mark 14:3-9). Like Mary, we are to do all we can to the glory of God, not in order to be saved, but because we are saved, having no other motive. This is the way to do good works.
2. Evil deeds (Col. 1:20-21). Evil deeds are deeds done by the unregenerate, natural man ( 1 Cor. 2:14).). He walks according to this world system. He is motivated by the “prince of the power of the air (Satan)”. His talk is filled with the lust of the flesh and he lives to gratify the desires of the flesh and the natural mind, He is a child of wrath and his works are wicked because he is dead in sin (Eph. 2:1-3).
3. Dead works (Heb. 6:1). Dead works could be called religious works. They are done by the religious for the purpose of meriting eternal life. It is legalistic effort to keep the moral and ceremonial laws of God for the purpose of winning God’s favor and be saved by works (Eph. 2:8-9). Paul said, “because by works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom. 3:20). Dead works are performed by the religious, “For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:1-4).

Paul is a good illustration of repentance from dead works. He clearly stated the he had “no confidence in the flesh”; then he lists his dead works of which he had to repent (Phil. 3:1-9). When he compared this righteousness which is by dead works of the law, with the righteousness of Christ which is by faith, he counted the former but rubbish. He knew the meaning of “repentance from dead works”.

4) Repentance and God (Read: Heb. 7:21) for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’”

“God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent” (Num. 23:19 OT). Yet the Bible tells us that He does repent (Gen. 6:5-7 OT). This is not a contradiction. It is paradoxical, but not contradictory.

God makes two covenants with man.

The first is unconditional. When He makes and unconditional covenant, He never repents (change His mind [Ps. 110:4 OT]). He made such a covenant with Israel (Rom. 11:25-36).

The second is conditional. The Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever because he also is flesh; nevertheless, his days shall be one hundred and twenty years” (Gen. 6:3 OT). In the days of Noah, God gave the human race a 120 years to repent. Only Noah and his family repented and “found favor in the eyes of the Lord: (Gen. 6:8 OT). They met God’s condition and were not judged with the rest of the human race who refused to repent. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is patient toward you, NOT WISHING FOR ANY TO PERISH BUT FOR ALL TO COME TO REPENTANCE” (2 Pet. 3:9). It is clear that God wills to save all lost souls. He is “not wishing for any to perish”. To be saved the lost must meet His condition, “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Now if a man does not repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God will repent. He will change and judge that man. In love He bestows grace; but, if salvation by grace is rejected, in justice He terminates it. In this way God repents.

5) Repentance, Impossible to Renew (Read: Heb. 6:4-6) 4) For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5) and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6) if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

The key that unlocks the mystery to this difficult portion of Scripture is the word, “impossible” in verse 4. The writer is saying, that the person who so sins will find it impossible to repent again.
First, let us see what the writer does not mean. He does not mean a backslidden Christian. Simon Peter backslid (Matt. 26:69-75), repented (John 21:3-17), and was restored to fellowship with the Lord. King David sinned (2 Sam. 11:1-27 OT), repented (Ps. 51:1-19 OT), and was restored to fellowship with the Lord (2 Sam. 12:13 OT). Any backslidden Christian can repent and be restored to fellowship with God.

Second, let us see what the writer does mean. Hebrews 6:4-6 is proof that being religious is not enough to save you. They professed, but did not possess eternal life. In outward appearance they would be called Christians. But Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21-23).

Esau so sinned against the Lord when he sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew (Gen. 25:27-34 OT). Later he tried to repent, but found it impossible to do so. The Scripture says, “He found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears” (Heb. 12:16-17).

At the great white throne judgment where only the wicked dead are judged (Rev. 20:11-15), they too, will try to repent but will find it impossible.

6) Repentance, The Importance of (Read: Acts 17:30): “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent.

Repentance is so important that God commands that “all everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30).

1. The lost are to repent. Jesus said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:13). Again, He said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” Luke 13:3-5).
2. Backsliders are to repent. Paul said, “I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance” (2 Cor. 7:9). There were fleshly Christians in the church at Corinth. In Paul’s first letter to them he called upon the church to discipline the guilty. In his second letter he rejoices because the guilty repented.
3. Local churches are to repent. In the Book of Revelation (Rev. 2-3), our Lord sent seven letters to seven local churches. He called upon five of the seven to repent.

The church at Ephesus was to repent because she had left her first love.
The church at Pergamos was to repent because she permitted the doctrine of Balaam to be taught, and to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality.
The church at Thyatira was to repent because she tolerated Jezebel to teach and lead God’s servants to commit acts of immorality.
The church at Sardis was to repent because she was a dying congregation.
The church at Laodicea was to repent because she taught she was rich and did not need anything. In her opinion, she had arrived. She did not know that she was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm and God was ready to spit her out of His mouth.
The Lord called upon these five churches to repent or else He would remove their candlestick and they would cease to be a light in darkness.
The lost are to repent or perish.
The backslider is to repent or be disciplined.
The local church is to repent or lose its effectiveness in a world lost in sin.

7) Repentance, The Evidence of (Read: Acts 26:19-20):  19) Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20) but, declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

The evidence of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ is seen in:

1. The repentance of unbelieving Thomas (John 20:24-29). Thomas would not believe that Christ had been raised from the dead until he saw the risen Savior and was given the opportunity to touch His nail-pierced hands and put his hand into His wounded side. Thomas repented, believed, and made his great confession of faith. “My Lord and My God!”
2. Three thousand changed their minds, hearts, and wills on the day of Pentecost and immediately gave evidence of repentance (Acts 2:41-47).
3. Saul of Tarsus experienced repentance when he met Jesus on the Damascus road and gave evidence of repentance (Acts 9:1-22).
4. Cornelius, his family, and friends repented when they heard the gospel preached by Simon Peter, and evidence of repentance followed (Acts 10:24-48).
5. The Philippian jailer and his house repented when witnessed to by Paul and Silas; the evidence of repentance followed (Acts 16:26-34). Repentance is a change of the mind, the heart, and the will. The proof of repentance is:

• Turning from “transgressions” (Ezek. 18:30 OT).
• turning to God (Acts 26:19-20).
• followed by good deeds (Acts 26:19-20).

​THE NEW BIRTH

It is of the utmost importance that we have a clear understanding of what Jesus meant when, speaking with Nicodemus, He said, “You must be born again”. The new birth is a spiritual birth. It is as much a birth as the natural birth; it is not just a figure of speech. The first birth is of the seed of man. The second birth is of the seed of God (1 Pet. 1:23). Therefore, you cannot become a child of God by joining the church, any more than a monkey could become a man by joining the human race. He may act like a man, dress like a man, and try to live like a man… but he would still be a monkey. Now, if by some miracle, the monkey could be born again of the seed of man, then… and only then, could he become a man. The only way to become a child of God is to be “born again” (John 3:3); not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God”. What is the new birth?

• The new birth is a new creation (2 Cor, 5:17).
• The new birth is a spiritual resurrection (Eph. 2:1-9).
• The new birth is regeneration (Titus 3:5).
• The new birth is partaking of the divine nature of God (2 Pet. 1:4).
• The new birth is receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, by faith (John 1:12)
• The new birth is being made the “righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).
• The new birth is compulsory if you are to become a child of God: “You must be born again”.

1) Jesus and The Two Births (John 3:1-8) 1) There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.  2) 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.” 3) Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4) 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?” 5) Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7) Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  8) The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

In John 3:1-8, we see Jesus and Nicodemus face to face-Jesus the Son of God, and Nicodemus the son of natural man.  Nicodemus was a very religious man, but he was not a child of God. What a shock it must have been to learn that his religion was not enough! It never is.  He came to Jesus, addressing Him saying, “You have come from God as a teacher”. Jesus knew Nicodemus , as He knows all men (John 2:24-25), and Jesus knew that he needed more than a teacher-he needed a Savior. He needed more than religion-he needed regeneration. He needed more than Law-he needed life.  Jesus began by going right to the point when He said, “You must be born again.” Nicodemus asked, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Then Jesus pointed out the dissimilarity in the two births: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh” (the flesh will never change); and “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (the Spirit will never change (John 3:6).

First, let us take a brief look at the flesh birth:

• It produces an old sinful nature (Ps. 51:5 OT).
• It produces a perishable nature (1 Pet. 1:23).
• It produces an old nature under the sentence of death (Rom 6:23).
• It produces an old nature that makes every unsaved person a child of the devil (1 John 3:10).

Second, let us say a word about the new birth:

• It produces a sinless nature (1 John 3:9).
• It produces a nature that can not sin (1 John 3:9).
• It produces a righteous nature (2 Cor. 5:21).
• It produces a divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4).

Every born again person has two natures: The old from the old birth, and the new from the new birth. By the old birth, we are children of the flesh; by the new the new birth, we are children of God. This is why, “You must be born again.”

2) The New Birth Issues a New Sinless Nature (1 John 3:9) Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

This is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Do not try to understand it in the light of personal experience. Keep in mind that the above verse is speaking of the new nature-not the old nature-because the old nature is not born from God. The old nature is born of fallen man and is depraved. The new nature is born of God and is holy.

First, let us see what the verse says about the new nature:

1. The new nature does not commit sin, because it is the product of the seed (sperm) of God.
2. The new nature cannot sin, because it is the divine nature of God (2 Pet. 1:4) and since God cannot sin, the new nature that issues from His holy seed cannot sin.

Second, let us see what the Bible says about the old nature:

1. The old nature does sin any time you let it sin (Rom. 6:12). As a child of God, you will keep under the old nature (1 Cor. 9:27) by not yielding to the desire of the flesh; or the old nature will keep you under, and you will live a defeated Christian life (Rom 6:13).
2. There is nothing good in the old nature (Rom. 7:18).  The power to live a righteous life cannot be found in the old nature; it can be found only in the new (Gal. 2:20).

If you have been “born again”, you have two natures-the old and the new-and you are walking according to one of the two. Examine your Christian walk in the light of God’s Word (Rom. 8:5-6).

3) The New Birth is Imperishable (1 Pet. 1:23) Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.
In the above verse (23) we have two seeds, two births, and two natures.

1. The corruptible seed issues a corruptible nature (Rom. 1:23). The seed of man became depraved in the seed of Adam when he sinned in the garden of Eden (Gen. 3:6-10 OT).  Corruptible man can produce only corruptible seed (Matt. 7:18).  “All have sinned…” (Rom 3:23) because all are born in sin (Ps. 51:5 OT).  You are not a sinner because you sin-you sin because you are a sinner.
2. The incorruptible seed issues an incorruptible nature (2 Pet. 1:4).   You cannot corrupt that which is incorruptible; therefore, the incorruptible seed of God issues a new nature that cannot be corrupted at any time, or in any way. The new birth produces the life of Christ, and this life is made living in man by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:8-10).
3. The seed of man is corruptible; the birth of man is natural. Therefore, the nature of man is sinful. The seed of God is incorruptible; the new birth is spiritual. Therefore, the new nature is sinless.

4) The New Birth - It's Means (Read: John 3:14-18 ) 14) And as “Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15) that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17) For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18) He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

1. “Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness” (Num. 21:5-9 OT).  He lifted up the serpent for a sinful, disobedient people. When anyone was bitten by a serpent, he had a choice: He could humble himself and by a simple act of faith look and live (Isa. 45:22 OT); or he could refuse to look on the serpent of bronze and die.
2. “Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” Just as the serpent in the wilderness was the only means for the healing of Israel, so the death of Jesus Christ is the only means for the new birth. And the only way to appropriate the regenerating power of God is by faith in the vicarious death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
3. The sinner must come to Christ by faith, believing:
   1. That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (Isa. 53:1-12 OT – and Zech. 13:6 OT).
   2. And that He was buried. This is the proof of His death. He was in the grave three days and nights.
   3. And that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. This is the gospel that saves-but it is powerless to save until the sinner believes it (Rom. 1:16).
4. The means of the new birth is found in that:
   1. “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son”-to be the only means of the new birth (John 3:16).
   2. Jesus Christ gladly came into the world to become the only means of the new birth (John 12:27 – and John 17:1-5).
   3. The Holy Spirit came into the world on the day of Pentecost to convince men of their need of the new birth (John 16:7-11).  A personal faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only means of the new birth.

5) The New Birth: Its Threefold Proof (1 John 5:1) Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God; and whoever loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

Every “born again” child of God has the threefold proof of the new birth-proof that he is a child of God. This threefold proof is: first, inward proof; second, outgoing proof; and third, outward proof.

1. “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (1 John 5:1). Your faith in Christ-that He is God-is personal evidence that you are a child of God (1 John 5:10-13).  This is inward proof of the new birth.
2. “Everyone who loves is born of God” (1 John 4:7-11).  We are to love our fellow man with the love of God. This we are not capable of doing in the flesh; we must let God love man through us (Rom. 5:5).  This is outgoing proof of the new birth.
3. “Everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29).  If you are born of God, you will make a practice of doing right at all times and at all cost (2 Cor. 5:17).  This is outward proof of the new birth.

​If you do not have the threefold proof of the new birth, now is the time to get on you knees and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior-by faith in His Vicarious death, burial, and resurrection!