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WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO BE BORN AGAIN (PART 4)
by James Manning It is recommended that you read part one through three first Some will venture to say that this is a new teaching or a new revelation; but this is not a new teaching nor is it a new revelation. It is the revelation from God that the Apostle Paul taught on in great detail while he was still here on earth; but while men slept the enemy came in and sowed tares among the wheat. Though tares grow faster than wheat, yet tares are very weak. Tares look like wheat but they are powerless. Now let's go back to 1 John 3:8-9; 1 John 3:8 - 9 (KJV) 8He that committeth 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. 9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. The subject matter is not who is of the devil and who is of God; but the subject matter is how can you identify the children of God from the children of the devil? There is only one way to prove to the world and the host of heaven that you are born of God; and that is to live a sinless life. 1 John 3:7 (KJV) 7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. I can say that I am righteousness all day long, but if I am still committing acts of sin, there is no way that you can truly know that I am the righteousness God in Christ Jesus In Him There Is No Darkness At All 1 John 1:5 - 7 (KJV) 5This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. What he is saying, is that if you truly confessed, then God is faithful and what he said would happen is a done deal. Which is to say that you have been forgiven and cleansed from all sin. The word fellowship in this verse means to partnership, that is, (literally) participation To fellowship with Him according to the context is to be the same as He is; it is to have the same experience that He has. To fellowship with Him is to be light as He is light. I want you to understand something; and that is that John is not trying to condemn the people; but what he's out to do is to get them see how it all works. He wants them to see the faithfulness of God. He wants them to see who they are and what they have become. He wants them to see that there has been a transitioning, that they have passed from death to life, from sin to righteousness, from darkness to light. But the only way that this transition can be realized is by no longer walking after the flesh, because when you walk after the flesh you continue to identify with the devil; but to walk in the Spirit, is to identify with God as your Father. Now let's go back to 1 John 3:9 The purpose of verse 8 is to show that sin is what the devil has been doing from the beginning; and as long as I commit a single act of sin I am acting like the devil is still my father. 1 John 3:9 (KJV) 9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Whosoever is born or conceived of God doth not commit a single act of sin; now notice what it goes on to say; for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin; why? because he is born or conceived of God. The man who is conceived of God is the seed of God; he is God's offspring. He came out from the innermost parts of God, What God is, he is; and it is impossible for him to sin. why? Because God produce him from himself; and if there is no darkness in God; then there is no darkness in His offspring. You must understand that what you see as far as who you were before Christ Jesus is not your reality, your life is in the seed of God's word, and your flesh must be brought into subjection to the new man or life in Christ. The old man is of the devil and the new man is of God. For His seed remains in Him God's seed will remain in Him; the word 'remain' is a Greek word that means to stay (in a given place, state, relation; and this word is also translated to abide, continue, dwell and to endure in the New Testament. This abiding position is a fix position; once you enter in you are there to stay; the church is yet to enter into this position; how can I say that? Now that's a good question. 1 John 2:5 - 6 (KJV) 5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. This is how we know that we are abiding in him; He that says that he is abiding in him ought himself also to walk, even as he walked To abide in Jesus is to walk as He walked; and how did He walk? Another good question. 1 John 3:6 (KJV) 6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Jesus lived a sinless or error free life; and to abide in him is to also to live a sinless or error free life. This is why I say that the church is yet enter into this place of abiding. But don't fret my friend because it is not my intent to leave you there; you join me the next time and I will show you how to take your abiding position right away. CopyRight By James R Manning All Rights Reserved [email protected] Started his ministry as a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal church and later became an associate pastor in the Missionary Baptist Church. James graduated from the Word of Faith Bible School in 1983. He is a certificate holder with Rhema Bible School. James founded and pastured the Shinning L Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |