This broadcaster has 793 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
August 9, 2022 12:00 am
Welcome to the intensified catheter for Tuesday, August 9. Take a good look at the wide open invitation to have been extended to everyone through Jesus. As we listen to the way to heaven. Not too long ago I was talking to someone lasted are you a Christian and the person replied this way is a lot more Christian, but I'm not one of those born-again ones. I thought well, what brand of Christian this list that is if you're not born-again. First of all you not a Christian unless you are and so insensibly is a person who really and truly believes that there Christian.
For some reason, on the other. And yet when it comes to the one phrase Jesus used the thing that he said and when he said he said the early bird I sent you what he saying is this, most solemnly assure you I most solemnly assure you, unless you're born-again you will not get to heaven he saying this to a man whose works were good whose conduct was good whose attitude was good, who was generous and faithful and disciplined in every way but he said to them, unless you're born-again you not in the kingdom of heaven. What is it about this new birth. What is it about this being born-again business, why, why does he say I say to you solemnly, he said, don't be amazed that I said you you must be born again and then he begins an explanation and what I want you to see is I want you to understand why it is absolutely necessary for you to be born-again. There must be a transformation.
You must have a second birth, not just the physical birth but a second birth is not what you do is what God through his spirit will do in you. So what happens when a person is born again the spirit of God comes into your life to listen to abide within you the Scripture says, and in the eighth chapter of Romans. For example, some of the apostle Paul said to make it very clear to us how important this is just what he says. He says for the mind that is the unbeliever. For example, for the mind, he says, is set on the flesh and its death with the mindset of the Spirit is life that is a person who lives for themselves apart from God.
He says their mind is set on death. A person who is not born-again does not have the ability to live a godly, righteous, holy life, God is a holy God and God hates sin. The same God who hates sin is willing to forgive you of your sin and to transform your life and give you a new nature, which is what the Bible is referring to when he speaks about being born from above being born-again a new life.
There is a change that takes place is what he says.
He says we not able to do that ourselves. The spirit of rebellion. I wanted my way when I wanted.
I want all I can have when I can have who I can have whatever it might be. And that's the way the world lives there may be many people. Maybe you a person you may have prestige and prominence in and popularity and wealth and all the rest. But if you do not have Jesus living on the inside of you through the presence of the Holy Spirit. If you have never been born again. If you have never allowed God to deal with that sinful nature. You are lost. This is the message of Jesus Christ, the son of God is what he said except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.
What does born-again me.
It has nothing to do with my good conduct about trying to measure up to get God to accept me what you do good things. Some people because it's just on the way they feel it makes them feel good. But you see the truth is nothing you and I do want nothing will work. First, it's on the inside of you is who you are and until God through his spirit transforms your inside that is your spirit to be on the spirit not of rebellion but of obedience and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, you lost all your main laws separated from God. What we mean separated from God simply this, you have no relationship to God until you born-again. I want to show you why God is an absolutely holy, righteous, God, he does not tolerate sin. He forgives sin and he punishes sin. Listen, he disciplines his children when they disobey. But until that is dealt with. Nothing you do, no matter how much you do have far and wide.
You may do it.
You are not born-again and you are not going to heaven. I know what you're saying you say well that's just your opinion. I want to ask you again when he said you must be born again, what does that mean it means you must be born again. You must be born from above. Look at the Greek words translated in the way you want to.
It means you must have a birth beyond the physical birth a spiritual birth the work of the Holy Spirit in your life whereby your forgiven of your sin, the spirit of God comes into your life transforms your spirit and give you an entirely new nature. That's the difference in this is why all the good works in all my promises and everything else is to no avail.
When it comes to being made acceptable to God that once I'm born-again once I'm saved by his grace.
Once the love of God now is in my life then all of those things make a difference that they make a difference not of the people now but they make a difference as far as a reward in heaven. The question I'm asking you is this. Has there ever been a time in your life when you recognize your sinfulness you wanted your way and you are living in rebellion against God. You see, nobody likes to be called the Revlon understand that nobody likes to be called a brother you so you call me a rebel against God.
No, I'm just telling you what God says and disobedience is the rebel against listen against Almighty God who loves you now think about this God is a righteous holy God. And if you are not going to heaven. That means we're going to live with this righteous, holy God forever. Amen we agree on that. Let me ask you question how happy are you going to be in heaven in the presence of a righteous holy God. When all the people who were there righteous and holy and sinless. At that point everything in heaven is absolutely perfect and worshiping God and bound him to the Lord Jesus Christ and honoring him and singing praises to him and serving him for all eternity.
In Europe there with his spirit that's rebelling against God and here you are with this whole bunch of born-again Christians that you couldn't stand that here on earth. You know what you would even be happy in heaven, for example, suppose I took human care due to a very small town and let's say that only a thousand people in town but everybody that town is weak. It is the devil, the bars in full every night people lazy as they can be all kind of adulterers that are things going on criticism. I mean everything about it is absolutely Tim is just a horrible place to live, how many of you as believers would you sell love this place know you what you know why because it's not your environment, it's not your atmosphere. Missing you can listen when sinful natures and righteous natures mix you got a problem in most people, they won't they won't.
The righteousness of Christ. On the one hand, and to be able to hand to do with the limpet where they will live there what they want to do God's given you as a believer that is a born again child of God, you have a new nature. Does that mean that you're not going to send though it does not.
This new nature is surrounded by and indwells this physical human body is physical human body was born at wasn't was created in certain ways that we have five senses, so all of these things are still operating their life and so we can operate out of the Spirit, who lives within us all.
We do have the privilege of choosing to disobey God. If we choose otherwise we be robots.
God says move forward. Take a right turn. Take a right turn again will not robots. We are children of God with the new nature and is a lot of things about is that a new what I want you to see primers that you can't change that.
That has to be the work of God, you have the spirit of God dwelling in you.
He's given you a new nature and therefore we had listen to this. We now have the power to live a godly life, a righteous life a holy life. Some medicines loss in everyday do I have to, you'll have to will happen if you have sinned in the last five minutes.
Raise your hand and you see and and you hear people say all armed and a very pious way. I'm just a sinner saved by grace. You are a saint.
Savor the grace of God, born by the spirit of God to live eternally with God and for God. That's who we are, but if you get up every morning saying well I know I'm going to that you will you know what you've done you just repeated what Satan said to you already. If you go to bed at night thinking all God was no mere attempt on the goodness in him to be disobedient. I know I am.
I don't have to understand to confess my sin stop thinking that way. That is not the way God's children should think I am a saint will make mistakes was that at times, yes, but it's an exception is not the way I think is not my nature. Whenever you and I have been born-again and we sin against God. Watch this you're acting out of your nature. That's not who you are. It took the grace of God to redeem us, save us, redeems, means that God has bought me from the slavery of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. He's read they bought me up this late block of sin when the Bible says that he justified is that means looking down and seeing those in our sinful condition, having received Jesus Christ. He now declares is no longer guilty and a child of God when we say for example that we've been reconciled to him. That means that God look down upon us so was convicted us, saved us all about the new birth. And now he's brawl is back in the right relationship with him. That's what reconciliations all about. We could just go through all these big words we think and think that's to be. These are awesome, fantastic, precious, godly biblical terms to describe this relationship that you and I have with him now that we have been born-again. That's who we are and so when you think about well I know a been born-again but is it then robots listen to this, except a man be born again at the woman to be born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.
You won't get.
There is no way to get there.
For example, let's put it this way if you think you can get there some other way by being born again and tell me what it is.
Secondly, tell me what's the basis of believing that and thirdly, his only book we are to be judged by where did you get that then do you have that you going to get to heaven. Apart from the new birth weight you get that union. Though this book listen to what he says. That's a lot of verses in for by grace that's God's awesome unconditional love toward us, have we been saved, declared no longer guilty now child of God. For by grace we been saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works, lest anyone should boast. God warns us about boasting about our relationship with him based on anything that we do so.
This new birth experience is a breath from above. As a result of God's unconditional love coming into our life. Now here's what Jesus said to Nicodemus, watch this, let's go down back to Raj on three again is what he said to them, when he had these questions. Nicodemus said now how can these things be, and it's interesting that Nicodemus he keeps asking how how how so watch this so verse 10 Jesus answered and said to him, are you the teacher visceral and don't understand these things truly through our city you speak of what we know and testify what we've seen you accept our testimony attend you earthly things you understand those I cannot tell you heavenly things on the standard but as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that in all of that whosoever believes in him have eternal life. No watch. This would seem different.
Jesus knew that Nicodemus knew what he was referring to the 21st chapter of numbers is what happens you know this from the wilderness and their complaining to Moses and they argue with God and fussing about him. They don't have what they need.
They don't like the food they don't have enough water in all these things and finally God's judgment comes upon them by sending sin, poisonous serpents, poisonous snakes and everybody was bitten by one dies and many, many people died and so then the people come to Moses and they say Moses intercede for us. Talk to God.
Never have we done everywhere. So God listens to Moses intercession and so God says all right Moses is what I want you to do. I want you to create, to make a bronze serpent and I want you to put a pole in the center of the nation.
I want to put this bronze serpent up on that pole. That is what you say to everyone who looks at that serpent that bronze serpent and believes that, upon looking at that serpent. They will be healed, that person will be healed. What is he saying he saying healing in those days. In that incident was a matter of faith that they could just look disabled as that branch serpent and nobody is still sick.but if they looked as a result of obedience to God look with a look of faith.
I'm looking. I believe that God's going to heal me because I'm doing exactly what he sent. They will be healed. And that's exactly what happened. So here's what he said as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believes will in him have eternal life that watch this this new birth experience. This being born from above is directly connected to the cross because Jesus said later on the truck chapter in our file be lifted up I will draw all men to me.
Jesus knew he was going to the cross. That's why came and so when he went to the cross, he was lifted up, and you nice thing about the cross, he was lifted up, and everyone who looks to the cross. What's is cross business about the cross is where Jesus died. The cross is the symbol of everything you and I believe in the Christian life. This is where Jesus died, shed his blood as a result of God sending him for the purpose of dying on the cross. This sinless Savior, the son of God lay down his life on the cross and upon shedding his blood. It made it possible for every single person who looks to him and says I believe in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God.
I do believe that Jesus Christ that Thomas and have you all to say it, what you doing is you are looking at expressing your faith in him doesn't mean ejected physically look at the cross, but it means your spirit in your life in your heart you looking to Jesus as your Savior. And so Jesus said to him, this is the way this is the reason righteous, holy God can look at our sinful person living in sin and all kinds of disobedience and rebellion toward God and that same person who is willing to ask by faith for God's forgiveness and cleansing. God will forgive them absolutely coming to their life sealed him as a child of God forever bring about a new birth experience and a new nature so they will ever be the same again and many things change in light of that, so what's the new birth about the new birth is about the work of God through his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit working and ceiling you forever giving you a new nature, enabling you to listen to walk in the spirit, enabling you to walk in the light enable you to walk in love, enabling you to become the person God wants you to be and created you to be.
That's what the new birth is all about and is not one thing you can do apart from looking to him in faith and asking and believing and so here's what he said. He says as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up in order that whosoever believes will in him have eternal life.
So what does that have to do with all your good works, nothing. What about all your promises. Nothing all your wealth you give nothing. It has nothing to do with anything but the work of God in your heart and father how grateful we are that you so willing to turn her life around snatches out a life of sin, disobedience, depression and despair and disillusionment. I pray for them.
Somebody was listening that you would speak to their heart and help them to understand they don't have to give up you mother Satan you are there you are there delivered back in the morning and your spirit by simply calling upon you and faith in Jesus name, amen. Thank you for listening to the way to heaven if you'd like to know more about child family more intense ministries that my intense data writing podcast is a presentation intense ministries