“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV We should know that we are new creations in Jesus Christ that is if we come to Christ and be a follower of Jesus. In order to be a TRUE follower/disciple of Jesus, then we have to crucify ourselves in the flesh (Luke 14:27) and born again through the Spirit and the living word of God: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever” Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. (1 Peter 1:22-25, Galatians 6:8) This means that the reason of being born again through the Spirit is that we may get ETERNAL life: “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” (John 3:3-7) The reason that Jesus states: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God UNLESS they are born of water,” is that to proclaim that we are followers of Jesus by baptism, as we can see this in Romans 6:4: “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Overall, Jesus Christ is ETERNAL life, as we can see this in John 17:3: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Therefore, if we want to be a TRUE follower/disciple of Jesus, then we ought to repent before Him for going through the wide gate rather than the narrow one (see Matthew 7:13-14) - “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2), and we must get baptized, in order to fully-crucify our flesh and to be born again – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” (Romans 6:4) And lastly, we have to let our Lord, Jesus Christ to take over our entire lives: For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:19-21) Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:18:14 +0000
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