Remember, there was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries; we lived then in wickedness and ill-will, hating each other and hateful ourselves.
But when the kindness and love of God our saviour for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our saviour. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life. This is the doctrine that you can rely on. - Titus 3:3-8 -
Regeneration is "born again" and it is the spiritual change brought about in a person's life by an act of God. There is a first birth and a second birth. The first birth, as Jesus said to Nicodemus is "of the flesh"; the second birth is "of the Spirit". - John 3:1-12 - Being born of the Spirit is essential before a person can enter the kingdom of God. Every scripture command to man to undergo a radical change of character from self-centeredness to God-centeredness is, in effect, an appeal to be "born again".
People who are interested only in unspiritual things can never be pleasing to God. Your interests, however, are not in the unspiritual but in the spiritual, since the Spirit of Christ of God has made his home in you. In fact, unless you possessed the Spirit of Christ you would not belong to him. - Rom. 8:8-9 - Ps. 51:5-11; Jer. 31:33; Zech. 13:11 -
Great religious experiences like that of Jacob at Jabbok, - Gen. 32:22-32 - Moses at the burning bush, - Ex. 3:1 - Josiah on hearing the reading of the Law - 2Kin. 22:8-13 - Isaiah in the Temple - Is. 6:1-8 -might well be regarded as "new birth". Thus, regeneration involves an enlightening of the mind, a change of will and a renewed nature. It extends to the total nature of man, changing a person's desires and restoring him to a right relationship with God in Christ.
The need for regeneration grows out of humanity's sinfulness. It is brought about through God's initiative. God works in the human heart and the person responds to God through faith and love. Thus, regeneration is an act of God through the Holy Spirit, resulting in resurrection from sin to a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
From now onwards, therefore, we do not judge anyone by the standards of the flesh. Even if we did once know Christ in the flesh, that is not how we know him now. And for anyone who is in Christ there is a new creation; the old creation has gone and now the new one is here. - 2Cor. 5:16-17 -
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Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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