Whenever we come to the point of making the choice to rather keep our old ways intact after we have become born again instead of complying with Gods written word, then this is where we begin dishonoring Gods word. This is nothing short of profanity, and the beginning of rejection, for the word of God and the truth. Let’s bring this into perspective with Gods word.

Dead to sin, alive to God

Romans 6:1-2, 6. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

When we knew through the Law what sin was in our lives we were then able to admit this to ourselves and to God. When we did this only then were we able to accept the gospel of the water and the Spirit thus allowing the Holy Spirit of God to enter our sinless hearts. If we were not first able to admit to ourselves that we were a mass of sin and evil to the very core of our existence, we would not have been able to accept Gods gift of redemption. Just because the sins of the world were transferred onto Jesus at His Baptism by John and the price for these sins were paid for in full with the blood on the Cross, and by His death and resurrection, does not mean that there are no more sins in this world. This only applies to those who have been able to accept this truth. If this were not so then nothing would be sin or an abomination to God, and everyone could just continue doing what ever they pleased. The sins of the world have only been removed from those who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your Spirit, which are God’s.

The Lord speaks to us through His word about actual occurrences that arise in everyday life. If the word of God was not providing actual guidelines for our lives, but only hypothetical notions then there would be nothing more to be learned once we were saved. Our old man (self ) has been crucified so that our sin has been done away with, making us no longer slaves to the sins we committed before our redemption.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God.

These last verses are telling us in no uncertain terms that those who commit these sins will not enter the Kingdom of God. Those of us who have become truly born again were also of those who committed these atrocities before we met our Lord who became the righteousness of God. But we, just like those of old, have been washed, sanctified, and justified by the Holy Spirit. Look at what Paul goes on to tell us in the next verse!

1 Corinthians 6:12. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Paul knew what he was talking about, he knew who and what he was before he met the Lord and became sanctified. He knew what the baptism of Jesus meant, he knew that all the sin of the world was removed by the baptism of Jesus, he knew that he was cleansed, he also knew that if he ever fell into sin all he had to do was wash himself.

John13:10. He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.

But Paul was not about to make misuse of this freedom, he knew that his flesh was weak, but he refused to be brought under the power of any of those sins.

Because our flesh is every bit as weak as the flesh of Paul we have also the same choice as Paul. Either to allow ourselves to be brought under the power of the weakness of our flesh, or as Paul said, refuse to give in to the power of sin. When we received the Holy Spirit of God in our bodies we received the power to overcome the spirit who rules this world. Although our flesh is weak we do not have to give into it, we just like Paul can refuse. Today we are free to choose not to sin, before our new birth in Christ we were prisoners to sin and were unable to refuse its power over our lives.

We all know the Scriptures on the woman caught in the very act of adultery, John 8:1-11. but there is a verse I wish to bring forward which can easily be manipulated and changed to suit ones own youthful lusts.

John 8:11. She said, No one Lord, And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.

According to this adulteresses accusers in V.5. the law of Moses said that such should be stoned. We all know that the scribes and the Pharisees were only trying to trick Jesus into speaking out against the Law.

But here we have two choices. We can take the forgiveness which she received from Jesus, and to go and sin no more, to mean, now that she has been freed from her (old man) old faith, and Jesus was telling her not to return to it. Or we can take it to mean do not commit again the sins you have just been forgiven.

Although this is the basis for our faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, we also must never return to our (old man) false religion and beliefs because it would only destroy our faith in the Gospel of the water and the Spirit. But on the other hand this does not give us the right to misuse this verse by thinking that because we have been forgiven we will not have to fight for the rest of our lives to ensure that we never commit these same sins again. This is a sure way to loose your faith.

Many people seem to think that because Jesus took away all the sin of the world with His baptism that sin does not exist. This is very wrong. It is thinking like this which will destroy your faith. Your flesh is weak, and if you were to think that you could never sin again because there was no sin, you will be the first to be deceived by the evil one who still rules over this earth. We were all weak in the flesh before we met the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and we are still every bit as weak today. If you have just recently become born again or have been for 10 or even 20 years, your flesh is still every bit as weak as it was in the beginning. We are still a mass of sin and evil and will continue to sin until the day we die.

The only thing that makes us different from the rest of the world is our faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and our conviction that Gods Holy Spirit lives in our sinless heart. This is what our faith is all about.

If we the born again were ever to think that we have something virtuous on our own even after being born again, then we need to think again. If we think we can by any chance practice righteousness, and there is something good about us, and that we have certain virtues, then this can only mean that we are still not hungry in the Spirit. All human beings, including you and me, are completely depraved just as our Lord said. From the very moment we were born, we were already destined to be corrupt by fate. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, all human beings were born a brood of complete filthiness and depravity. If we come to realize our true selves like this, then far from boasting about ourselves, we would find ourselves sighing in mourning.

Even though we would be grieved when we know and admit this to ourselves, what will happen next? We would come to realize that it’s precisely such people on whom our God bestows His grace. It is then that we are able to believe in God by trusting and accepting His grace, and those who believe in this are able to find His grace by Faith.

In contrast, those who still do not know what kind of people they really are, consider themselves as someone capable of producing something righteous, and so they busy themselves to serve God through their own virtues. Such people waver back and forth like the waves on the sea, serving God and themselves half and half. On the other hand, those who know they are insufficient recognize that they are completely depraved and rest all their expectations only on the grace of God entirely, even though they may also waver back and forth a little. In other words, by relying on God and trusting only in His Grace, they come to have faith in His word and His Grace. But without our Lord even we would be nothing.

Before we can convey to this depraved world that Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of the world, we first have to convince the people of who and what they really are. If we try to preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit to someone who’s heart has not been properly prepared to accept the Gospel seed, then they will in no way accept what we are telling them.

But this just does not stop here, as we prepare the heart of a sinner so that he or she can receive this precious gospel of the water and the Spirit, what does this person see in us? How do we come across to them as a righteous born again Saint preaching to them, the only way to enter Gods Kingdom is for them to admit that they are a depraved mass of filth and sin, destined for the fires of hell. Can they see that there is a difference between them and us.

When we are out there preaching we are on our best behavior, after all we are the messengers from God, and say for example you were able to gain some precious ground in winning a soul for our Lord. How would it be if this same person came across you later that night in your local pub and saw you drinking and smoking while telling and listening to some morbid foul jokes, and then laughing at them with great pleasure. Maybe this person has just seen you sharing a joint or something else.

How do you think this person would then see a born again Saint who was trying to tell them they were a filthy, depraved mass of evil and sin, if they saw that there were two sides to the coin, holy by day and just the same as the rest of the world at night. What do you think our Lord would have to say about His messenger?

Luke 17:2. It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than he should offend one of these little ones.

Just because we are born again does not mean that we can do as we please, we have a great responsibility to carry, we are the messengers from God, we have a gospel to preach to the lost and dying in this evil and sinful world. Gods Church and Gods servants are different from the worldly Churches, we have the true gospel which can forgive the sins of others. This is why we must pay attention to our forefathers in the faith. Let us learn from people like the Apostle Paul, the greatest evangelist of all time. He knew his weaknesses, but he served the Lord faithfully to the end.

1 Corinthians 6:12. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Because of his faith Paul knew he could do anything, but he was wise enough to know that everything he could do would not be helpful to spreading the Gospel.

We are the same as Paul, we have the same Spirit to guide us in wisdom, and the same power to help us not to be brought under the power of things which are not helpful in fulfilling our commission. Remember, we are not our own to do with as we please, we do what pleases our Lord.

These are not the rules and regulations of man, these are Gods guidelines of how to live out our faith, so that all we do will only be helpful in winning souls for the Lord.

God has blessed us all with his gospel of the water and the Spirit.

Pastor & Evangelist

Jim Montgomerie

The New Life Mission

Holland : Branch

Lelystad

http://www.bjnewlife.org

http://www.nlmholland.com

http://www.nlmbookcafe.com