THE CHURCH: BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS!

THE NEW BIRTH

John 1:1, 11-14 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. - - - He came unto His own (Israel), and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons (the children) of God, even to them that believe on His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of The Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

[Note:  There is a false teaching that says the Church (all born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ) was "conceived on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), but will not be born until, what they say is, the Rapture (Revelation 12:1-5)."  This passage uses the past tense in describing those who are born again.  Revelation Chapters 11-13 describe the activities that take place during the middle of the Tribulation; the Church is last mentioned in Chapter 3, with Chapter 4:1 being symbolic of the Rapture (catching away by Christ) of the Church.]

John 3:3-8 -  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.  Nicodemus said unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old?  Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water (physical birth) and of the Spirit (Spiritual birth), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Marvel not that I said unto you, You must be born again.  The wind blows where it listeth (where it will), and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell whence (from where) it comes, and whither (where) it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

[Note:  Again, Jesus described people as having already been born again.]

Romans 8:1-11 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the Law of sin and death.  For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God:  for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

[Note:  Present tense!]

1 Peter 1:18-23 - Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (way of life) received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by Him do believe in God, Who raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.  Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:  being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God, Who lives and abides forever.

[Note:  Once again, the believer is said to be born again in Peter's day!]

1 John 3:1-2 - Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:  therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.  Beloved, NOW are we the sons (children) of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

THE CHURCH IS COMPRISED OF BOTH JEWS AND GENTILES, 

WHO HAVE BELIEVED THE GOSPEL, 

AND AS A  RESULT, HAVE BEEN BORN AGAIN.

IF YOU BELIEVE, YOU ARE BORN AGAIN!

FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION, SALVATION IS BY FAITH ALONE!

THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION BEFORE PAUL'S WRITINGS!

Scottie Clarke, a well known and beloved video-maker on Bible Prophecy, has been consistently proclaiming that the way to salvation was not preached until the writings of the Apostle Paul.  While I agree with most of what he teaches, I adamantly disagree with him on this point.  From the symbolism of animal sacrifice for sin seen in God's clothing Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis, to the Gospel of John with over forty verses in which the word "believe" appears, salvation is clearly taught as the result of faith in Almighty God!  Here are but a few examples: 

Genesis 15:6 - And he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness.

John 1:12-13 - But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.


John 3:15-16, 18, 36 -  That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. - - - He that believes in Him is not condemned:  but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - - - He that believes in the Son has everlasting life:  and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him.

John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears My Word, and believes on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 6:35, 47 - And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life:  he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes in Me shall never thirst. - - - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believes in Me has everlasting life. 

John 9:35-38 - Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, Do you believe in the Son of God?  He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe in Him?  And Jesus said unto him, You have both seen Him, and it is He that talks with you.  And he said, Lord, I believe.  And he worshipped Him.

John 11:25-27 - Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  and whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?  She said unto Him, Yea, Lord:  I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who should come into the world.

John 14:1 - Let not your heart be troubled:  you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 20:26-29 - And after eight days again His disciples were within, and Thomas with them:  then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.  Then said He to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side:  and be not faithless, but believing.  And Thomas answered and said unto Him, My Lord and my God.  Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed:  blessed are they that have not seen, and yet believe.  

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1 John 5:13 - These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may (continue to) believe on the name of the Son of God.

LORD LIFT US UP!

GOD'S GRACE IN REMOVING  NOAH AND LOT BEFORE

HE POURED OUT HIS WRATH UPON WICKED AND PERVERTED MAN!

Genesis 6:5-8; 7:17 - And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the LORD that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents Me that I have made them.  But Noah found grace (undeserved favor) in the eyes of the LORD. - - - And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lifted UP above the earth.

Genesis 19:12-19, 29-30 - And the men (angels) said unto Lot, Have you here any besides?  Sons-in-law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whosoever you have in the city, bring them out of this place:  for we will destroy this place, because the cry of (outcry against) them is waxen (grown) great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.  And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city.  But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law.  And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, who are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.  And while he lingered, the men (angels) laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.  And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he (one) said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. - - - Behold now, thy servant has found grace (undeserved favor) in thy sight, and you have magnified thy mercy, which you have shown unto me in saving my life; - - - And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.  And Lot went UP out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

GOD'S WARNING USING NOAH AND LOT AS EXAMPLES!

Luke 17:26-29 - And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

A PERFECT DESCRIPTION OF OUR WORLD TODAY!

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:  from such turn away.

BELIEVERS IN CHRIST WILL BE REMOVED BEFORE 

THE WRATH OF GOD IS POURED OUT!

John 14:1-3 - Let not your heart be troubled:  you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 - For they themselves show . . . how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for His Son from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, Who delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep (have died), that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so those also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.  For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:  and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:  and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:8-11 - But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.  For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.  Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Titus 2:11-13 - For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ!

Revelation 3:10 - Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

THIS WORLD'S TIME IS RAPIDLY COMING TO AN END!

TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST, AND SPEND ETERNITY WITH HIM!

JESUS: THE CONSISTANT CREATOR!

DAY ONE OF CREATION - GENESIS 1:1-5

GOD CREATES A PLACE FOR DAY FOUR'S CREATION!

[1] In the beginning (when time began) God created (Jesus created everything as His Father instructed - see John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; etc.) the heaven (the Universe) and the earth (our planet - Earth).
[2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep (liquid, empty, and without light).  And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
[3] And God said, Let there be light:  and there was light (the Bible does not tell us from where the light came).
[4] And God saw the light, that it was good:  and God divided the light from the darkness (at the time God created light, it apparently occupied the same space as did darkness, for God separated one from the other).
[5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.  And the evening and the morning were the first day ("yom" - 24 hours).

DAY TWO OF CREATION - GENESIS 1:6-8

GOD CREATES A PLACE FOR DAY FIVE'S CREATION!

[6] And God said, Let there be a firmament (a space - here, it is the Earth's atmosphere) in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
[7] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament:  and it was so.
[8] And God called the firmament Heaven (a place in which birds will fly).  And the evening and the morning were the second day.

DAY THREE OF CREATION - GENESIS 1:9-13

GOD CREATES A PLACE FOR DAY SIX'S CREATION!

[9] And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear:  and it was so.
[10] And God called the dry land earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He seas:  and God saw that it was good.
[11] And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth:  and it was so.
[12] And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind:  and God saw that it was good.
[13] And the evening and the morning were the third day.

DAY FOUR OF CREATION - GENESIS 1:14-19

THINGS TO OCCUPY WHAT WAS CREATED ON DAY ONE

[14] And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven (the Universe) to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
[15] And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth:  and it was so.
[16] And God made two great lights (great in comparison to the stars); the greater light to rule the day (the Sun), and the lesser light to rule the night (the Moon):  He made the stars also (God does not consider the Sun a star; it is unique).
[17] And God set them in the firmament of the heaven (the Universe) to give light upon the earth,
[18] And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
[19] And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

DAY FIVE OF CREATION - GENESIS 1:20-23

THINGS TO OCCUPY WHAT WAS CREATED ON DAY TWO!

[20] And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that have life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
[21] And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind:  and God saw that it was good.
[22] And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

[23] And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

DAY SIX OF CREATION - GENESIS 1:24-31

THINGS TO OCCUPY WHAT WAS CREATED ON DAY THREE!

[24] And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind:  and it was so.
[25] And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creeps upon the earth after his kind:  and God saw that it was good.
[26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:  and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
[27] So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
[28] And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
[29] And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
[30] And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creeps upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat (man and animals were not created carnivores):  and it was so.
[31] And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.  And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

[Note:  There are now three heavens:  "The third heaven" (God's Throne Room - 2 Corinthians 12:2); the Universe; and Earth's atmosphere.]

 JESUS CHRIST:  THE SAME YESTERDAY, AND TODAY, AND FOREVER!

Today, Jesus, the risen Son of God, is still making a space for those He intends to place there! 

John 14:1-3 - Let not your heart be troubled:  you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions:  if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

1 John 5:11-13 - And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He that has (faith in) the Son has life; and he that has not (faith in) the Son of God has not life.  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that ye may (continue to) believe on the name of the Son of God.

DO YOU BELIEVE?