The Necessity of the New Birth
Now we are prepared to consider the second large step in this
exciting,
journey from earth to heaven, and it is very closely tied to the faith
transaction we have considered. That moment of acceptance not only brings
an
objective change of standing before God, but it also produces a fantastic
subjective transformation in the heart and mind of the believer. Jesus
referred to this dramatic experience as being "born of the Spirit." The
necessity of it was revealed in the urgent words of the Master to
Nicodemus,
"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
There is no possible way to analyze or diagnose the miraculous, and
often instantaneous, change that accompanies this act of faith. The
apostle
John seems to express it as simply as it can be communicated: "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" (John 1:12). But even though we can't
understand the mystery, we can observe the results of it very clearly.
Paul
described it in these words. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a
new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new"
(2
Corinthians 5:17).
Like a gentle brush of the invisible wind, God's Holy Spirit enters
the
life to replace the surrendered fleshly things with the exact opposite.
Although the inherent fallen nature is not removed by the new birth, the
carnal mind is replaced with a spiritual mind that has the power to subdue
all the desires and passions that might arise from that fallen nature. It
is
this progressive work of conquering self and constantly submitting the
will
to Christ which leads us to the third giant step on our heavenly
pilgrimage.
We call it sanctification.
Again when we reduce this long theological word to its elementary
meaning, all confusion evaporates. It simply means loving obedience to all
of God's revealed will. The word "loving" distinguishes those acts of
obedience from the legalistic forced conformity of those who might be
trying
to earn salvation by mere law keeping. Some liberal-minded religionists
equate obedience and legalism. They ignore the difference between heart
service and head service. One is the very finest demonstration of true
religion and the other shows forth the most dangerous counterfeit. Someone
has suggested that millions will miss heaven by just eighteen inches-the
distance from the head to the heart. Complying with God's law in order to
fulfill a legal requirement for salvation is the head approach, but true
heart obedience is the spontaneous outflow of a personal love relationship
with Christ. When we talk about sanctification here, we are referring
solely
to the heart approach.
There has been much debate over the way justification and
sanctification relate to each other, so let's clarify it with a few simple
observations. We need both of these experiences in order to be ready for
heaven. Justification imputes the perfect victory of Jesus to cover our
past
sins, but sanctification imparts the victorious power of Jesus to preserve
us from committing further sin. We can't have one without the other.
Anyone
who exercises true faith is justified. All who are truly justified are
converted, or turned into a new creation; and all who have experienced the
new birth will walk in obedience out of love. The cause-effect is
instantaneous and inseparable. There is no justification without
sanctification and no sanctification without justification. Nevertheless,
it
is very important to keep in mind that justification, as the very first
approach to God, is freely bestowed and is not granted in reference to our
good works. This biblical principle requires that the believer receive the
gift of justification before sanctified obedience is possible. Then the
conformity to the law is recognized as the result of the born-again
connection with the Saviour.
As you have probably realized by now, there are many professed
Christians who consider step number three to be optional in the salvation
experience. But unless we ignore many plain statements of scripture, it is
impossible for us to come to such a conclusion. The Bible says, "And being
made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him" (Hebrews 5:9). Obedience is truly one of the spiritual
requirements for entrance into the kingdom. John declared that "there
shall
in no wise enter into it anything that defileth" (Revelation 21:27).
Sin, of course, is the only thing that defiles in God's sight, and it
is specifically excluded from entering the gates of Paradise. Sin is
defined
in the Bible as transgression of the law. This means there will be no
thieves, murderers, adulterers, etc. in heaven. Should it frighten us to
learn that willful sin must be put away in order to be saved Incidentally,
we are not saying here that the good works of obedience are the grounds
for
our acceptance by Jesus, but they are the necessary accompaniment of a
freely bestowed gift to all who believe.
None who have accepted that gift will be discouraged by the
requirement
to stop deliberately transgressing the revealed will of God. Converted
hearts are eager to please the One they love supremely. They delight to
walk
in obedience because God's law has been written into their hearts and
minds.
Why is it easier for most Christians to take the first two steps of
the
three we have dealt with so far Is it because forgiveness and conversion
are
largely accomplished for us and in us by the power of God in response to
our
faith alone, while sanctification demands strong effort in addition to our
faith It is entirely possible. For that reason, I want to share, in the
next
few paragraphs, the greatest secret I ever learned about living the
Christian life. How does one turn away from sins that are rooted in strong
physical or psychological addiction What about smoking, alcoholism, and
drugs
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