Post by foxjj on Mar 24, 2023 5:51:38 GMT
Reading The Bible As A New Believer
When I began reading The Bible as a new believer, I read where Jesus said: “I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14) These words of The Lord gave me much hope, for my desire was to truly know my Redeemer, not just to know about Him. In this amazing statement, Jesus is saying that you and I can know Him personally, just as He knows us. From a human perspective this does not seem possible. How can one who is sinful; know personally, the sinless Son of God?
For this to happen in my life I required a spiritual rebirth. The Holy Spirit moved upon my heart exposing my sinful nature, thus revealing my need of a Redeemer. It was because of the Spirit that I truly came to know Jesus for the first time. I had received a repentant heart and recognized my sin for the vile thing that it truly is. With tears of repentance, I fell upon my knees calling upon the name of Jesus, confessing Him as my Savior and Lord.
All religions do not offer forgiveness of sin consequently, when comparing spiritual teachings, Christianity is unique with its offer of forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus Christ. In the Old Covenant, forgiveness of sin was associated with sacrifice and blood, known as The Atonement as we read in Leviticus 17:11: "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Jesus pointed back to the prophets, showing how, as The Messiah, His death and resurrection was nessasery to bring forgiveness: "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47)
In the New Covenant, forgiveness is associated completely with the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. In Matthew 26:28 Jesus said: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." In Acts 13:38 Paul proclaimed: "Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you." While writing to the Church in Ephesus he wrote: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
We are at peace with God when we have accepted the forgiveness and new life that Jesus offers. How do we come to this experience? In chapter 10 verses 9-10 of the letter to the Romans, we find this instruction from Paul: "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." In the following verse Paul makes this wonderful promise; "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." When we confess the Lordship of Jesus, we are saying to the world that we have passed into a saving relationship with Him as our Saviour and Lord. We have had a spiritual rebirth.
In John chapter 3 verse 3, Jesus said: "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." To this statement, the natural response would be, "What do you mean born again? This does not make sense. We are born, live our lives and then die. End of story." However, Jesus is speaking of a life changing spiritual experience. He went on to explain in verses 7 & 8 "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." To have this experience is unique. To be born again is to have had the wind of The Holy Spirit blow new spiritual life into our old sinful life.
Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus is Devine, the Son of God in human flesh, who came to lay down His life as the ultimate sacrifice for sin: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17) The sacrifice of Jesus is God’s unique gift of forgiveness offered to all who will repent and receive it. Do you have a personal relationship with the living Lord of the universe – Jesus, the one who died for your sin, and rose again for your justification on the third day? For each one of us who has by faith confessed Jesus as our Lord, there is the wonderful experience of living a new life in Christ Jesus because, we have been Born Again.
Today, let us give thanks for God’s Grace.
John Joseph Fox.
When I began reading The Bible as a new believer, I read where Jesus said: “I know my own and my own know me.” (John 10:14) These words of The Lord gave me much hope, for my desire was to truly know my Redeemer, not just to know about Him. In this amazing statement, Jesus is saying that you and I can know Him personally, just as He knows us. From a human perspective this does not seem possible. How can one who is sinful; know personally, the sinless Son of God?
For this to happen in my life I required a spiritual rebirth. The Holy Spirit moved upon my heart exposing my sinful nature, thus revealing my need of a Redeemer. It was because of the Spirit that I truly came to know Jesus for the first time. I had received a repentant heart and recognized my sin for the vile thing that it truly is. With tears of repentance, I fell upon my knees calling upon the name of Jesus, confessing Him as my Savior and Lord.
All religions do not offer forgiveness of sin consequently, when comparing spiritual teachings, Christianity is unique with its offer of forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus Christ. In the Old Covenant, forgiveness of sin was associated with sacrifice and blood, known as The Atonement as we read in Leviticus 17:11: "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." Jesus pointed back to the prophets, showing how, as The Messiah, His death and resurrection was nessasery to bring forgiveness: "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke 24:46-47)
In the New Covenant, forgiveness is associated completely with the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. In Matthew 26:28 Jesus said: "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." In Acts 13:38 Paul proclaimed: "Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you." While writing to the Church in Ephesus he wrote: "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
We are at peace with God when we have accepted the forgiveness and new life that Jesus offers. How do we come to this experience? In chapter 10 verses 9-10 of the letter to the Romans, we find this instruction from Paul: "If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." In the following verse Paul makes this wonderful promise; "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." When we confess the Lordship of Jesus, we are saying to the world that we have passed into a saving relationship with Him as our Saviour and Lord. We have had a spiritual rebirth.
In John chapter 3 verse 3, Jesus said: "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." To this statement, the natural response would be, "What do you mean born again? This does not make sense. We are born, live our lives and then die. End of story." However, Jesus is speaking of a life changing spiritual experience. He went on to explain in verses 7 & 8 "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." To have this experience is unique. To be born again is to have had the wind of The Holy Spirit blow new spiritual life into our old sinful life.
Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus is Devine, the Son of God in human flesh, who came to lay down His life as the ultimate sacrifice for sin: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17) The sacrifice of Jesus is God’s unique gift of forgiveness offered to all who will repent and receive it. Do you have a personal relationship with the living Lord of the universe – Jesus, the one who died for your sin, and rose again for your justification on the third day? For each one of us who has by faith confessed Jesus as our Lord, there is the wonderful experience of living a new life in Christ Jesus because, we have been Born Again.
Today, let us give thanks for God’s Grace.
John Joseph Fox.
