You Must Be Born Again!

                                             

Most people think when Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God, that being born again is something we can make happen-that Jesus was giving Nicodemus a command.  No. Rather Jesus was making a declaration to Nicodemus; giving him a revelation. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin which was a Jewish Supreme court, and the teacher in Israel (John 3:10). An expert in Mosaic Jurisprudence. He believed he could get to heaven by the deeds of the law, and their oral traditions (Matt 15:3,6).

Being born again obviously presupposes prior birth. In our case natural birth. In John 3:3,7-8 Jesus tells Nicodemus he must be born from again (literally being born from above) in order to even see the kingdom of God. We all have had a physical birth which we had nothing to do with. Our spiritual birth is the same way – we have nothing to do with it. In other words, there are no steps to becoming born again. Rather, believing on what Jesus Christ did for our sins proves we have been born anew (I John 5:1a). Being born again is something that God does to and for us. God is the one that has to bring us from spiritual death to spiritual life in order for us to be born again. That is why the analogy of birth is used by Jesus. He is comparing natural birth to spiritual birth to Nicodemus directly, and by extension He is talking to all who reads these powerful words.

Scholars call being born again regeneration. There are several passages that describe regeneration.

“And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1,4-5).

“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him having forgiven you all trespasses” (Col 2:13).

“Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living word of God”(I Peter 1:23).

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (italics mine), (I Peter 1:3).

All of these verses speak of the new birth believers have in Christ.

None one can cause themselves to be born. A power outside of us has to cause that to occur; that cause is Almighty God The confession of faith proves one has been born again or regenerated – experience new birth.

The latter proves the former has occurred.[1]

Just like Lazarus was brought back to life through the power of Jesus’ words in John 11:43, we too also by the power of God’s word are brought back from spiritual death to experience brand new life in Christ.

The Word of God as Paul said is the power of God unto salvation to anyone who believes (Gal 1:16a).

In the final analysis, being born again is a divine choice that God makes alone. Anyone that God confers this blessing upon most assuredly is saved.[2]

---

[1] What I mean is that when a person believes in the completed work of Jesus Christ, it proves they have been

Born again.

[2] Being born again never precludes the person repenting of sin, and trusting in Jesus for their salvation. Repentance and belief is an act of the human will. No one can be saved without these two gifts from God.

Apostles and Prophets Part I

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

-Ephesians 2:20

Let’s define the apostle, and what was qualified to be one. The Greek word is apóstolos; means one sent forth. A compound word. Apo means “from”, and stello, “to send” .

Jesus is called the Apostle and High Priest of our confession (Heb 3:1). Why was Jesus called an Apostle? Because He was sent to the earth by God the Father (John 3:17,34; 5:36-38;6:38-40;8:42;17:3).

The twelve that Jesus handpicked were apostles along with the apostle Paul whom He chose after He ascended into heaven (Matt 10:1-4;Mark 6:7; Luke 9:6; Acts 9:15).

There were others that were called apostles such as: Barnabas (Acts 14:4, 14), Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25), and others  messengers/apostles of the churches that were not mentioned by name (2 Cor 8:23).

                                                               What qualified one to be an Apostle?

1.       They were chosen by Jesus Christ himself; meaning Jesus did not just speak to them, they      saw the Lord bodily (Matt 10:1-4;Mark 6:7; Luke 9:6; Acts 9:15)

2.       They were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ resurrection (I Cor 15:5-7)

3.       All of them were Hebrews

4.       All of them were men

5.       Had the ability to perform signs, wonders (miracles) & healings (Acts 2:43; 5:12,16; 2 Cor 12:12)

6.  Were the conduits of direct new revelation from God which they transcribed into holy scripture (2 Pet 1:21; 3:16)

7.      They were taught directly by Jesus Christ (Gal 1:12; I Cor 15:3)

The exact power Jesus possessed the apostles had. The purpose for the ability was for them to perform miraculous deeds which  authenticated their office, and the message they preached.

The other men who were called apostles were messengers in a general sense; meaning they were not chosen directly by Jesus, and did not possess the authority the original apostles did.

There are many in the church that believe that the office of the apostle exist today and that they can perform miraculous signs and wonders like healing the sick or the casting out demons. The text that they will cite is Mark 16:17-18 where it says, and these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink and deadly poison it will not hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.[i]

Also very important to note is the word believe in vs. 16-17 of Mark is what is called the aorist tense meaning the text is making reference strictly to belief of the apostles of that time, not to those who would believe later. They (the apostles) are the ones that would  be given these supernatural abilities and some of their associates such as Stephen and Philip. These men  assisted the apostles in ministry. These are also men the apostles laid their hands on which gave them the ability to do what the original apostles did – preach the gospel with miraculous signs following (Acts 6:6-8; 8:6-8).Think about, if every Christian could do the miraculous how could the apostles be identified as God’s special messengers? If there are apostles today, then we are still at the foundation of the church 2,000 years later (Eph 2:20).  Those who had the ability to cast out demons, heal the sick, be bitten by poisonous snakes and not be harmed (Acts 28:3-6), speak with new tongues the writer believes was regulated to the apostolic era. It was a time of transition from the focus being strictly on Israel on to the church. The Jews not being forgotten by God, have been temporarily set aside due to unbelief until the time of the end (Read Romans 11 for a clear explanation of the current state of the Jews).

In addition we see the importance of the apostle’s authority when it came to preaching of the gospel to the Jews bitter enemies, the Samaritans. When Philip preached the gospel to the them, many believed on Jesus and were baptized. But, not until Peter and John arrived did the Holy Spirit fall on them and some supernatural way when they laid their hands on them (Acts 8:18). The text does not say how the Holy Spirit fell, but He did. The reason Peter and John had to be there was so that they could witness the actual conversion of the Samaritans that believed otherwise there would have been no reason to believe they had actually received Christ.

Peter was the one that healed both Aeneas and Dorcas (Acts 9:34, 40-41). Acts 5:12a says, many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles (italics mine).

Scripture says that the sick were laid out in the streets so that Peter’s shadow could fall on them so that they could be healed and they were (Acts 5:15-16).

Scripture also tells us that God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul (italics mine), so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them (Acts 19:11-12).

It would be safe to say that there isn’t a person alive that has this type of power. For if they did, I wish they would use it to heal the sick, diseased, raise the dead, etc.

So, the gift of apostle is operational today; those that are missionaries and plant churches. Remember definition of the apostle means one that is sent – a messenger. But, the office of apostle proper was regulated to those chosen by Jesus Christ Himself. The office no longer exists. It went away once the last apostle died which history tells us was John.

Those who claim the office of apostle today do not have it for they cannot meet the above criteria. There are those that are genuine Christians but are not apostles as some claim they are. There are also many that claim that office, and our false apostles (2 Cor 11:13; Rev 2:2).

---

[i] Mark 16:9-20 does not appear in all Greek manuscripts

Apostles and Prophets - Part II

The Greek word for prophet is prophētēs means one speaks forth or openly. Another Greek term is prophēteia which means speaking forth the mind and counsel of God. The prefix pro means “forth”, and phēmi,, to speak. In the N.T. we are talking about the prophet as an office and a gift in the church.

The role of the prophet in the church was to exhort, edify, and comfort those in the body by speaking God’s revealed word to the congregation. Whatever prophet was speaking was to be judged by the other prophets in the assembly. Paul instructed that two or three prophets were allowed to speak in a worship service (I Cor 14:29).  The prophet along with the apostle received the mystery revelation of the church according to Eph 3:5.

The prophet along with apostle were the foundations of the church (Eph 2:20). The specific role of the prophet was more pronounced in the O.T. than in the new. The main prophet during the time of Christ was John the Baptist who was the forerunner of Jesus; preparing the way for the Messiah (Matt 3:1-6).

John’s prophetic word was a contemporary prophetic word. John stated, I baptize with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matt 3:11).

Of course this prophecy became true on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was sent to those first believers in Acts 2.

The prophet was the direct mouthpiece of God. Everything they said was 100% true for they were speaking God’s words, not their own. A clear example of this is the commission of Jeremiah to prophetic ministry: God told Jeremiah, I have put my words (italics mine) in your mouth (Jer 1:9b).

So when we read the phrase, “the word of the Lord came to me saying”, that is the Lord speaking through the prophet. And when the Lord spoke to the man of God in those days, the words were recorded as holy scripture. We have to remember that during  the time of Old and New Covenants, scripture was in the process of being written, so the way that God transmitted His word to man was through direct revelation. God spoke, and man wrote it down. The prophets and writers of scripture only wrote what thus saith the Lord, nothing more. That is why we can trust the biblical record for these are the actual words of God.

Remember what Paul said in I Cor 14:37, If anyone thinks that he is a prophet or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

Paul was not acting on his own authority but only on his God given authority as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

                                                  Are there any prophets today?

When we consider that scripture is complete; meaning God’s revelation is finished, it would be safe to say there is no longer a need for the prophet. When prophets spoke it was actually God speaking through them. These words were revelatory which comprised the words that are now in our Bibles. Since no books have been added to the Bible since the last recorded book, the book of Revelation by the apostle John, we know God’s prophetic word is finished and there is not a need for anymore prophets. The prophetic office and gift is no more. What we are dealing with now are false prophets which scripture clearly tells us would rear their ugly heads in the last days (Matt 7:15; 24:11;2 Peter 2:1; I John 4:1). What is a false prophet? One that claims to speak on behalf of God, but what he declares does not come to pass. God has made it clear that when one speaks falsely in His name, He has not commissioned that person, and they are worthy of death (Deut 18:2-22).[1]

So again, are there any prophets today? No. Why? Because when the Canon (the scripture) was complete, the prophetic office ceased.  Think about it, if people are still getting words from the Lord like the apostles and prophets of old did, then there is ongoing revelation, and  the Bible is not complete.

Here are three severe warnings regarding those who would tamper with Holy Scripture:

1) Proverbs 30:6, add not to His word lest He (God) reprove you and you be found a liar.

2) Galatians 1:8-9, but if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

3) Revelation 22:18-19, John the apostle speaking, I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them (emphasis added), God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life, and in the holy city which are described in this book.

                                 A personal assessment of today’s “Prophets”

From the scriptures, and books I have read and messages I have heard, today’s “prophets” are not from God. Why do I say this? For several reasons:

a.       Their “prophecies” are vague, generalities not detailed like the O.T. prophets (Read Isaiah 45 where the Prophet mentions King Cyrus by name before he is even born. He also explains what his role will be as king of Persia).  The modern prophet will use terms like, “the Lord told me to tell you”, or  “I have a word from the Lord for you”, followed by some re-hashed language they heard from somebody else. For instance they will say things like, “the Lord is going to increase your life with abundant riches, or they may say things like the Lord is sending you favor on your job”[i], or people say things like, “someone is being healed of cancer right now!” Well, if that person were a true prophet of God, God would specifically tell them who that someone(s) is that’s being healed of cancer. At no time do we read in scripture where Jesus or the apostles would just blurt out and say, “someone is being healed right now” arbitrarily. No. Rather they would heal someone on the spot, and the healing would be instantaneous and permanent.

a1. What these “prophets” are doing today is more of an encouraging element, its not direct revelation from God. When the prophets spoke, it was to the nation Israel, to kings, and foreign nations. They spoke about the nation’s rebellion toward God an impending judgment. They confronted sin, and predicted Israel’s glorious future, and the coming of the Messiah. They spoke predictive judgments of doom against Israel’s and ultimately God’s enemies. Their oracles were specific, detailed regarding the time in which they lived, and of the future. It was foretelling; it had a specific predictive element which came to pass exactly as they declared it because it was the word of the Lord. God does not now have lower-level-prophets who can give prophetic words that could or could not come to pass.

b.      There is a group  called the “Kansas City Prophets” who will admit that some of their prophecies are wrong. This proves they are false prophets (just look up Kansas City Prophets on the internet. You can also search the names of Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, Bob Jones who make up that heretical group).

c.       If there are prophets today receiving direct revelation from God, who is judging to see if their prophecies are true (I Cor 14:29)? If these are indeed direct revelations, why aren’t these words codified in holy scripture? Is the word of the Lord they are receiving less than the word of the holy apostles and prophets of old? Why would God cheapen the quality of His revelation to accommodate these supposed “new jack” prophets?

      

c1. The answer is obvious. They are not prophets of God; they are self-made prophets.  What they are speaking is nothing more than modern oral tradition. Majority of what we are hearing are flat out lies. Since its not important enough to be included in the canon, then its not authentic revelation.  

Be careful of the one who says, “the Lord told me, or the Holy Spirit told me…”

d.      God will not commission someone whom He has not cleansed and sanctified (set apart)for ministry (Isa 6; Jeremiah 1). There have been many that claim the sacred office of Prophet that have lived immoral lives. The men that served as prophets in the Bible were holy men who lived uncompromisingly righteous in the face of persecution and death. While everyone was living ungodly, they were speaking the word of the Lord against the rebellion of their day. Look at a modern “prophet’s” life to see if they are living a life of godliness. And even if they are, it does not matter. As I mentioned earlier there is no need today for the prophetic office.

e.      The scripture says in Hebrews 1:1-2, long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days (italics mine), He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things through whom also He created the world.

e1.   Since God is now communicating to us by Jesus Christ, why would God revert back to given us His word through the prophets again? Jesus is God incarnate. He’s greater than all the prophets. As a matter of fact, the prophets predicted his first and second comings. Jesus is the consummation, the fulfillment of all the prophets holy predictions. Christ is the living manifestation of all the oracles of the seers of the O.T.  Christ is the living word, the logos. He is the one that speaks to us now. We do not need a prophet to declare the word to us. We have God’s revelation  in its completed form. It is the word of God that we now hold in our hands. God’s revelation is closed.

e2. Remember the words of Matthew when Jesus was on the Mountain of Transfiguration and Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. God the Father declared, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him. Moses and Elijah represent the law and prophets respectively, yet the Father commanded those that saw this magnificent sight (Peter, James, and John), to listen to Jesus for He is greater than Moses and Elijah. Jesus fulfilled all the law and prophets (Matt 17:1-5).

f.        

I     Corinthians 4:6 commands us not to go beyond what is written. That command is self explanatory. God’s written word is our final authority. These are the words that God literally breathed out of His mouth to the apostles and prophets which they in turn transmitted these truths into Holy Writ. These are the commands we are to live by. Not some modern “prophecy” from God. Those whom the Lord called to these specific offices are the ones that He breathed His word directly into; not to every believer. That was never God’s intent.  Only a few were direct conduits of God’s revelation (Moses, Joshua, the Judges, David, Ezra, Nehemiah, the Prophets, Apostles).

Concluding, we no longer need a modern prophetic word. For the words of the prophets pointed to Jesus Christ. God is indeed speaking to people today through the written prophetic word which is the word of our Lord and Savior.

God is always speaking  to us through scripture. Are we opening it and listening to His truth, or are we listening to a false word by some modern false prophet so we can get a “break through”?

---

[1] The penalty for speaking falsely in the name of the Lord during the

Time of the Mosaic law was death. God did not tolerate nor does He now

Permit  Someone speaking falsely in his name

[i] We all receive favor on our jobs. By virtue of the fact that we are

There is favor and a blessing from God. No word of “knowledge” or

“wisdom” from some self-proclaimed prophet need to tell us that

Vessels of Wrath fitted for destruction

What if God willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction

                                                                                                                               -Romans 9:22

What is a vessel of wrath? Well to understand the opening verse, let’s go back go verse 21:

Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Paul in this illustration is contrasting two types of people, vessels of honor (the righteous), and vessels of dishonor (the wicked). The point of this brief parable is God in His absolute sovereignty chooses how He wants to use each human being He has created, and how He wants to bless them. In chapter nine of Romans Paul recounts that God exercised His sovereignty when He chose Jacob over His twin brother Esau. Jacob was a vessel of honor, Esau was a vessel unto dishonor – God’s sovereign choice alone is what caused this.

Some believe that when the scripture says that when the vessels of wrath (i.e. vessels of dishonor), is fitted for destruction it means God is the one fitting or preparing them for that destruction. This is untrue. The word fitted is the Greek word kataritzo. In verse 22 of Romans 9 fitted is in the middle voice meaning that subject is acting upon himself; i.e. fitted themselves for destruction. God is not the one preparing the person for destruction. They prepare themselves when they rebel against God, and harden themselves in sin.

The example Paul uses in Romans 9 is Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth (quoted from Ex 9:16). God hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was an inactive hardening. God removed His restraints off of Pharaoh so that he could sin his full, and so that God could display his mighty works in front of Pharaoh (Ex 7:3-4). God did not create unbelief in the monarch’s heart. If God did that He would be authoring sin which He never does.

In fact God’s hardening of Pharaoh was a result of Pharaoh’s hardening his own heart (Exodus 7:13, 23; 8:15,32; 9:6,34,35).

While it is true that God makes some vessels for common or dishonorable use, does not mean He makes anyone sin. Being that we are evil by nature, we will sin proving that we are dishonorable.

Keep in mind this whole matter in the most strictest sense is dealing with the doctrine of sovereign election; that is God choosing who will be a gracious recipient of His saving grace, and who He decides to pass over leaving them in their depravity. Everyone is either a Jacob (the chosen), or an 

Esau (not chosen). This is always God’s prerogative alone. God is not is being unfair to those whom He has not chosen for none us have the right to demand anything from God.

Those who are the vessels of wrath have chosen that destiny for themselves which is eternal destruction. The vessels of honor/mercy have been chosen by God alone beforehand unto glory

(Romans 9:23).