What Is A Christian? Part VIII

What Is A Christian?  Part VIII

Men, religions, and churches may use terms from God's Word, the Bible, haphazardly.  However, when dealing with matters such as how to become a Christian it behooves us to handle the Word of God honestly, for God has a reason for everything He says:  where, why, when, how, and to whom.

Perhaps you have heard the terms "saved", "born again", "eternal life", "salvation", etc.  Whether you have or not we will go to the Word and clarify what it means to have Christ-in-you, which means you are indeed a Christian.

Adam and Eve had spirit upon them, conditionally.  They could (and did) lose it because they chose to disobey God.  The advantage that they had which you and I do not was that they began life with perfect minds and thoughts.  You and I are attacked daily with negatives, fear, doubts, advertising, and chaos.  Adam and Eve had no such negatives for in the garden of Eden there were none!

When you and I are born the first time, we have our father's seed in us.   Nothing can change that.

In John 3 Jesus has a discussion with Nicodemus:

John 3:3-6

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nicodemus saith 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 thee, Except a man be born of water [this is referring to your first birth] and of the Spirit, 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.

"Born again" is more accurately translated "born from above", but it is another birth, so the translation does make sense as-is.

What God through Jesus Christ made available in Acts 2 is not simply another giving of the spirit upon, but it is seed.

I Peter 1:23

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Our first birth, involving seed from our father, is corruptible.  That is, our physical bodies will some day die; our blood is not perfect.  However, it is seed in that you cannot change it; you cannot decide to change biological fathers.   For better or worse you are your father's offspring because you have his seed.

The spirit of God, the new birth, is also seed in that it is permanent.  A Christian can no more lose that new birth spirit once they are born again, which is incorruptible seed, any more than they can change their physical father's seed.

Some may teach that a Christian can go so far astray that they "lose their salvation" and must repent again and get it back.  That is not what the Word of God says.  The Word of God says that it is seed, and that it is incorruptible.

Men and women in the Old Testament had, at times, the spirit of God upon them.   This was not the new birth spirit (Christ in you, seed) that was finally made available on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  This was spirit in measure, as needed, for men and women of God to use.

Numbers 11:24, 25

And Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle.

And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him [Moses], and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

On the day of Pentecost the new birth became available and the spirit of God was not merely "upon" man as needed, but was Christ-in-you, the hope of glory:

Ephesians 4:7

But unto every one of us [every man and woman who becomes born again] is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Ephesians 2:7, 8

That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

All that God made available in the new birth, the gift from God of Christ in you, is the full measure. God has given all that can be given, and since it is a gift, it is unconditional. Since it is a gift you do not need to beg, to get dunked, or earn your way into God's favor. Because it cost Him his only begotten son you can confess Jesus as Lord, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you are the "receiver" of the greatest gift given to man, at any place, any time.

You are heaven bound, and nothing can stop you. You can never fall so far out of God's favor that you are no longer His son or daughter (it's seed, remember?). You have God in Christ in you. You have a connection to the Creator, not just as God, but in a father/son relationship.

Romans 8:15, 16

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

This relationship carries with it rights and privileges. If you were the son or daughter of a billionaire, wouldn't you think of yourself in that light? How about a son or daughter of God? Do you think God "just" wants you born again with a pat on the head and then nothing in your day to day life changes? NO! He wants your life here on earth to be one of blessings and abundance. However, this requires that you believe and exercise your rights and power as a child of God.