A "Born Again Christian”?

If we are not doing the things that Jesus says we can do, then the father’s heart cry in verse 24 should be an encouragement to each one of us. “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

The father asked Jesus to help him increase his faith. Right now, we may not be where Jesus says we can be, but we can cry out to Him just like this father did and ask for more faith because the Bible tells us in Hebrews 12:2 to look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Jesus can help take us from faith level one to faith level two, etc. Praise God!

In John 3, Jesus also tells Nicodemus “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is spirit.”

He is identifying a third point I want to leave with you this morning: When we are born again, it only affects our human spirits, nothing else.

Being born again does not affect our minds or our bodies. In other words, a person can be born again but that doesn’t mean the way he thinks and the way he behaves changes the moment he or she says “Yes to Jesus.”

How many of you know Christians that when you look at their lives it causes you wonder if they are truly a Christian? You see what they do. You hear what they say. Changing how one thinks and how one behaves to agree with the new born again nature, to agree with the change that has taken place inside, must be done on purpose.

Let’s read Romans 8:13-14. We’re talking about things we must do on purpose to agree with the change that has taken place on the inside of us.

(13) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

The word “mortify” means you put to death. It’s where we get the word “mortician.”

(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God – led by that new nature, that born again spirit – they are the sons of God.

The Bible says for us to live by our new nature we must – on purpose – put to death, stop doing, the things that disagree with who we have become as God’s sons and daughters.

Now look at Romans 12:1-2.

(1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice (In other words, your body is not going to become a sacrifice to your new nature. Your body is going to be in submission to your new nature.), holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

(2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Bible tells us to transform our minds – to do a complete 180 – from thinking the way the world thinks to the way God thinks. In Philippians 2:5 the Bible says to “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

There is a word in the verse I just read that will determine whether or not you live by your new nature or you don’t. It’s the word “let.” So many in the body of Christ think God is in control, that God is going to have His way in all situations. But if the Bible tells us that we have to “let” something happen, then that means God is not in control.