This is the second installment in our 3-part post on "What It Means To Be Born Again". I was simply amazed at the ignorance of so many professing Christians and non-Christians concerning this vital topic.David C Pack has written an excellent article concerning "what born again means. You can review Part I:, in this series by clicking here. Let's continue with our series on this important topic.
The Unborn Must Mature Toward Birth
Like the newly begotten baby grows in its mother’s womb, the Christian must also grow before he can leave the womb. Peter wrote, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 3:18).
Christians must grow in this lifetime. To be given awesome divine authority and power, as “joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17), they must qualify, by building God’s holy, righteous character in their lives now!
Doctors understand that a human fetus cannot survive outside the womb unless it has sufficiently developed prior to delivery. The “heroic” efforts of medical science have limits in terms of saving a premature child. It is the same with the begotten children of God, who must grow during the gestation period. Like human fetuses, they must also be fed all the necessary spiritual nutrients to grow sufficiently to be born into the kingdom as incorruptible Spirit Beings.
Christians must grow, develop and fully mature, spiritually, while in the womb. Human fetuses begin at microscopic size and grow to the time of birth. The newly-begotten Christian grows in the same way. He starts out 99.9% spiritually immature and slowly progresses to full spiritual maturity—and birth!
Surely God is as wise as human doctors. He recognizes that His children must grow sufficiently before He can deliver them—bring them to birth!
Peter includes several passages explaining the importance of the begotten Christian growing within the true Church of God. How and when one is born again cannot be understood without some discussion of various Greek words and how they are or should be rendered in English.
If the Bible discusses being born again, it would have to also mention that one is also “begotten again,” for begettal must precede it. It does mention this!
Notice: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again [anagennao] unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Pet. 1:3-5).
The Greek word used here is anagennao. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance defines it as: “to beget or (by extension) bear (again): beget, (bear) again.” It also means “to beget anew” (Young’s Concordance). Humans are begotten for the first time in the womb of a human mother, and “begotten again”—or anew—by receiving God’s Spirit at conversion.
Peter makes another reference using the word anagennao. But it has been mistranslated as born: “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born [or begotten] again [anagennao], not of corruptible seed [human sperm], but of incorruptible [the Holy Spirit], by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.” (I Pet. 1:22-23).
Those called now have been begotten by both “corruptible” seed (human sperm), which led to a physical birth, and “incorruptible” seed (the Holy Spirit), which will lead to a spiritual birth if one continues to grow in the womb. Peter writes that, for instance, those who are begotten again grow in love of the brethren.
Notice how Peter uses the analogy of milk to bring growth: “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (I Pet. 2:1-2).
Bible analogies can also have multiple applications with no contradiction. Satan is like a lion (I Pet. 5:8)—but so are the righteous (Prov. 28:1). The newborn babe analogy is used to refer to the newly converted, but Christ Himself used it when referring to His own imminent resurrection to spirit life.
Notice: “‘A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you’” (John 16:21-22, NKJV).
Understand. The reference to “newborn babes” is an analogy, and only an analogy. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines analogy as: “resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise unlike.”
The old Webster’s Dictionary defines it as: “likeness between two things…consisting in the resemblance not of the things themselves, but of two or more attributes, circumstances or effects.”
I Peter 2:1-2 unnecessarily confuses some readers, causing them to throw aside every previous verse explaining when rebirth occurs.
But it is obvious that Peter is not saying that Christians are babies, rather that they grow like or as babies grow through drinking nourishing milk. Recall II Peter 3:18, which also exhorts Christians to “grow in grace and knowledge.”
Like babies nourished in the womb, Christians grow toward birth!
Examining the Greek
The New Testament was originally written in Greek. All other Bibles of whatever language involve translation from this language. Each language presents certain problems in trying to render exact meaning as God intended. And not all languages are the same.
Let me illustrate. The English word lead can refer to the physical element, such as a lead pencil or a lead weight. It can also refer to taking charge, in verb form—to lead other people. It can even be a noun when speaking of one who “takes the lead.”
Another example would be the word love in English. The Greeks had three words (agape, philia, and eros) that can correctly be translated love in English. Agape means the love of God; philia means brotherly love; eros means romantic or erotic love.
Only by checking the context of words such as these can one discern the intended—the correct!—meaning of why the word is used. It has to be understood in relation to the overall topic of discussion, or confusion can result.
For example, the words fetus and embryo do not appear anywhere in the Bible. If God used these words, because there was a Greek equivalent that could be translated this way, it would make matters easier to understand when considering a Christian’s status in this life. Since God does not use these words (the Greek contains no similar words), He expects us to discern His intent by other means. He does not leave people to guess what His Word is saying.
Consider. All through the Bible, pregnancy is depicted by the expression “with child,” not “with fetus” or “with embryo.” (Abortionists, take note!)
This sets up our discussion of the Greek word gennao (the word Christ used when speaking to Nicodemus). Gennao can be translated either as “to beget” or “to be born.” Both are technically correct. We will learn why.
Let’s examine several different Greek-English dictionaries (lexicons) definitions:
Strong’s: “gennao: to procreate (prop. of the father, but by extension of the mother); fig. to regenerate: — bear, beget, be born, bring forth, conceive, be delivered of, gender, make, spring.”
George Ricker Berry’s: “gennao: to beget, give birth to, produce, effect; pass., to be begotten, born.”
Young’s: “gennao: to beget, bring forth.”
Liddell and Scott’s: “gennao: to beget, of the father; to bear, bring forth, of the mother; II, to generate, produce.” (Webster’s defines generate: “to beget; procreate.”)
Thayer’s: “gennao: 1. properly: of men begetting children. Matt. 1:1-16; Acts 7:8, 29; foll. by ek with gen. of the mother, Matt. 1:3, 5, 6; more rarely of women giving birth to children. Luke 1:13, 57; 23:29; John 16:21, etc. 2. a. univ. to engender, cause to arise, excite…d. peculiarly in the Gospel and 1st Ep. of John, of God conferring upon men the nature and disposition of His sons, imparting to them spiritual life i.e. by His own holy power, prompting and persuading souls to put faith in Christ and live a new life consecrated to Himself.”
Eleven different Greek-English lexicons show that the word gennao can either refer to begettal by the father (begotten) or birth by the mother (born). We checked five more, not on this list, and found the same definition. Gennao can either be translated “born” or “begotten,” depending on context.
Gennao is actually found 97 times in the New Testament. Here is a breakdown of how it is variously translated: begat, 49; be born, 39; bear, 2; gender, 2; bring forth, 1; be delivered, 1; is born, 1; been born, 1; was born, 1.
It has been said that the English language is the best language for an author to use because it has an extremely large number of words, which carry very subtle differences in meaning and nuance of meaning. The vast majority of people read the Bible in English. It is our responsibility to primarily make its meaning clear in this language, before translating to others.
While the Greeks had one word that encompassed the entire process from begettal to birth, English carries two different words. One, begettal, starts the process—another, born, depicts its completion. It is natural for English-speaking people to think of conception and begettal as having happened, without yet having a birth. This would be foreign to a Greek-speaking person of 2,000 years ago. He would think of begettal as the primary meaning, with the entire rest of the process, that culminated in the birth, as the secondary meaning. Those who speak English talk of one’s birthdate as when he separated from the womb. This would carry a different meaning for one who spoke Greek, because he would see the birth as part of a nine-month process from begettal, but would still have only the word gennao to represent all of the process.
The Bible simply does not use different words to distinguish between born and unborn children. The Greek word (brephos) translated “babe” in Luke 1:41—“the babe leaped in her womb”—is the same Greek word translated “infants” in Luke 18:16—“then they also brought infants to him that He might touch them.”
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word (ben) translated “children” in Genesis 25:22—“the children struggled together within her”—is the same Hebrew word translated “child” in Exodus 2:10—“and the child [Moses] grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter.” In the first case, the children were unborn, and, in the second case, it was a young Moses growing up.
These scriptures reveal God’s mind and how He views an unborn child (embryo or fetus) as a human being. In other words, when referring to children in the womb (begotten) or out of the womb (born), God makes no distinction. All those who believe in the kind of mass murder politely referred to as abortion ought to heed what God’s Word reveals about His view!
It is important to understand, however, that all of the various scholars quoted here, and many others, put primary emphasis on begettal by the Father as the meaning of gennao.
After all, the words genesis, gender, genitals and genealogy all have to do with beginnings. Men understand this and thereby leave little doubt as to the proper emphasis on the meaning of gennao!
Defining “Beget”
It would be helpful to briefly explain the English verb “beget,” or its adjective form, “begotten.”
Webster’s Dictionary definition of beget is: “1: to procreate, as the father: sire. 2: Cause.” Above, I quoted the definition from the New English Dictionary of Historical Principles: “begetting, the action or process of generating or producing…”
Numerous dictionaries offer a great many synonyms for this word. Webster’s defines a synonym as “one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that have the same or nearly the same meaning.”
Let’s examine several:
“beget 1. father, sire, procreate, generate, engender, get; breed, propagate, reproduce, spawn; impregnate, Biol. fecundate, Biol. fertilize” (J.I. Rodale, The Synonym Finder, p. 106).
“conceive 4. beget, procreate, father, sire; generate, engender, propagate, reproduce; become impregnated, become pregnant, become fertilized, come with child” (Ibid., pp. 206-207).
“impregnate 1. inseminate, make pregnant, get with child or young, Sl. knock up; fertilize, fructify, make fruitful, fecundate; beget, create, procreate, engender, generate” (Ibid., p. 545).
“engender 2. beget, create, procreate, father, sire, sow the seeds of, conceive, give birth to; breed, propagate, reproduce, spawn” (Ibid., p. 353).
“Beget, get, and sire imply the procreating act of the male parent; usually ‘beget’ is preferred in reference to men and ‘get’ and ‘sire’ in reference to animals [he that begets a fool does it to his sorrow – Prov. 17:21] [a bull may be unable to get calves]” (Webster’s New Dictionary of Synonyms).
“begotten past part. of beget” beget 1. Obsolete a. To acquire b. To get (with child) 2. To procreate as father or sire; to generate” (Webster’s New International Dictionary Second Edition).
“beget 1 (obsolete): to acquire especially through effort 2a: to procreate as the father: SIRE b: to give birth to: BREED 3 (obsolete): to make a woman pregnant” (Webster’s Third New International Dictionary).
“beget 1. To acquire (usually by effort) – 1602. 2. To procreate, generate; occasionally said of both parents ME [Middle English]. b. GET (with child) – 1611. 3. Theologically applied to the relationship of the Father to the Son in the Trinity ME” (Shorter Oxford English Dictionary).
Here is the definition of “get with child” from Roget’s International Thesaurus, 4th Edit: “169.10 Fertilize, fructify, fecundate, fecundify; impregnate, inseminate, spermatize; get with child or young; pollinate or pollinize, pollen; cross-fertilize, cross-pollinate or crosspollinize, cross-pollen.”
Examining Different Passages
Let’s summarize what we have learned. English translators have sometimes been able to accurately discern the intended meaning in the Greek. Sometimes they have not.
We need to examine some correct and incorrect translations of certain verses. Before we do, understand what is at stake.
The Roman Catholic church believes that their church is the kingdom of God. The Protestants have generally accepted their assumption, but believed that the kingdom is primarily Protestantism. Others believe that the kingdom is something established “in men’s hearts.” All of these ideas reinforce the assumption that one can be “born again” in this life—and, therefore, “enter into” the kingdom now. Most of these problems have arisen because of improper translation of verses in which “born” should have been rendered “begotten.”
The following verses should be translated begotten, not born:
“Which were born [begotten; American Revised Version or American Standard Version], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13).
The ARV correctly translates I John 2:29 as “everyone that does righteousness is begotten of him,” while the King James Version (or Authorized Version) incorrectly renders it “is born of him.”
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born [begotten; ARV] of God, and knows God” (I John 4:7). The ARV correctly uses the word “begotten.”
“Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born [begotten; ARV] of God: and every one that loves Him that begat loves Him also that is begotten of Him” (I John 5:1). This verse contains gennao three separate times. The first time it is incorrectly translated born, and the second and third times is properly translated begat and is begotten. The ARV has it correct.
“For whatsoever is born [begotten; ARV] of God overcomes the world” (I John 5:4).
Here are some examples of where gennao is correctly translated in the King James Version.
I Corinthians 4:15 states, “For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have you not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
Hebrews 1:5 also contains another correctly rendered passage using gennao: “For unto which of the angels said he at any time, You are My Son, this day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son?”
The Resurrection—Christ’s Second Birth
Romans 1:3-4 states of Christ, “Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”
Most have heard that Christ was the Son of God, but He was only “declared to be” the Son of God, in the fullest sense, “by the resurrection from the dead.” Certainly He was already the begotten Son of God prior to His birth into the kingdom at the time of His Resurrection. But He was only fully “declared to be Son of God” at the resurrection—after He was born! Grasp this!
Romans 1 shows that Christ was physically born of Mary, descending from David “according to the flesh,” and spiritually born a Son of God “according to the Spirit…by the resurrection of the dead.” Plainly, Christ was born twice, once of Mary, and the second time as the “firstborn from the dead.”
By returning to Romans 8, we will better understand why. Recall what we learned about Christ’s second birth, and how other sons follow Him: “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (vs. 29).
The birth of a firstborn son does not preclude the birth of additional sons (and daughters) to the same family. I have two sons—only one could be firstborn—and am myself a firstborn son, having a younger brother. My father was a secondborn son, having an elder brother and so on. This should make the point clear.
Christ is merely the first born again Son of God. “Many brethren” (all true Christians) will join Him at His Return. This absolutely astonishing understanding is known to only the few called today (John 6:44, 65).
To Inherit “ALL THINGS”
The book of Hebrews reveals God’s awesome purpose with crystal clarity. The context begins in Chapter 1. The picture that unfolds is truly awesome!
Examine the introduction to Hebrews: “God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds…For unto which of the angels said He at any time, You are My Son, this day have I begotten you?” (vs. 1-2, 5).
This verse sets the stage by revealing that God has made Christ “heir of all things.” But there are other things to be understood before continuing.
First, understand that God created angels to be “ministering spirits” to assist the “heirs of salvation” (vs. 14). This is their role within God’s Plan. While they are spirit beings, angels are not born sons of God. They are not offered membership in the family of god.
This is why Satan (as a fallen angel) so hates the idea that puny, fleshly man can receive what he has never been offered, nor can ever achieve. Therefore, deceiving humanity about the real meaning of being “born again” is of paramount importance to him.
Paul quotes from two places in the Psalms: “For unto which of the angels said He at any time, you are My Son, this day have I begotten you? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to Me a Son?” (Heb. 1:5). (Hebrews 2:5 describes the earth under the “subjection of angels” now, but makes clear that these angels will not rule over “the world to come.”)
God states that He has never said these things (1:5) to an angel!
Paul then quotes from another Psalm, explaining what has always been God’s Purpose: “Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (1:8).
A scepter is a rod or staff used as a symbol of rulership or authority—and in His kingdom, God holds all power.
Finally, Paul re-frames the same question about angels: “But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool?” The answer—none! Why? “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (1:13-14).
This sets the stage for what we must understand! Let’s really grasp the future that God has prepared for His sons (and daughters).
This amazing series of verses continues in chapter 2—and builds in understanding and impact. Paul quotes Psalm 8:4-6. There, David asked the all-important question, “What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (Heb. 2:6). Since God is eternal, and sits over the entire universe, controlling all power, no wonder David asked, and Paul repeated, this question.
The astounding answer is in the next verse: “You made him [man] a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor, and did set him over the works of Your Hands.”
Paul further explains that God plans to give immense power and authority to His Sons: “You have put ALL THINGS in subjection under his feet. For in that He put ALL in subjection under him, He left NOTHING that is not put under him. But now we see not yet ALL THINGS put under him” (vs. 8).
This has not yet happened—but soon will, at the Return of Christ.
When God says that “all things” will be put under the feet of man, this is what He means. The vast universe, with all of its quadrillions of stars and one trillion galaxies, will be put under the authority of men who have been born into the Family of God. In fact, the Moffatt translation renders the Greek word for “all things” as “the universe.”
This is staggering knowledge! Take time to truly grasp it. Savor what can be your future, if you choose to seek and obey God. It is the reason you exist—it explains why you were born! (Read our free book The AWESOME POTENTIAL of Man.)
Take time to read the following verses. They remove all doubt about whether God is going to give ALL POWER to Christ and all of the other of the “many brethren” of whom Christ is firstborn.
“ALL THINGS are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knows the Son, but the Father; neither knows any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him” (Matt. 11:27).
“And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, ALL POWER is given unto Me in heaven and in earth” (Matt. 28:18).
“The Father loves the Son, and has given ALL THINGS into His hand” (John 3:35).
“Jesus knowing that the Father had given ALL THINGS into His hands, and that He was come from God, and went to God” (John 13:3).
“ALL THINGS that the Father has are Mine” (John 16:15).
“For he has put ALL THINGS under his feet. But when He said ALL THINGS are put under him, it is manifest that He [the Father] is excepted, which did put ALL THINGS under Him. And when ALL THINGS shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him [the Father] that put ALL THINGS, that God may be all in all” (I Cor. 15:27-28).
This last verse mentions “ALL THINGS” five separate times. All of these verses together leave absolutely no room for misunderstanding. The final inheritance of God’s future sons will be truly staggering!
The Whole Creation Groans Waiting
Before continuing, consider an important verse about another related aspect of salvation few understand. We have seen that Christians await a truly awesome salvation. But the whole creation also intensely awaits the appearance of many new Sons to be added to God’s Family.
Carefully read the following: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation [all things in the known universe] was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation [everything] has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves [Christians], who have the firstfruits of the Spirit [the FEW now called], groan inwardly as we wait for [birth] as sons” (Rom. 8:19-23, RSV).
All future “children of God” will liberate a creation now in bondage. A decayed and wounded earth, moon and stars will soon be renewed and returned to a state of beauty, harmony and tranquility under the leadership of Christ and God’s other children. This is part of your calling.
Continuing in Hebrews 2, notice that Christ “is not ashamed to call them brethren [the other many sons—US]” (vs. 11). Truly, the begotten Christian has been called to “glory” and to be one of “many sons.” Christ’s suffering and sacrifice allow Him to be the “Captain of their salvation”—and potentially yours.
What an incredible future for those whom Christ “calls…brethren.” Notice again: “For both He that sanctifies [Christ] and they who are sanctified [begotten Christians] are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (vs. 11).
There will be no difference between Christ and His younger brothers and sisters, except that He will have greater authority.
Do you see what is described here? The Christian goal is to be born into the kingdom of God—to become a spirit being ruling with Christ. What could be more wonderful—more glorious—to look forward to?
The cherished traditions and fables of men, about life after death, or about anything else, have absolutely no worth, and this includes the fiction that deceived millions believe of a supposed “born again experience” in this life. The truth of the Bible is the only knowledge of permanent worth. Christians, having come out of a deceived, confused world, are set apart from the world by the truth (John 17:17).
If Christ is “not ashamed to call them (us) brethren,” then we, God’s begotten sons, must not be ashamed to defend the very truth that sanctifies us—and the truth of the gospel (Phil. 1:17). We must “grow up” unto Christ (Eph. 4:13) and hold to the true doctrines of God. We must qualify to stand beside Christ over “all things.” We must understand the truth about being born again!
Christ the Only Begotten Son—How?
A number of Old Testament servants of God had His Spirit before it was given to the New Testament Church. It was only by God’s Spirit that the Old Testament Prophets recorded the Scriptures: “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (II Pet. 1:21).
Also, King David had God’s Spirit. After his adultery with Bathsheba, he poured out his heart in prayer asking God for forgiveness, and that he could continue to have the Holy Spirit within him: “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence; and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free Spirit” (Psa. 51:10-12).
These verses are quite clear. And we could cite numerous others to demonstrate that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will enter the kingdom. God’s Spirit was certainly dwelling in these men, but they were not—and are not—yet born into the kingdom.
Numerous judges and pre-flood preachers, along with many other prophets, were begotten of God exactly as Christians are today. But they have also not yet “entered into” (John 3:5) the kingdom.
This question then arises: If these men were also begotten of the Holy Spirit, how could Christ be called “the only begotten Son of God”? The answer is quite simple. Christ was the only person begotten by the Father in heaven directly in a human womb. No other person has ever been born of a virgin with God as Father. In this sense, Christ was the only begotten Son of God.
Hebrews 11:39-40 proves that the prophets and patriarchs are still awaiting their birth into the kingdom: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”
The patriarchs are awaiting “us” (potentially including you)—to become “perfect,” born again, divine spirit beings in the Family of God.
Those Begotten Strive Not to Sin
The Bible is filled with many accounts of God’s greatest servants battling to overcome sin. In nearly every case, they had to learn difficult and sometimes painful lessons.
When examined collectively, Moses, Noah, David, Samuel, Peter and others fought every kind of problem known to man. Those begotten of God can still sin—and can, as seen, even commit the unpardonable sin, leading to an abortion—a miscarriage—and loss of eternal life. (Read our free booklet Just what is “The Unpardonable Sin”? to understand when and how one may commit this sin.) Suffice to say, Christians can sin. Those born of God cannot.
John says that Christians sometimes sin. The begotten can slip up and temporarily get off track into sin. Here is how he expressed it: “If we [Christians] say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us [Christians]. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is not in us…And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 1:8-2:1).
This passage is most plain. The last verse (2:1) explains that Christ is our advocate—our High Priest (Heb. 4:15)—to whom we may go in time of need for forgiveness.
Paul represents a classic individual example of how one of God’s greatest servants fought to overcome sin. At the end of his life, he was able to say that he had “fought the good fight” and that he had “run his course” knowing that a “crown” awaited him. But this did not happen without much effort to defeat, through war, the human nature that he strove to overcome.
Carefully read Romans 7:14-23. It will educate and encourage you that you are not alone on your path to overcoming Satan, society and self—all of which lead to sin!
Paul said, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal [physical, made of flesh], sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I” (vs. 14-15). He continued, “for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would [do] I do not: but the evil which I would not [do], that I do” (vs. 18-19).
It was as though whatever Paul did or did not want to do, his human nature, his flesh, caused him to do exactly the opposite! Why? God inspired him to record the answer for us: “I find then a law, that, when I would [try to] do good, evil is present with me…But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin” (vs. 21, 23).
Paul went on to add that only through the power of Christ’s mind in him was he able to overcome and obtain final victory to keep God’s law, rather than obeying sin. Only in this way could Paul later say that he had “fought the good fight” and had “run his course” to victory.
Understand that Christianity is an all-out war! But Christians should expect to win, as long as they remain close to God to obtain strength for overcoming.
God looks on the intent of your heart. It is your overall desire and motivation that is important to Him. He wants to know if, after you sin, you are sorry for it and are determined to strive to do better.
Hebrews 4:15 states that Christ “was in all points tempted like as we are.” Christ understands the temptations that beset us even better than we do. He watches to see if we will be sober and vigilant as we root sin out of our lives.
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