davidbowerkingwood

Separating Fact from Fiction

There seems to be a great deal of confusion about what it really means to be a Christian. In the minds of some, being born in a “Christian” nation, or “Christian” family is all it takes. In the minds of some others, simply attending, on occasion or regularly, a Christian church will make you a Christian which is more nonsense!

The truth of the matter is vastly more esoteric then either of those two lines of speculation would suggest. Any individual who receives Jesus Christ as their personal Savior undergoes a profound transformation that changes them forever. This transformation is not of human origin nor can it be achieved by human effort; this transformation is a work of God, the Holy Spirit and results in changes that are eternal.

A New Creation!

The results of this transformation are not visible to our mortal senses, they impact the spiritual, eternal living essence of who we are, not the mortal body we temporarily occupy as our tent! Christians have experienced a transformation by the Holy Spirit into a new creation! In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it is written:

“¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

At the most important, fundamental level of life, there has been a dramatic reconstruction of who we are; we have been born-again into a new family, the family of God where we will remain eternally! As a guarantee of our new position, we have been given the Holy Spirit to join with us in a perfect union now and forever!

Two Types of Human Beings

There are now two distinct types of human beings living on the earth, members of the family of God and members of the family of Adam. Although everyone starts in the family of Adam, those, who by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, are born-again into the family of God, are given new spiritual life, and given the gift of the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of their new position in the family of God!

The appearance of our tents, our race or nationality is irrelevant and inconsequential, the only distinction that matters is the question of the new birth by faith in Jesus Christ as Savior!

The Doors to the Family of God are Wide Open!

When Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, he mentioned one Old Testament event in John 3:14 where it is written:

“¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,”

You may recall the incident in Numbers 21:5-9 where we read:

“⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” ⁶ So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

⁷ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.”

Logically, how could simply looking at a bronze serpent on a pole heal anyone? It’s certainly not a scientific solution to the problem but it worked.

How is it that simple faith in Jesus Christ as Savior can heal the sin problem that affects all people, it’s not logical or scientific but it works!

Jesus went on to tell Nicodemus in John 3:15-17:

“¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

An interesting point occurs to me by way of application; nothing is mentioned about separating Israel from the fiery serpents; the focus was on neutralizing their poison.

Today, when a person is born-again and becomes a child of God; the child remains on this spiritual battlefield called earth, but the Satanic poison has been neutralized by the new birth.

If you are a child of God, I encourage you to look to the cross and let your faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ be your strength and protection. If you remain a child of Adam, I urge you, I encourage you to take that step of faith and look to the cross and live!

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be Saved!