Born again

[Wayne222]

   Christ said you must be born again. That which is born of the spirit is spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. 

           No one can live in the spirit until they are born of the spirit.

             You can only live by the flesh of you have not been born again. So you can only sin. King David had Gods spirit and was born again. 

           The prophets were all born again. So was Moses. We need the regeneration of the holy spirit to live in newness of spirit. 

            That is part of being saved. You cannot just stop sinning and make yourself right before God until your born again. 

         It takes the conviction of the spirit of God to wake you up of being a sinner. Then one can go and pray for forgiveness and call on the name of the lord. Then one becomes born again and can kill sin and out on the new man. 

      That's how it is.

[OneLight]

Those of the OT had His Spirit upon them.  They were not born again as Christ had not yet come, nor did He return to the Father so the Holy Spirit could come and reside in us.

[Wayne222]

4 hours ago, OneLight said:

Those of the OT had His Spirit upon them.  They were not born again as Christ had not yet come, nor did He return to the Father so the Holy Spirit could come and reside in us.

Then how are they in the first resurrection  ?

[wingnut-]

4 hours ago, OneLight said:

Those of the OT had His Spirit upon them.  They were not born again as Christ had not yet come, nor did He return to the Father so the Holy Spirit could come and reside in us.

 

I am not sure about this, there is a distinction found even in the Old Testament?

 

Genesis 6:3  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

 

Exodus 31  The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,

 

Numbers 14:24  But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

 

Numbers 27:18  So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him."

 

Psalm 51:11  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

[OneLight]

1 hour ago, Wayne222 said:

Then how are they in the first resurrection  ?

What was the purpose of Jesus going to the heart of the earth if it were not to set the captive free? 

[OneLight]

1 hour ago, wingnut- said:

I am not sure about this, there is a distinction found even in the Old Testament?

Genesis 6:3  Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.”

Exodus 31  The Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,

Numbers 14:24  But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

Numbers 27:18  So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him."

Psalm 51:11  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

If God's Spirit always resided in His people of old, then why bother with the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to us?  Think about it ...

[Wayne222]

1 minute ago, OneLight said:

If God's Spirit always resided in His people of old, then why bother with the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to us?  Think about it ...

I think it was only a few like David and Moses all the prophets. But most Israelites did not receive the spirit.

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

7 hours ago, Wayne222 said:

You cannot just stop sinning and make yourself right before God until your born again.

Because it is impossible. No one can be born again without repenting and receiving forgiveness through Christ.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
    who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13

 

And no one can overcome the flesh and the world without being born again. People are not born again by "accident".

"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
    Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." - Romans 8:9

 

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." - Romans 8:14

[wingnut-]

5 minutes ago, OneLight said:

If God's Spirit always resided in His people of old, then why bother with the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to us?  Think about it ...

 

I think the difference is that God poured His Spirit out after Pentecost.  In the Old Testament times God was more selective in regards to who was filled with the Holy Spirit, and whom the Spirit came upon.  That is what the examples I posted indicate to me, that there was a difference before.

In regards to the question you asked Wayne about the captives, they were captive until Jesus was risen.  He could not lead them out of captivity until after He was resurrected.

[4LdKHVCzRDj2]

8 minutes ago, OneLight said:

If God's Spirit always resided in His people of old, then why bother with the Holy Spirit Jesus sent to us?

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
    But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive;
for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." - John 7:38-39

 

"This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" - Galatians 3:2

 

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
    that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
        not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;" - 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5

"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." - Matthew 7:21

 

Glory to God! Amen.