Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, “Except a man be born of
water 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”(John 3:5-6).
“When the new birth is come, you are changed. You don't have to do anything to
prove it; your life proves it. As you walk, your love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
meekness, patience, that's what you are. And the whole world sees the reflection of Jesus
Christ in you.” (WILLIAM BRANHAM)
FOR ALL HAVE SINNED
Originally, man was created by God in the likeness of His image
(Gen 1:26-27), a “theophany-man”. That man was a “spirit-man”, perfect in the
sight of God. It was sinless before God, until God created him a
body out of the dust of the earth for his soul to dwell in (Gen 2:7).
Then, that natural body fell by transgression.
Our natural life here is nothing but a perversion. It really
should be the right Life to begin with but it was perverted by the
natural birth – a curse which resulted from Eve’s illicit affair with
the serpent. Man is not supposed to die nor even get sick for he
himself possesses eternal life to begin with, which is the very
Life (zoe) of God.
But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s Word, all men born
of a woman, from then on, were considered “born in sin, shaped in inquity, came to this
world speaking lies”, all sinners in the eyes of God.
That life is
associated with sin and death. “Man [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of
trouble.” (Job 14:1) That’s why, we need to be born again. We need to be reunited with our
original nature - the nature of God.
According to the Scriptures, “ALL have sinned and come short of the
glory of God”. And because we are ALL sinners by virtue of our natural birth -
we are all under the curse of death.
We needed a Saviour, one born by a Virgin birth and not by sexual conception, to
bypass the curse. Jesus is that Kinsman Redeemer, a Perfect One, not born of sexual
union but God’s own pure blood (hemoglobin and egg) transplanted in the womb of a virgin.
Jesus is the Just One who laid down His life as a Perfect Sacrifice (in our place) to satisfy
God’s righteous Law, to justify us, and to redeem us back to God again. Jesus Christ our
Lord and Saviour did that for us. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in
[your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. In the body of His flesh through
death, to present you holy and 'un-blame-able' and 'un-reprove-able' in his sight” (Col. 1:21-
22).
Watch 'NEW LIFE IN CHRIST SERMON SERIES' @ Restored Bible Tabernacle, Lagos.
THREE STAGES OF THE NEW BIRTH
Just like the natural birth, the New Birth undergoes three stages –
water, blood and spirit.
When a woman gives birth to a child, the first thing that comes forth is water, then
blood, then life (spirit). Being born again is a similar process with three stages: (1)
Justification by Water, (2) Sanctification by the Blood, and (3) Baptism of the Holy
Spirit. These three consists the New Birth in a person.
The same process goes even for the earth’s redemption. The earth
was baptized in water in the days of Noah. It was then sanctified when the blood of Jesus
Christ was shed on Calvary’s hill. It will be baptized with Fire during the Battle of Armageddon,
before Christ can finally dwell on it during the Millennium. The Millennium is still a time
element. But when the Battle of Gog and Magog finally comes after the Millennium, God will
totally cleanse this earth with Holy Fire from heaven so that the new heaven and earth, the
New Jerusalem, can come down finally on earth. The new earth is a type of the rapture of
the church, the believers putting on a new glorified body, after they had been baptized with
the Holy Ghost. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, according to Brother Branham, is a type of
the Promised Land for the believer. Even though a man has been baptized with the Holy
Ghost and is in the Promised Land, he still has to fight every inch of ground he is standing
on until he is bodily-changed from mortality to immortality during the rapture. Since there will
still be time and heathens in the Millennium, Millennium is not yet the perfect earth. The New
Jerusalem is the perfect place wherein Christians dwell in an eternal condition.
Just the same way, before God can ever dwell upon a person through the
baptism of the Holy Ghost (man- being a temple of the Holy Ghost) that man needs to
undergo these three stages. Justification, sanctification, and Holy Ghost Baptism. God will
not dwell upon a filthy, unconverted sinner. Man needs to repent of his sins, be forgiven, be
cleansed, be justified, be sanctified, before the Holy Ghost, can ever dwell upon him.
“The new birth is like any other birth. It's a mess. I don't care what kind of a birth
it is, it's a mess. If it's in a pigpen, or if it's in a barnyard, or in a pink decorated hospital room,
it's a mess. So is the new birth a mess. It'll make you do things you didn't think you'd ever do,
but out of that mess comes life. Hallelujah. That's it. Out of a mess comes life. Life comes out
of a mess. Life comes out of death. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abides alone. But as long as it dies and rots, then out of that rotten mess comes forth life.
Until a man or a woman is ready to die to themselves, die out to their creeds, die out to their
own ideas, and out of that rotten mess bring forth a new birth of glories and shouts and praises of God that makes him act different, changes his nature, changes his life, changes
his motives and changes his objectives” (-WMB)
FIRST STAGE - JUSTIFICATION
The first work of God’s grace in the sinners life is Justification.
Romans 3:24 tells us that we are “justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. Therefore, God sovereign-ly and freely justifies the
sinner by calling him/her by the preaching of the Word to acknowledge that they’re sinners,
and to repent and receive Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. Through the blood of His
own Son, God looks beyond our sin, not laying it to our charge, and offers us (free of
charge) salvation and deliverance from the power and influence of Satan and the old sinful
nature of our flesh - this is Justification. He declares us righteous in Jesus Christ, and
through the Gospel He invites us to accept [take possession of] His free gift.
Justification by faith requires believing the Word, “Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (I
Peter 1:22). Then, Repentance and Water Baptism must follow it. Acts 2:30 states:
“Repent, everyone of you and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Repentance is “sorrow for sin”, “a complete turning away from sin”, and such a
“regret over one’s sins so as to decide to change one’s ways’”... “laying aside all filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the en-grafted word, which is
able to save your souls.” (James 1:21-22).
Scripturally, repentance has three main elements: (1)conviction,
(2)contrition and the (3)desire to be changed.
CONVICTION
Conviction is God’s red flag of warning us that we are going in the wrong direction.
Being born in sin, we continue on in sin, doing that which is right in our own eyes without due
regard for what God requires in His Word. Therefore, God, through the preaching of the Word,
brings conviction that we need to change our ways to line up with His Word. 1 John 1:8-10
states, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 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.”
CONTRITION
Contrition is a “sincere sorrow”, a godly sorrow and brokenness for our sins
(2nd Cor. 7:10). The Bible says, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and
saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18). Contrition is a sincere regret over
past sins and an earnest, humble desire to walk in a new path of righteousness, according
to the instructions laid out in God’s Word. Contrition includes ‘humbling’ ourselves to God’s
ways. When we stand at the Cross of Calvary and see what our sins cost God, our hearts
should be broken and contrite - humbled; and we should cry out like the Publican cried, “God,
be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The Bible tells us that when Peter considered
how he had ignored and denied the Lord three times, he went out and wept bitterly because
of his sin (Matthew 26:75).
THE DESIRE TO BE CHANGED
The Desire To Be Changed: This is the third element of “Repentance”. It is the desire
for God to change your thought pattern, change your attitude, change your ways, change
your motives and objectives in life, to conform to His ways and His will for you. In 2nd.
Corinthians 7:10 the Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.”
“A birth means we have been changed from our thinking, changed from our attitudes,
changed by something that took place inside. There's not a religion in the world; there's not
enough water; there's not enough ceremonies or sermons that could change you. It takes the
Blood of God's Son Jesus Christ. You could no more clean yourself by joining church, than a
leopard could lick his spots off of him. The more he licks, the brighter they get. He only shows
them up. By joining churches and trying to do merits of your own, you just show your lack of
hunger on the inside, something that hasn't been filled yet. Quit trying; just receive Him, He
leads you to the Light.”
SECOND STAGE- SANCTIFICATION
The second work of God’s grace in the sinner’s life is Sanctification.
The Bible says, “For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification... that every one
of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;” (1st. Thess.
4:3-4) “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth:”. (2nd Thess. 2:13).
Sanctification is that grace whereby, at the time after repentance, the vessel of the
individual’s life is “cleansed” from all past sins and unbelief and he/she is “set aside for
service”. In the experience of sanctification, the individual feels swept, clean, fresh and garnished.
All the bad habits and vices are being taken away slowly and the individual’s mind is set
towards a life of holiness by the Holy Spirit. The principle of sin [by which we previously lived]
is cast out. It’s an absolutely wonderful experience, creating in us the desire to always live a
holy and sanctified life for the Lord - always doing what the Word [Bible] says.
THIRD STAGE - BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The third work of God’s Grace in the sinners life is the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost. In Acts 1:8 it says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me”.
From these verses we conclude that Jesus Christ alone is the “Baptizer”
with the Holy Ghost; and this Baptism is a Baptism of “Power”. It is a portion of the
life of God coming into the believer to guide them into ALL Truth (John 16:13) and to give
them power over all the power of the enemy and to be witnesses of Him and His Word. We
can find that even though Apostle Peter was called of Jesus Christ and was given the keys
to the kingdom, yet we read in the Bible that Peter still denied Jesus Christ three times before
the cock crowed. That is because Peter did not have the Holy Ghost yet during that time and
he still have to wait for the Day of Pentecost in order to receive the Promise of “fire” baptism
in his soul. So we can conclude from here that a man can be baptized in water and be
sanctified, yet without the Holy Ghost baptism, he can still deny our God and compromise
with His Word. We need the Holy Ghost baptism in order for us to be “more than conquerors”
in Christ Jesus. The Holy Ghost is also that “oil” that makes the wise virgins qualified to go
into the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Those that are without the Holy Ghost will be left
behind in the Tribulation Period, weeping, wailing and gnashing their teeth.
The Holy Spirit is our power over the world (worldliness), the flesh
(self) and the Devil. He enables us to live daily for God - making the Word flesh in
us. It is the “law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which hath made me free from the law
of sin and death”. (Romans 8:2). The Baptism of the Holy Ghost continues the work of
Sanctification, separating us daily, from the world and the things of the world. The Holy Spirit
(in us) creates in us a “hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God”.
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost seals us into the mystical Body of Christ.
The Bible says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews
or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 12:13). In the Baptism of the Holy Ghost the believer thus becomes the
“Temple of the Living God”. 1st Corinthians 6:19 says, “What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own?” The Holy Ghost goes right into the soul, moves the old nature aside and takes control,
governing our lives, not according to the dictates of the old fleshly nature of our natural birth,
but according to the dictates of our new nature. Now, our lives become living epistles of the
Word of God - read and known of all men (II Corinthians 3:2-3).
The Holy Ghost will also make the promises of God in Mark 16;17-18 a reality which
state this, “And these SIGNS shall follow them that believe; In my Name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Every true Christian ought to undergo these three stages of the New
Birth for Jesus Christ Himself said that “except a man be born again, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.” If you have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost you will
LOVE the Lord; believe ALL His Word and with His help, OBEY it, and you will manifest the
“fruits of the Spirit”. Don’t try to have any sensation or anything to take the place of the Holy
Spirit. When the new birth has come, you are changed. You don’t have to do anything to
prove it, your life proves it. As you walk, you are filled with love, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, meekness, patience, that’s what you are. And the whole world will see the
reflection of Jesus Christ in you. (Galatians 5:22-23). Look at the kind of person you were
and then look at what you are now - see if there’s a change - see if you have indeed
received this “LIFE-CHANGING experience” of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost - an experience
that makes you “spiritually minded”, not just “religiously inclined”. Check up on your relationship
with God to see if you put more emphasis on the WORD of God than you do the church you
attend; see if you really believe the WORD more than you do a man-made dogma or creed;
see if you are really LIVING every day for the Glory of God, giving Him the pre-eminence in
ALL that you do.
THE NEW BIRTH MEANS “SABBATH” TO OUR SOUL
The Christian faith is based solidly upon REST.
A born-again Christian is not tossed about. He doesn’t run from place
to place or fuss and fume and worry about things. A Christian rests. It’s all over.
It’s all finished for the believer at Calvary. Sickness, trials and disappointments may come,
but the Christian is at rest knowing this, that God’s able to keep that which He has promised,
knowing that no matter what the thing is, or how it looks, there’s neither sickness, sorrow,
death, starvation or anything that can separate us from the love of God that’s in Jesus
Christ. We are at rest. That’s the New Birth. That’s our Sabbath. “Come unto me, all [ye] that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” that’s Jesus’ promise to us (Matt.
11:28). “Let us (therefore) lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
[us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith” (Heb 12:1-2).
One can only receive the New Birth if their life is expressing the PRESENT
TRUTH which is the Word-Message of the Hour that’s allotted by God for the day
in which we live in. Jesus said that the evidence of the New Birth is when the Holy Spirit
guides you into ALL TRUTH revealed for your DAY and reveals what will come to pass in
your age (John 16:13).
If you haven’t received the Holy Ghost yet, and you want to receive Him
into your life, I encourage you to follow Peter’s instructions in Acts 2:37-38, and do
as those in the House of Cornelius in Acts 10 - Hear the Word, Believe the Word, Receive
the Word into your heart and be baptized in the NAME of Jesus Christ by immersion. Rest
assured that the Holy Spirit will come to your heart if you will believe all the Word and allow
Him to LIVE His Life THROUGH YOU!
BEWARE OF HOLY GHOST BAPTISM IMPERSONATION
In relation to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Bible forewarns us of the coming
of false Christs and false prophets which are to deceive the very elect of God if it were
possible (Matt. 24:24). They will try to impersonate the gifts of the Holy Spirit to sway people
into believing that they are genuinely called. Just as Jannes and Jambres impersonated
Moses by producing snakes in the sight of Pharaoh, these people will also be like Balaam
who will have access to signs and visions yet their folly will be made manifest. These kind
of people will seek after fame, popularity and money, thereby making the Word of God a
commodity. Truly, they are called “false anointed ones” in the last days.
“ When Moses went down into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel with only a
stick in his hand for vindication, with the God of heaven behind him, he performed a miracle.
There come impersonators behind him and doing the same thing he did. See? Now, they
come second after he did it first. Then they come around, because they were copying after
what he did, impersonating the original. We find that. And now, you say, "Well, that was
in the days of Moses." But the same Scripture says that they'll come again in the last days,
"As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will these men of reprobate mind concerning
Truth." See? Impersonations, all kinds of things to upset people...” (William Branham)
THE WHEAT AND THE TARES
In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares of Matthew 13:24-30, we are taught
that both the wheat and the tares received the same RAIN and the same SUNLIGHT to make
them grow. The RAIN and the SUN in the parable symbolize the Holy Spirit. The RAIN falls on
the just and the unjust which means that the Holy Spirit can anoint and make a person do things, but that does not mean that the person is saved.
Think of Caiaphas; he prophesied exactly regarding the death of Jesus Christ.
Judas, who was one of the 12 disciples, went along casting out devils and healing the sick in Jesus’ Name, yet he was the “son of perdition”. (See Our Blog On PREDESTINATION)
The Spirit can anoint these people yet that does not mean that they’re
saved. The weeds can rejoice with the wheat. But it’s what it is at the core (soul). Christians can act like they’re
Christians, and act and be ever so good at it, but that doesn’t mean they’re saved. The Spirit
can be there, the real genuine Spirit, but that still don’t mean they’re saved. Only the souls of
those individuals who are predestined by God before the foundation of the world can truly
receive the genuine Holy Spirit Baptism.
NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH “LORD, LORD”
Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name? and in thy Name have cast out devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:21-23).
These people are anointed yet are false. Remember, the weed receives
the same power that falls on the wheat to make it grow, makes the weed shout,
too. The little old weed stand right up and just as happy as the wheat is and lives by the same
life. And a sinner can stay in the Presence of God, shout the victory, and live like a Christian. But
if there isn’t something different in the heart, He could have the same power to cast out evil
spirit. Jesus said so. He can preach the Gospel just as good as any other preacher can do. The
Bible teaches it. Yes, sir. “Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, though I give my body
to be burned as a sacrifice, though I give an my goods to feed the poor, though I have faith to
move mountains, I do all these things, I preach in His Name, I cast out devils in His Name,” he
said, and still “I am nothing.” So a man could do it, and still be “nothing.”
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water 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”(John 3:5-6).
“When the new birth is come, you are changed. You don't have to do anything to
prove it; your life proves it. As you walk, your love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness,
meekness, patience, that's what you are. And the whole world sees the reflection of Jesus
Christ in you.” (WILLIAM BRANHAM)
FOR ALL HAVE SINNED
Originally, man was created by God in the likeness of His image
(Gen 1:26-27), a “theophany-man”. That man was a “spirit-man”, perfect in the
sight of God. It was sinless before God, until God created him a
body out of the dust of the earth for his soul to dwell in (Gen 2:7).
Then, that natural body fell by transgression.
Our natural life here is nothing but a perversion. It really
should be the right Life to begin with but it was perverted by the
natural birth – a curse which resulted from Eve’s illicit affair with
the serpent. Man is not supposed to die nor even get sick for he
himself possesses eternal life to begin with, which is the very
Life (zoe) of God.
But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s Word, all men born
of a woman, from then on, were considered “born in sin, shaped in inquity, came to this
world speaking lies”, all sinners in the eyes of God.
That life is
associated with sin and death. “Man [that is] born of a woman [is] of few days, and full of
trouble.” (Job 14:1) That’s why, we need to be born again. We need to be reunited with our
original nature - the nature of God.
According to the Scriptures, “ALL have sinned and come short of the
glory of God”. And because we are ALL sinners by virtue of our natural birth -
we are all under the curse of death.
We needed a Saviour, one born by a Virgin birth and not by sexual conception, to
bypass the curse. Jesus is that Kinsman Redeemer, a Perfect One, not born of sexual
union but God’s own pure blood (hemoglobin and egg) transplanted in the womb of a virgin.
Jesus is the Just One who laid down His life as a Perfect Sacrifice (in our place) to satisfy
God’s righteous Law, to justify us, and to redeem us back to God again. Jesus Christ our
Lord and Saviour did that for us. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in
[your] mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled. In the body of His flesh through
death, to present you holy and 'un-blame-able' and 'un-reprove-able' in his sight” (Col. 1:21-
22).
Watch 'NEW LIFE IN CHRIST SERMON SERIES' @ Restored Bible Tabernacle, Lagos.
THREE STAGES OF THE NEW BIRTH
Just like the natural birth, the New Birth undergoes three stages –
water, blood and spirit.
When a woman gives birth to a child, the first thing that comes forth is water, then
blood, then life (spirit). Being born again is a similar process with three stages: (1)
Justification by Water, (2) Sanctification by the Blood, and (3) Baptism of the Holy
Spirit. These three consists the New Birth in a person.
The same process goes even for the earth’s redemption. The earth
was baptized in water in the days of Noah. It was then sanctified when the blood of Jesus
Christ was shed on Calvary’s hill. It will be baptized with Fire during the Battle of Armageddon,
before Christ can finally dwell on it during the Millennium. The Millennium is still a time
element. But when the Battle of Gog and Magog finally comes after the Millennium, God will
totally cleanse this earth with Holy Fire from heaven so that the new heaven and earth, the
New Jerusalem, can come down finally on earth. The new earth is a type of the rapture of
the church, the believers putting on a new glorified body, after they had been baptized with
the Holy Ghost. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, according to Brother Branham, is a type of
the Promised Land for the believer. Even though a man has been baptized with the Holy
Ghost and is in the Promised Land, he still has to fight every inch of ground he is standing
on until he is bodily-changed from mortality to immortality during the rapture. Since there will
still be time and heathens in the Millennium, Millennium is not yet the perfect earth. The New
Jerusalem is the perfect place wherein Christians dwell in an eternal condition.
Just the same way, before God can ever dwell upon a person through the
baptism of the Holy Ghost (man- being a temple of the Holy Ghost) that man needs to
undergo these three stages. Justification, sanctification, and Holy Ghost Baptism. God will
not dwell upon a filthy, unconverted sinner. Man needs to repent of his sins, be forgiven, be
cleansed, be justified, be sanctified, before the Holy Ghost, can ever dwell upon him.
“The new birth is like any other birth. It's a mess. I don't care what kind of a birth
it is, it's a mess. If it's in a pigpen, or if it's in a barnyard, or in a pink decorated hospital room,
it's a mess. So is the new birth a mess. It'll make you do things you didn't think you'd ever do,
but out of that mess comes life. Hallelujah. That's it. Out of a mess comes life. Life comes out
of a mess. Life comes out of death. Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it
abides alone. But as long as it dies and rots, then out of that rotten mess comes forth life.
Until a man or a woman is ready to die to themselves, die out to their creeds, die out to their
own ideas, and out of that rotten mess bring forth a new birth of glories and shouts and praises of God that makes him act different, changes his nature, changes his life, changes
his motives and changes his objectives” (-WMB)
FIRST STAGE - JUSTIFICATION
The first work of God’s grace in the sinners life is Justification.
Romans 3:24 tells us that we are “justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus”. Therefore, God sovereign-ly and freely justifies the
sinner by calling him/her by the preaching of the Word to acknowledge that they’re sinners,
and to repent and receive Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. Through the blood of His
own Son, God looks beyond our sin, not laying it to our charge, and offers us (free of
charge) salvation and deliverance from the power and influence of Satan and the old sinful
nature of our flesh - this is Justification. He declares us righteous in Jesus Christ, and
through the Gospel He invites us to accept [take possession of] His free gift.
Justification by faith requires believing the Word, “Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. “Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth” (I
Peter 1:22). Then, Repentance and Water Baptism must follow it. Acts 2:30 states:
“Repent, everyone of you and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Repentance is “sorrow for sin”, “a complete turning away from sin”, and such a
“regret over one’s sins so as to decide to change one’s ways’”... “laying aside all filthiness
and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the en-grafted word, which is
able to save your souls.” (James 1:21-22).
Scripturally, repentance has three main elements: (1)conviction,
(2)contrition and the (3)desire to be changed.
CONVICTION
Conviction is God’s red flag of warning us that we are going in the wrong direction.
Being born in sin, we continue on in sin, doing that which is right in our own eyes without due
regard for what God requires in His Word. Therefore, God, through the preaching of the Word,
brings conviction that we need to change our ways to line up with His Word. 1 John 1:8-10
states, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 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.”
CONTRITION
Contrition is a “sincere sorrow”, a godly sorrow and brokenness for our sins
(2nd Cor. 7:10). The Bible says, “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and
saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalms 34:18). Contrition is a sincere regret over
past sins and an earnest, humble desire to walk in a new path of righteousness, according
to the instructions laid out in God’s Word. Contrition includes ‘humbling’ ourselves to God’s
ways. When we stand at the Cross of Calvary and see what our sins cost God, our hearts
should be broken and contrite - humbled; and we should cry out like the Publican cried, “God,
be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). The Bible tells us that when Peter considered
how he had ignored and denied the Lord three times, he went out and wept bitterly because
of his sin (Matthew 26:75).
THE DESIRE TO BE CHANGED
The Desire To Be Changed: This is the third element of “Repentance”. It is the desire
for God to change your thought pattern, change your attitude, change your ways, change
your motives and objectives in life, to conform to His ways and His will for you. In 2nd.
Corinthians 7:10 the Bible says, “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation.”
“A birth means we have been changed from our thinking, changed from our attitudes,
changed by something that took place inside. There's not a religion in the world; there's not
enough water; there's not enough ceremonies or sermons that could change you. It takes the
Blood of God's Son Jesus Christ. You could no more clean yourself by joining church, than a
leopard could lick his spots off of him. The more he licks, the brighter they get. He only shows
them up. By joining churches and trying to do merits of your own, you just show your lack of
hunger on the inside, something that hasn't been filled yet. Quit trying; just receive Him, He
leads you to the Light.”
SECOND STAGE- SANCTIFICATION
The second work of God’s grace in the sinner’s life is Sanctification.
The Bible says, “For this is the will of God, [even] your sanctification... that every one
of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;” (1st. Thess.
4:3-4) “God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth:”. (2nd Thess. 2:13).
Sanctification is that grace whereby, at the time after repentance, the vessel of the
individual’s life is “cleansed” from all past sins and unbelief and he/she is “set aside for
service”. In the experience of sanctification, the individual feels swept, clean, fresh and garnished.
All the bad habits and vices are being taken away slowly and the individual’s mind is set
towards a life of holiness by the Holy Spirit. The principle of sin [by which we previously lived]
is cast out. It’s an absolutely wonderful experience, creating in us the desire to always live a
holy and sanctified life for the Lord - always doing what the Word [Bible] says.
THIRD STAGE - BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The third work of God’s Grace in the sinners life is the Baptism of the Holy
Ghost. In Acts 1:8 it says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me”.
From these verses we conclude that Jesus Christ alone is the “Baptizer”
with the Holy Ghost; and this Baptism is a Baptism of “Power”. It is a portion of the
life of God coming into the believer to guide them into ALL Truth (John 16:13) and to give
them power over all the power of the enemy and to be witnesses of Him and His Word. We
can find that even though Apostle Peter was called of Jesus Christ and was given the keys
to the kingdom, yet we read in the Bible that Peter still denied Jesus Christ three times before
the cock crowed. That is because Peter did not have the Holy Ghost yet during that time and
he still have to wait for the Day of Pentecost in order to receive the Promise of “fire” baptism
in his soul. So we can conclude from here that a man can be baptized in water and be
sanctified, yet without the Holy Ghost baptism, he can still deny our God and compromise
with His Word. We need the Holy Ghost baptism in order for us to be “more than conquerors”
in Christ Jesus. The Holy Ghost is also that “oil” that makes the wise virgins qualified to go
into the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Those that are without the Holy Ghost will be left
behind in the Tribulation Period, weeping, wailing and gnashing their teeth.
The Holy Spirit is our power over the world (worldliness), the flesh
(self) and the Devil. He enables us to live daily for God - making the Word flesh in
us. It is the “law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which hath made me free from the law
of sin and death”. (Romans 8:2). The Baptism of the Holy Ghost continues the work of
Sanctification, separating us daily, from the world and the things of the world. The Holy Spirit
(in us) creates in us a “hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God”.
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost seals us into the mystical Body of Christ.
The Bible says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews
or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
(1 Corinthians 12:13). In the Baptism of the Holy Ghost the believer thus becomes the
“Temple of the Living God”. 1st Corinthians 6:19 says, “What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own?” The Holy Ghost goes right into the soul, moves the old nature aside and takes control,
governing our lives, not according to the dictates of the old fleshly nature of our natural birth,
but according to the dictates of our new nature. Now, our lives become living epistles of the
Word of God - read and known of all men (II Corinthians 3:2-3).
The Holy Ghost will also make the promises of God in Mark 16;17-18 a reality which
state this, “And these SIGNS shall follow them that believe; In my Name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Every true Christian ought to undergo these three stages of the New
Birth for Jesus Christ Himself said that “except a man be born again, he cannot
enter into the kingdom of God.” If you have the Baptism of the Holy Ghost you will
LOVE the Lord; believe ALL His Word and with His help, OBEY it, and you will manifest the
“fruits of the Spirit”. Don’t try to have any sensation or anything to take the place of the Holy
Spirit. When the new birth has come, you are changed. You don’t have to do anything to
prove it, your life proves it. As you walk, you are filled with love, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, meekness, patience, that’s what you are. And the whole world will see the
reflection of Jesus Christ in you. (Galatians 5:22-23). Look at the kind of person you were
and then look at what you are now - see if there’s a change - see if you have indeed
received this “LIFE-CHANGING experience” of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost - an experience
that makes you “spiritually minded”, not just “religiously inclined”. Check up on your relationship
with God to see if you put more emphasis on the WORD of God than you do the church you
attend; see if you really believe the WORD more than you do a man-made dogma or creed;
see if you are really LIVING every day for the Glory of God, giving Him the pre-eminence in
ALL that you do.
THE NEW BIRTH MEANS “SABBATH” TO OUR SOUL
The Christian faith is based solidly upon REST.
A born-again Christian is not tossed about. He doesn’t run from place
to place or fuss and fume and worry about things. A Christian rests. It’s all over.
It’s all finished for the believer at Calvary. Sickness, trials and disappointments may come,
but the Christian is at rest knowing this, that God’s able to keep that which He has promised,
knowing that no matter what the thing is, or how it looks, there’s neither sickness, sorrow,
death, starvation or anything that can separate us from the love of God that’s in Jesus
Christ. We are at rest. That’s the New Birth. That’s our Sabbath. “Come unto me, all [ye] that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” that’s Jesus’ promise to us (Matt.
11:28). “Let us (therefore) lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
[us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith” (Heb 12:1-2).
One can only receive the New Birth if their life is expressing the PRESENT
TRUTH which is the Word-Message of the Hour that’s allotted by God for the day
in which we live in. Jesus said that the evidence of the New Birth is when the Holy Spirit
guides you into ALL TRUTH revealed for your DAY and reveals what will come to pass in
your age (John 16:13).
If you haven’t received the Holy Ghost yet, and you want to receive Him
into your life, I encourage you to follow Peter’s instructions in Acts 2:37-38, and do
as those in the House of Cornelius in Acts 10 - Hear the Word, Believe the Word, Receive
the Word into your heart and be baptized in the NAME of Jesus Christ by immersion. Rest
assured that the Holy Spirit will come to your heart if you will believe all the Word and allow
Him to LIVE His Life THROUGH YOU!
BEWARE OF HOLY GHOST BAPTISM IMPERSONATION
In relation to the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Bible forewarns us of the coming
of false Christs and false prophets which are to deceive the very elect of God if it were
possible (Matt. 24:24). They will try to impersonate the gifts of the Holy Spirit to sway people
into believing that they are genuinely called. Just as Jannes and Jambres impersonated
Moses by producing snakes in the sight of Pharaoh, these people will also be like Balaam
who will have access to signs and visions yet their folly will be made manifest. These kind
of people will seek after fame, popularity and money, thereby making the Word of God a
commodity. Truly, they are called “false anointed ones” in the last days.
“ When Moses went down into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel with only a
stick in his hand for vindication, with the God of heaven behind him, he performed a miracle.
There come impersonators behind him and doing the same thing he did. See? Now, they
come second after he did it first. Then they come around, because they were copying after
what he did, impersonating the original. We find that. And now, you say, "Well, that was
in the days of Moses." But the same Scripture says that they'll come again in the last days,
"As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will these men of reprobate mind concerning
Truth." See? Impersonations, all kinds of things to upset people...” (William Branham)
THE WHEAT AND THE TARES
In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares of Matthew 13:24-30, we are taught
that both the wheat and the tares received the same RAIN and the same SUNLIGHT to make
them grow. The RAIN and the SUN in the parable symbolize the Holy Spirit. The RAIN falls on
the just and the unjust which means that the Holy Spirit can anoint and make a person do things, but that does not mean that the person is saved.
Think of Caiaphas; he prophesied exactly regarding the death of Jesus Christ.
Judas, who was one of the 12 disciples, went along casting out devils and healing the sick in Jesus’ Name, yet he was the “son of perdition”. (See Our Blog On PREDESTINATION)
The Spirit can anoint these people yet that does not mean that they’re
saved. The weeds can rejoice with the wheat. But it’s what it is at the core (soul). Christians can act like they’re
Christians, and act and be ever so good at it, but that doesn’t mean they’re saved. The Spirit
can be there, the real genuine Spirit, but that still don’t mean they’re saved. Only the souls of
those individuals who are predestined by God before the foundation of the world can truly
receive the genuine Holy Spirit Baptism.
NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH “LORD, LORD”
Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy Name? and in thy Name have cast out devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt. 7:21-23).
These people are anointed yet are false. Remember, the weed receives
the same power that falls on the wheat to make it grow, makes the weed shout,
too. The little old weed stand right up and just as happy as the wheat is and lives by the same
life. And a sinner can stay in the Presence of God, shout the victory, and live like a Christian. But
if there isn’t something different in the heart, He could have the same power to cast out evil
spirit. Jesus said so. He can preach the Gospel just as good as any other preacher can do. The
Bible teaches it. Yes, sir. “Though I speak with tongue of men and angels, though I give my body
to be burned as a sacrifice, though I give an my goods to feed the poor, though I have faith to
move mountains, I do all these things, I preach in His Name, I cast out devils in His Name,” he
said, and still “I am nothing.” So a man could do it, and still be “nothing.”
Credits: www.endtimemessage.info
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