If You Are Born Again, Then Power To Not Sin Is In You

You must be born again. —John 3:7 

“This new life exhibits itself in our conscious repentance and through our unconscious holiness. “But as many as received Him…” (John 1:12). … My spiritual history must have as its underlying foundation a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. To be born again means that I see Jesus…. Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? … To be born of God means that I have His supernatural power to stop sinning. ….. 1 John 3:9 does not mean that we cannot sin— it simply means that if we will obey the life of God in us, that we do not have to sin.” OSWALD CHAMBERS

When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus, they were talking at cross-purposes. Cross-purposes means “people do not understand each other because they are working towards or talking about different things without realizing it.  Jesus was speaking spiritual truth.  Nicodemus was thinking in the natural.  Unless you are born again, it is impossible to understand the spiritual.  You need the Spirit of God in you.  But, even then, very often, after we are born again and we have been sealed by the Spirit of God, we continue to think in the natural.  Why is that? (rhetorical question)  Because we fail to practice the disciplines of the faith.  Our minds are not set on Christ.  

(Hebrews 3:1) “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest.”  We had a pastor in Savannah, GA say “When you read “therefore” you need to see what is there – for.” (Hebrews 2:10-18) “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.” And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.” Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. …. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” 

You don’t have to face temptation on your own.  You don’t “have” to sin.  It’s a choice.  God has made a way to overcome the power of your old nature. (1 Corinthians 10:13)  What are you struggling with today?  Fear? Doubt? Some temptation that always leads you down the path to sin and shame?  Stop relying on yourself and instead look to Jesus.  Some may say, “I tried that and it didn’t work”, I would suggest that you were still relying on yourself and your own determination.  You can guess why I know that!  (Philippians 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Believe it. 

On second thought

When I read the verse reference John 1:12, I was reminded about seed planting.  When you share the Truth – the Gospel with people, you plant a seed.  You never know what will happen to that seed. (see the Parable of the seed in Matthew 13:1-24) In 1951 my step dad was in the Marine Corps in Korea.  A Navy Chaplain gave him a Bible and wrote the inscription you see in the picture.  It was not until 1969 did that seed sprout and bear fruit.  Don’t dispel the urge to speak into someone’s life.  Do that knowing that you can’t save anyone.  Your purpose is to point people to the One who can. That is not to say that you may not be given the privilege to see someone come to salvation, but that won’t happen most of the time. You should not let the fact that the seed must geminate before it bears fruit deter you from your purpose.  CHARLEY