I believe according to the word of God, we’re living in the last days. Things are so bad it reminds me of the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah under the old testament. Lets begin with Genesis 18:20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; The wickedness was so great God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God had been talking to Abraham and Abraham askedGod if he might find fifty righteous people in Sodom would he not destroy it. God said he would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were fifty righteous people that might be found in Sodom. Not fifty could be found, not forty five, not forty, not thirty, not twenty, he could not find even ten righteous people in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah except a man named Lot and his family. God told Lot and his family to leave Sodom and not look back toward Sodom while they were leaving, but Lots wife looked back, guess what, she became a pillar of salt. Why did Lots wife look back, because her heart was still in Sodom and Gomorrah. Did not God clearly tell them not to look back? God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah by brimstone and fire because of their wickedness. I believe this world we’re living in today is getting as wicked or even worse than Sodom and Gomorrah and if you can't see that taking place today you're being deceived, I'll give a couple examples 1st Timothy 4:1Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
That is happening today. 2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their earsfrom the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.I don’t think God is going to allow this wickedness thats taking place today to continue much longer. Whats causing all the wickedness in this world today? I can answer that question in just one little three letter word, “SIN” You don’t have to search for sin, it's every where, sin is like the wind, you can't see the wind, but you sure can see the results of it, you can’t see sin either, but look what it's doing to the whole world. If you don’t believe it, read the evening newspaper or listen to the evening news on television, nothing but bad news. Sin is destroying this world and most people don’t seem to be concerned whats happening, why, because they love the pleasures of sin more than the righteousness of almighty God.
Where did sin begin and where did it happen? Lets begin with the first book in the bible, the book of Genesis 2:7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; andman became a living soul. Notice if you will, God breathed {his life} into the nostrils of Adam. Since God breathed his life into Adam, would he not have been created perfect and without sin? Without sin because there was no sin in the world at that time.
Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
I would say that was the most beautiful garden ever planted. There were two particular trees in this garden, one was the {tree of life}and the other {the tree of the knowledge of good and evil} God told Adam inGenesis 2:17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:{ for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die}God decided Adam needed a help meet. Genesis 2:18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help mate for him. By the goodness of God he created a woman and called her name Eve, and God even brought her to Adam. What a wonderful God he is.
The bible says there was a serpent in this garden, how it got there is unknown. I believe Satan was involved in some way. The bible does say in the book of Revelations Revelation 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, The bible also says in the book of Isaiah, God cast Satan out of heaven because he tried to exalt himself above the throne of God. Maybe he landed in the Garden of Eden, a possibilty.
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he {the serpent} said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Genesis 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Genesis 3:4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Jesus said Satan is a liar and the father of liars, I believe this is the first lie mentioned in the bible.
Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat,and gavealso unto her husband with her and he did eat. Adam was with Eve when they both ate of the forbidden fruit. When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, this became the downfall of man, and the whole world was plunged into sin. Adam was not forced to eat of the forbidden fruit, he did it with his eyes wide open. Adam could not withstand the temptation to eat of the fruit, and he ate of it and sinned against God. Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. Were they both not naked before they ate of the fruit andthe day before and thought nothing of it? Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden because they were naked. Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou, God knew exactly where they were, there’s no place under heaven we can hide from God.
Adam had a perfect relationship with God before he sinned, but he lost everything by his disobedience when he ate of the forbidden fruit, he now has a sinful nature. The very moment Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he died a Spiritual death and he also died a physical death, he did not die the physical death the moment he ate of the fruit,he lived to be 930 years old, but he did die as God said he would. By there disobedience they were both cast out of the garden.
Genesis 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he wastaken. Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. If Adam had not sinned against God when he ate of the forbidden fruit, I see no reason why we could not be living in the Garden of Eden today. I’ve only scratched the surface of all that took place when God created man, the heaven and earth. If you want to find out all the details how sin originated and where it happened, read the first three chapters of the book of Genesis.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man “Adam”sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed where there is no law. From Adam to the law of Moses, sin and death was in the world, but man was not held accountable for sin because the law of Moses had not yet come. Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.Romans 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. {or sin}
When man is born today by the natural birth from the womb of his mother, he was born with a sinful nature. We were of Adam when he sinned against God and we inherited his sinful nature, and we cannot have a sinful nature and have that relationship Adam had with God before he sinned in the garden. Adam had a perfect and a sinless relationship with God before he sinned, he now has a sinful nature, As I mentioned before, our first birth, we were born with a sinful nature, now we must be born again, the second time, a Spiritual birth from God. In the book ofJohn in the new testament Jesus was talking to a man whose name was Nicodemus. John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: Nicodemus held a high position as a ruler in the Jewish synagogue. John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Notice Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. why did he come by night? Nicodemus knew if he was seen talking to this man called Jesus, he probably would be cast out of the synagogue. Notice also Nicodemus said, (we) know thou art a teacher come from God, and the rest of the religous leaders and Pharisees also knew this man was from God because of the miracles he did. John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, (Nicodemus){{Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God}} Not only you will not see it, you also cannot enter into it. When Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be born again, Nicodemus probably had a puzzled look on his face and thought to himself, saying, what in the world is this man trying to tell me when he says, we must be born again? Nicodemus had never heard anything about being born again and this was all new to him and I believe he wanted to hear more about it. John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus concerning the Spiritual birth and Nicodemus was thinking about the earthly natural birth. John 3:5 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. The water is the word of God, and the Spirit is from God. Ephesians 5:26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit,
Now I have a very important question, why must we be born again? The bible says in Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. We cannot have fellowship with God and posses a sinful nature. Jesus also said in
John 3:7 Marvel not that I said untothee, Ye must be born again. We cannot have sin in our lives and be a son or daughter of God, so we must be born again, the second birth, a Spiritual birth, but this did not happen instantly the way it’s being taught today in the religious world. (Being born again is a process) and it does not happen instantly. I won’t get into all the details concerning instant salvation at this time, I hope to at a later date.
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, thatour old man {the sinful nature} is crucified with him, that the body of sin mightbe destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
This next scripture most confessing Christians do not fully understand what Paul is saying. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Paul said he was crucified with Christ, not physically but Spiritually, and Paul said, I no longer live, {the sinful life of Paul has been crucified} and now it’s the life of Christ living his life in Paul. Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, andyour life is hid with Christ in God. What was our life, our life was a sinful life which is now hidden with Christ in God, and it's no longer you or I living but the life of Christ living his life in us. Colossians 3:4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Luke 9:23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Jesus said, except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
The next question is, how does the new birth or being born again take place, and where does it begin? Luke 24:47 And thatrepentance andremission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.{the day of Pentecost} What happened in the city of Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost? This is when the Spirit of God descended down from heaven upon the 120 that were gathered together in the upper room. Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. The desciples ofChrist were also there on the day of Pentecost, and Peter had something to say to all the people that were gathered here.Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: Acts 2:36 Therefore let all thehouse of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? Why were they pricked in their heart and wanted to know what they should do? I believe some of these people Peter was talking to may have been among the ones that said, crucify him, crucify him, let his blood be upon us and our children. If they had known this man was {the Lord of glory} the Son of God, they would not have crucified him, but it had been written by the prophets under the old testament, he would suffer death for the sins of the whole world.
Now I want to go to a scripture that seems so controversial among the religious world today. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, {Repent}and {be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christfor the remission of sins} and ye {shall} receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Only God knows if you truly repented from your heart, if not you will get nowhere with God.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as manyas the Lord our God shall call. I believed what Peter said here applies to everybody.
Acts 15:8 And God, {which knoweth the hearts}, bare them witness, giving them {the gentiles} the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, {purifying their hearts by faith} After you are baptized in the name of the Lord JesusChrist, according to the word of God, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, andif you have truly been converted to Christ, the Spirit of Christ is in you, but you are not in Christ at this time.
Romans 8:9But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. After we are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, we are now converted to Christ, {not saved} and God has forgiven us of all committed sins and our heart only has been purified. What comes forth from the heart before it’s purified? Jeremiah 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Only God knows the heart of man. What comes from the heart of man before it’s purified? Matthew 15:10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, {Hear, and understand} Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart;and they defile theman.Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: There is much more evil which proceeds from the heart that we will not get into at this time. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly,{not the wordh-o-l-y} and I pray God your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The heart was purified when we were converted to Christ, {not saved} when we were baptized in his name, but there’s a problem which the religious world seems not to agree with. When we were converted to Christ (not saved) our heart only was purified and cleansed, but the problem is,thereis still sin remaining in the spirit and flesh that hastobe dealt with. AsI mentioned before, we consist of a spirit, soul,andbody. The soul of man is his heart, our flesh is the body, and the spirit of man is his mind as we see in Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;How can we deal with the sin in the spirit and body? Our soul, the heart was cleansed at conversion, but that did not touch the sin that still remains in our spirit and body that has to be dealt with. If the flesh and spirit was cleansed after we were converted to Christ, why do confessing Christians continue to sin?
This next scripture is something {we} must do. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearlybeloved, {let us}cleanse ourselvesfrom all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,perfecting holiness in the fear of God. As I mentioned before, when we were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins were forgiven, not taken away, only forgiven, and our heart was purified, and now we are onverted to Christ, not saved at this time because of the sin that yet dwells in our flesh and spirit which has to be cleansed. There is only one way we can cleanse ourselves from the filth of the spirit and flesh. We must {walk in the truth of the word of God} and it will have a cleansing effect on you if you will allow it.{Walking}in the truth of the word of God is a process of time, it does not happen instantly or overnight, there is time involved as I mentioned before. 1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness,{or insin} we lie, and do not the truth: 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, {or in truth} we have fellowship one with another, andthe blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we walk in the truth of the word of God, it will have a cleansing effect, and will cleanse you from all committed sins of the flesh and spirit, which was not cleansed after we were converted to Christ, only the heart was purified and cleansed.
Romans 8:1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Romans 8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.Romans 8:13 but if ye through the Spirit do mortify thedeeds of the body, ye shall live. Romans 8:8So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. I say again, the only way we can cleanse the spirit and flesh is to walk in the truth of the word of God and it will have a cleansing effect on you. Some might ask, how long does it take for all this happen? Very good question. If you obey and walk in the truth of the word of God, you will know. This scripture should also answer your question. The apostle Paul said in
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, thathe which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, {and sin not} for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: {old things are passedaway behold, all things are become new}
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN!!!!
There is much more I could say about sin and being born again. I hope to continue this teaching at a later date.
Dean Holida