In great contrast, the tintacks of the gospel is merely 'doing it'. 'Talking it', is only the conveyor of glad tidings; nothing more; nothing less! Not applying it through obedience is straight out deception, an apostle called James once said! The reason eloquent sermons and deeply moving "experiences" mean absolutely nothing at the end of the day. The very reason "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe"!
With many people talking about 'spiritual rebirth' these days, it has become just as trendy to bandy about the latest New Age craze or catch phrase of any happenstance. Nor is it uncommon to hear someone profess to have had some sort of "spiritual" experience, transcending the normal plain of existence into "the mystical". Or penetrating the esoteric boundaries of so-called time and space. In a line ... missed the mark by aeons of light years! Or dolled up the message to make it respectable and acceptable, without changing a life one smidgen!
Therefore, when it comes to mentioning being 'born again' in itz authentic scriptural context, this term (or more accurately - truth) has and will always be exclusive to genuine New Testament Christianity. Now, how un-PC iz that!
In other words ... outside of Christ Jesus (the man from Galilee - God in the flesh, that iz) there is no second chance nor second birth. All other terms and varieties are only blatant misuses or excuses, or "religious experiences" at best, adding a sense of emotional adulation, ecstatic feelings, or wishful thinking. While not altering or fixing mans alienation from his Maker, one iota. Nor his doomed eternal state, for that matter! Why bandaid your problem? Why not just repent and get the real thing!?
Wanna be reconciled to God? Well, it can only be done by being first reconciled to Christ! Therez simply no other way or nowhere else to go! Thatz the crucified and resurrected Christ! Not the New Age dude ushering in the fantasy age of apparent bliss and human utopia; minus the God of all creation! Wanna be right with God? Then make your peace with him right now through his Son!:
"Lord, please forgive me for rejecting you and dishonouring you, while trying to make the world a better place, my way and without you! In Jesus name. Amen!"
Oh, how simple is this? Or, in contrast, how deceitful is sin (as the Bible says)!! Right to the point of providing fuzzy alternatives, or tearful manifestations and buzz substitutes for the truth! As the word says ... "if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink (and be merry); for to morrow we die!"
Being born again (biblically) is nothing to do with "turning over a new leaf" by the way! Nor is it anything to do with making a "new (year) resolution". Nor is it anything to do with being "reformed". Nor "reinventing" or "redefining" yourself, for that matter! However, it iz everything to do with having your slate wiped clean by God, as well as a brand new life, by the act (not experience) of being dead to your old life and alive unto God. Anything else is just another religious experience! Or a recycled message! Or a cheap substitute for reality! Or a futile shortcut in trying to make it to heaven while escaping the lake of flames to come!
Oh, how we do anything to side-step the reality of the situation or invent an alternative to God's cross! Any experience but the real one! However, there is no shortcut; nor diversion of convenience; nor eazy way out around God's statue and principle ... "knowing tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope"!
It maybe clever in mans eyes to formulate a slick and sophisticated message that avoids the inevitable, but itz end is the way of death. Herez'za story once told to me by a mate (now in me own words) providing and proving a major point, I must say:
There
once was a retired "old hat" (I mean ... "church pillar") who used to from time to time, get
the occasional visitor calling in on
her and her very supportive hubby. When people
would drop in to say "hi" (hubby was quite well liked in the community
you know) they would have no choice but in listening to
her "dynamic" story, feeding from "the experience" she once shouldered
those many many years ago, and would take pleasure in reading to them."Have you not heard "my experience" before?" she would ask in her quite pushy manner.
"No," they would answer quite illusively! "However, we have heard so much from others that it would be best to come from you."
"Okay then", as she would respond very enthusiastically, while motioning her very frail and compliant, and duty bound hubby her request, "Could you pleaze go up to the attic me dear and get "my experience"?"
As the weeks and months and years progressed, others would call in at various times, on an impromptu quest, as they in turn would have to listen to "her experience".
"Dear, dear!" she would call, turning to her docile and rather subdued hubby again and again, "Our visitors would very much love to hear "my experience". Please go and fetch it for me, me deary!"
"Yes dearr!" he would answer, "Whatever you say", as he would turn and slothfully wander up the stairs yet once again to collect "her experience" from the attic, after which she would repeatedly, again and again, gladly read to whoever were present.
Then a day came when someone called in for a cuppa, as in the manner of many before. Once again, the keen and rather impetuous wife called on her 'more than willing' hubby to go and fetch "her experience" from the attic. Moreover, once again, "Yeeess dearr", was the reply as her hubby went about the task of retrieving "her experience".
However, on this particular occasion there was a different response from her hubby as he entered the lounge empty handed and sounding rather despondent:
"Dearr!! Dearr!" he exclaimed in a surprised and cautious manner, "The rats have eaten "y
ur ex-per-i-ence"!"Lesson ... better not to look for "an experience" coz it will take you away, anyway (oh, how folk luv to be entertained by mind gripping stories and thrilling testimonies, or bored by platitude and repetition). Better to seek God and his kingdom first, then "the experience" (if there ever happens to be one) will come naturally.
"why"
"intro"
"gideon"
"footwashing"
"the fishermen"
"the experience"
"servant or clone"
"the gospel for dummies"
"establishing who the gospel is for"
"Jesus is coming - don't get bogged down"
"Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?"
"beyond a popcorn testimony - "why we quit"
"beware of more diversions and obstacles"
"the evangelical subculture"
"discerning the body"
"a good keen soldier"
"the amateur scribe"
"peruse guestbook"
"sign guestbook"
"membership"
"email"
"links"
"home"