Good Morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago, I built a small cabin out in the woods. I wanted to obey God’s command to come out and be separate from the world, and He provided us with an inexpensive piece of property to live on. Ever since I made this decision, there have been numerous blessings that have come to pass in my life, one of which is the birth of my children. They were all born on our bed at home next to the wood stove. When the time was ready, I delivered each of them into this world, and watched them as they took their very first breath. What an incredible thing to be able to witness in my life. But the most amazing thing of all, is that I delivered them twice. Once from the womb of their mother, and the second time when I baptized each of them. As I saw them take their very first breath when they were born into this world, I saw them take their very first breath as they rose up from the waters of baptism.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
There is an Earthly birth, and there is a Spiritual birth. When you are born into this world, you are born through the flesh, but to enter into eternal life, you will need to be born of the Spirit. This process of rebirth begins when you step underneath the water, and are baptized into the name of Jesus Christ. Just as you took your first breath coming out of the womb, you must take your first breath as a newborn child of God.
John 3 ¹ There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 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. ³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 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? 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. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
When we are born into this world, our bodies begin a physical process of aging. Obviously you don’t realize it right away, but later on in life, you begin to recognize the frailty of the human body. It is incapable of living forever, as people eventually pass away. The physical death of one’s body is caused by sin.
Romans 5 ¹² Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: ¹³ (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 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.
1 Corinthians 15 ²¹ For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. ²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Our Earthly bodies are corruptible, which means that they are incapable of inheriting an incorruptible kingdom, but those who are born again of the Spirit will someday be able to inherit a new celestial body, one that will never die or grow old.
1 Corinthians 15 ⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸ As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. ⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Baptism is only the first step in our walk with God. When a child is born into this world, they need to go through a process of physical growth. They are constantly learning, and being educated by watching those around them. They gain knowledge by reading textbooks in school so that they can eventually grow up into adulthood. But when we are baptized into our faith, we become a newborn Spiritual child. This time, we are educated by the incorruptible Word of God, so that we can eventually grow into God’s Saints. It is a daily process of being born again unto Spiritual maturity.
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” 1 Peter 1:23
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” 1 Peter 2:2
Our Spiritual life is sustained by partaking of Spiritual food.
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63
Although we take our first breath when we are baptized, we need to move on unto perfection. True discipleship is manifested by walking according to His Word, and maturing in the grace of God.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,” Hebrews 6:1
John 8 ³¹ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; ³² And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
2 Peter 3 ¹⁷ Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. ¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
In order to enter into the everlasting kingdom of God, we must be born again. Life in the flesh is very brief, but Life in the Spirit is eternal. When we were born, each of us took our very first gasps of air, but in order to enter Paradise, you will need to do it again. This time, you will need to go through a Spiritual rebirth. The path to everlasting life starts, when you rise up from the waters of baptism as a brand new child of God. The Spiritual life begins right there, as you take in your very….
…..First Breath
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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