Our natural birth has behind it natural bloodlines that flow with a sin nature that plagues mankind. It is an inescapable truth that sin is woven so deeply into the natural DNA of each one of us. Nobody needs to teach us how to sin against God, for it comes naturally.
You can either die to your sin nature or live in it. There is no in between. Dead men don’t sin. “For he who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:7 NKJV).
Our spiritual birth has behind it a spiritual bloodline that flows out of heaven and through the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual DNA is the unblemished purity brought to us by the Holy Spirit and remains pure and holy in every aspect.
Salvation comes just as you are, and then sanctification will begin to change you. “He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4-6 NLT).
Our natural birth begins a natural, temporary life that will someday come to an end. Our spiritual birth begins a supernatural, eternal life that will never cease to exist. We don’t consider deeply enough the great and miraculous moment of our spiritual birth.
When you are born again in the Spirit of God, God’s nature is born in you. Jesus taught, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh [the physical is merely physical], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:5-6 AMP).
Just because you call yourself a Christian does not mean you have had a spiritual birth. A spiritual birth will produce a spiritual life that will be different than the life you had before. If you cannot see a change, then perhaps there was no change.
Your new life begins where your old life ends. “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT).
As with your natural birth, there is nothing you can do to cause your spiritual birth to happen. The only way it can happen is to be adopted into God’s family by confessing that God’s Son, Jesus Christ, is Lord. There is no other way.
When it comes to your salvation, it’s not enough to just say Jesus is Lord; you have to believe it. “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NKJV).
To grow spiritually, you must first be born spiritually. Then you must start to surrender naturally so that the spiritual can reign in you. You must give up the rights to your natural self in order for the Holy Spirit to reign in you.
Spiritual growth never occurs by the power of man. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13 NKJV).
You’ll never be spiritually mature unless there is spiritual growth. It takes time to become spiritually mature, and the amount of time depends on the amount of natural resistance you have against the spiritual power working in you.
The Lord has to test your faith to build your faith, for there is no other way. “Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]” (James 1:3 AMP).
Anyone can be a spiritual giant except that person who holds tightly to their rights over their natural selves. The only limit to where God can take you is the limit that you let Him. With spiritual setbacks, it can always be said that you did it to yourself.
Don’t be the limit of you, let the Holy Spirit help you. Jesus promised, “Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you” (John 14:16 CEV).
One of the greatest lessons you can teach others around you is in allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you how you should live. The message of your spiritual life will surpass any message you could ever speak and continue to echo into eternity.
The life you live is the message you preach. “…Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity” (1 Timothy 4:12 NLT).
Those who are the strongest spiritually are the weakest naturally, and simply let the Holy Spirit be their strength. You can be that person that you never thought you could be before. The only thing stopping you is either your pride or your selfishness.
Only the Spirit of God can make you into who you were meant to be. “May the God who gives peace make you holy in every way” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 GW).
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you overcome any obstacle that is preventing you from becoming the spiritual man or woman of God you were meant to be. If you would pray that, and mean it, you’re in the will of God, and He will most certainly help you.
Ask God to help you do those things He knew you could never do on your own. “And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My Laws and be careful to do what I tell you” (Ezekiel 36:27 NLV).
Your spiritual journey will be the greatest adventure you have ever been on. God can reveal to you mysteries and revelations beyond your wildest dreams. The Holy Spirit can teach you truths you could never have understood in your old natural intellectualism.
God’s mysteries can only be understood through divine revelations. “Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3 GW).
When it comes to spiritual matters, they are of eternal importance. Put aside the trivial natural tasks that busy up your life and keep you dancing by the puppet strings of the devil, and press into the spiritual life you are meant to walk in.
Don’t try to be better in only one area of your life, but in all areas of your life. “…We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord…you will grow as you learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT).
Blessings to you always,
Paul Balius
Thank you, Paul. Very well expressed and encouraging message on the vital need to be be born again and grow by the Holy Spirit.
Thank you! We are all so blessed that God sent the Holy Spirit to help us all!
his writing although incredibly indepth spiritually is both incisively intelligent and ardently astute actionably. Praise the Thee Personed God for Paul’s availability, calling, anointing!
You’re such a blessing to me with all your encouraging words. Thank you!
Once again brother Paul, I could find worthy cause to comment on every paragraph, however being more selective has its merits and benefits for all concerned. The following paragraph is tragically fully accurate. “Just because you call yourself a Christian does not mean you have had a spiritual birth. A spiritual birth will produce a spiritual life that will be different than the life you had before. If you cannot see a change, then perhaps there was no change”
I have known and continue to meet and know so many that believe they are born again. Yet Jesus said you will know them by their fruit, Matthew 7: 17-20. Just as in Jesus time the religious are the blindest of all. As written in this article there are immediate challenges to the person receiving genuine spiritual birth. Your new life begins where your old life ends. “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:22-24 NLT).”
The Holy Spirit will always empower correct decisions, throwing off our old sinful nature is not a one-time event, when the Spirit of God within has full permission to direct our thoughts and thereby actions (through our surrender) then the door to great and mighty things will be the result. Jeremiah 33:3 NASB Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Sorry on such a late reply. Thank you so much for your kind words to me! I agree with you completely that we have too many “so called” Christians which have so little fruit that how can we know them as Christians? It’s not that we need to do anything great, but we need to be doing things that one would do if they had truly been born again in the spirit.
No apology required. None of us know what is going on in anothers life that demands time and attention. My father taught me from childhood that when you place a phone call to ask is this a good time to talk, because you have no idea what is going on at the other end of that phone line.
That was some great teaching by your father! I’ve been extra busy of late, added another weekend each month to preach on Skid Row, and started picking my dad up every Saturday since April to get him out and about. My mom passed away in April, and they had been together 80 years, he is 95 now, so he sure enjoys the company when I get him out. We sure have a great time on our Saturday outings. I always bring at least one of my big Bernese Mountain Dogs with us on our outings! A few times I took him into a dog park and many of the dogs came and greeted him!