THE BORN AGAIN MYSTERY 

     JESUS CHRIST says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." This teaching of Jesus Christ, that "YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN," is still an unsolved mystery, a revelation of Jesus Christ still not understood among the Churches of God, who confess to be disciples of Jesus Christ, I John 3: 5-7. There are Churches of God who teach that none of its members have come to spiritual birth--been reborn again of the spirit, that this rebirth comes later. They believe that their present state  of conversion is only  a limited state of growing in the Spirit,  by being begotten of God's Spirit, but can never  to be born of the Spirit in this life of their flesh. They teach this because of their erroneous understanding of Rom. 7, where they believe Paul is teaching that all Christians including himself, still have a heart of the flesh, are still living by the flesh, and are still sinners, and for this reason, are not born again of the Spirit now. All of this was meant to be said, and taught by them, in light of confessing to have a truthful and correct understanding of Christ's teaching of BEING BORN AGAIN.

       This  is actually a confession of their state of being, that they have not overcome and crucified the deeds of the flesh, and with their present, perverted understanding, cannot develop full spiritual maturity. They are without the goal and purpose of Christ's teaching, of being fully developed spiritually, to be born again now. They will be rejected at Christ's return unless they are humble enough to change now.  The only thing this teaching of Christ means to them is, that they believe they will be born again of the spirit, at the resurrection. This teaching of Christ to them does not mean spiritual conversion, or a converting of the heart to spirit now, but only a change from their body of the flesh, to a body of spirit later, at the resurrection. This in reality, takes away the motivation, conviction  and power of God's Spirit to overcome sin. All of this teaching of error is the deception of Satan and His ministers, and perverting the truth  concerning Being Born Again.

        There is another very large group of world encompassing, professing Christian churches who say they have been  "born again"  of the spirit, and now live  their lives by bearing fruit of God's Spirit. But when one examines their lives and fruit of their lives, they too, clearly prove they have not been born again of the spirit, but are still living by the flesh. They confess by their own mouth  that they have had a "religious" experience, and yes, that is all  it is, being nothing more than "a shallow religious experience," taught and inspired by Satan and his ministers, II Cor. 11:13-15, to cause them to believe they have been born again. Both of these groups, who are professed believers  of Christ, have accepted  Satan's perverted teachings,  and bear, or show no real fruit of being born  again of the spirit. The BORN AGAIN teaching of Jesus Christ pertains to a spiritual conversion now, from a mind and heart that is led by the flesh, to be converted to  a  mind and heart, that is led by the Spirit of Christ, and this Spiritual conversion must take place in order to be born again. Christ's chosen ones are to become new creatures, born of His Spirit. These are not changes of man in his continuing to follow the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but changes of man in his having chosen to accept and live by God's tree of life.

II Cor. 5:17---"Therefore if any man be in Christ (and Christ in you), he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Gal. 6:15---"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availed any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature," ( If Christ lives in you by His Spirit, you are a new creature). I John 4:7---"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God."

       Neither of these  church bodies and organizations know what is spiritual conversion, which is necessary to produce the new birth,  to be born again. This is one of the most misunderstood teachings of Jesus Christ!  Why is this true? Because church people have not permitted the Holy Spirit of God to teach them from Christ's Word, and the Authority of His Word, what is the meaning and  the understanding of being born again. They instead, have permitted false ministers and the teaching of tradition through men's spirit, by their authority and words, by their sermons, booklets, Bible courses, and audio tapes, to fill their minds and hearts with error on this vital doctrine, all which prevents and aborts  conversion, the forming of Christ in a person, the bringing forth to birth God's sons,  creating a new creature, by and of His Spirit.

       Let's look at this vital teaching of Jesus Christ and actually see what His Word says!   For example, Christ said to Nicodemus, "everyone" must be born "again" but of the water (baptism) and spirit (converted to a spiritual mind and heart) in order for man to enter the Kingdom of God, John 3:3-6. The same Greek word, gennao, is used for being born of the flesh or born of the spirit. So this word, born (gennao), Strong's 1080, means both beget (sired, conception, beginning) and bringing forth to birth (gestation) a bringing forth to a fleshly, or spiritual birth-a spiritual conversion from flesh to spiritual.

          Everyone should know a body of the flesh is not born the moment the sperm unites with the egg. The same is true with spiritually, begotten babes, or fetuses of Christ. They are not born the moment the sperm of the Father, the earnest of His Spirit-His seed in Christ, unites with  the heart and mind of a repentant believer. There is a gestation period of conversion,  from a heart of the flesh, to a heart of the spirit, after the Father's begettal, before believers are brought to birth-to spiritual birth, that varies from a few days as with Peter, John and the other apostles, and even Paul, to many days, and years, as with many of the church of the past and today. Peter and the apostles were given a begettal, or  token of God's Spirit before Pentecost, John 20:22, and at Pentecost,  were given the power of God's Holy Spirit, which brought them to a full birth, to be born of the Spirit, and were at that time led by the Spirit, not their flesh. Christ was fully formed in them, because their hearts at Pentecost were spiritually converted and set to do His will, to go about doing His work, preaching the Gospel, and not preoccupied by wanting to maybe return to their occupation, by going fishing, as it was when Peter and the others, when they were first given the Spirit, study John 20:22 and John 21:3.

John 20:22--And when He had said this He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive you the Holy Spirit. (This was weeks before the Day of Pentecost) John 21:3--Simon Peter said unto them, I go a-fishing. They say unto him, We also go with you. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

        The forming of Christ in them had been taking place for 3 1/2 years, by their daily being with Christ. The same was true  with Paul, who likewise was taught by Christ, Gal.1:12,  and who also later went about motivated, inspired and directed by God's Holy Spirit. Paul, shortly after his begettal and training by Christ, went  about preaching, not by the spirit of the flesh, but preaching by the Spirit and power of God, that flowed  from his heart. Others of the church  then, and now, have had to have longer periods of gestation to be converted, to come to birth, to be born of the Spirit. Why? Because they have not overcome the sins and pulls of the flesh, that is, they have not put to death the ways of the flesh in their life. And this is largely caused by mis-information and error in the church's teaching, about not teaching the true gospel of Christ, and their lack of understanding and teaching about true, spiritual conversion, pertaining to the Born Again teaching.

       Church people do not know  the difference of living by the flesh, and living by the spirit, by the fact, they don't realize they have been following a gospel of the flesh of men, rather than following the gospel of the spirit. The main reason for this lack of spiritual understanding  is  because of their listening and believing a gospel of man, a gospel, which taught by example and behavior of men and ministers, that the ways of the flesh and sin could dwell together in a believer  until the resurrection, when  they would be changed  and totally converted to spirit or as they teach, would be born  of the spirit at that time. Churches-worldwide have accepted this false teaching without questioning it, and proving it false by Scripture.

I John 3:6,9,10 ---"Whosoever abides in Christ does not sin: whosoever sins has not seen Him, neither known Him. V 9: Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, (meaning he will not commit sin because Christ lives in him) because he is born of God. V 10: In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil----"

        Paul said in Gal. 1:11, "--I certify, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man." So the Gospel Paul preached was not a Gospel of man, which is a gospel after the flesh, but a Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel Paul taught was about the forming of Christ in believers by accepting Christ and His message, and becoming a new creature through the power of God's Spirit. This forming of Christ, is  growth in a babe of Christ, that develops spiritually, to the time that they can be born of the Spirit, one that is able to walk and live spiritually in Christ, on its own from the mother, Gal. 1:15, 16, Gal. 4:19, I John 2:27. Many in the Churches of God and Jesus Christ, have not been born yet, that is, they have not come to birth in the spirit, whereas they can stand alone in Christ, because they are still lacking in faith, and are still not overcoming the flesh, and are still connected fleshly to the church-mother. They are still living by  carnal mindedness, because they have been taught a Gospel of the flesh, a gospel of men, that is dependent on men, and their gospel of church government, rule of men, by the carnal mind of men, and not by the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ's leadership. The leaders in today's churches teach that the work of God (their preaching a gospel of the flesh and feeding the sheep) cannot go on, and be carried out, without the  membership's money. Yet, those same leaders preach from Zachariah 4:6, that the work will not be done by power (money) and might (membership) but by God's Holy Spirit. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Zachariah 4:6---"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Mat. 6:24---"You cannot serve God and mammon---."

        Should blessings, cursings and contradictions come out of the same mouth? So today, ministers and churches,  who are following the gospel after the flesh,  but proclaiming it is of the spirit, feed off of each other, giving, trading and promising (God's tithe and sacrifices-offerings) for "minister leadership," if they will teach smooth things, that do not involve sin and overcoming sin. This is not of Christ, and the work of Christ, but the work of men! Today's churches are sort of like the money changers were in Christ's day, who He drove out of the temple, for making the House of God a place of trading of sacrifices. Money collected as tithes today, is mainly used for men's salaries, and teaching false doctrines, used in preaching the gospels of men. Is there any  of God's tithes  really going to do the work of God, of preaching the true Gospel,  the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how one is truly converted by being born again, and by this,  doing the work of truly building the beautiful, spiritual temple of God?

        Paul says in Romans 8:13, "If you live after the flesh, you shall die, but if you put to death the works of the flesh, you shall live."  Verse 14 says, "If you are led by the Spirit of God, you are the (born) sons of God," sons that are not just begotten, but born again, sons that have come to birth, converted from a "fleshly" life, to a spiritual life. It is true, every born again, son of God, looks with hope and excitement to the resurrection--the change to spirit composition, but that is not the meaning of the word born (Greek Gennao) in Christ's teachings. This  bodily change to spirit is not given as one of the meanings of the word born. The body change to spirit, is totally God's work, and His responsibility at the resurrection, but to be born again-converted from fleshly mindedness, to a mind and heart of the Spirit, is Christ's and our responsibility today, if we understand and will submit to His will.

Paul says in Romans 8:7,8-- "To be fleshly minded is death and to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Those living by the flesh cannot please God, v. 8, nor enter His Kingdom."   

         For one today to determine if the church is being led by the spirit or the flesh, needs only to look at their fruit. One will see all manner of church divisions and splits, churches ruled by men, scrambling for membership, in the power and might of men and their leadership, not by the power of God's Holy Spirit. Different ones today are calling for all churches to unite together in the spirit of men, and their church government, not the Spirit of God, with the understanding of just  how that can take place. Men and women are scrambling for exaltation, rank, position, all the pride of the flesh, not the meek and humble fruit of the Spirit. All of this is the work and the fruit of dead works, of idolatry, and worship directed to man, money and power, the lust of the flesh, coveting, adultery and fornication, and all such sins, all the deeds of the body, all going on in the confessed, to be true Churches of God. Is all this the fruit of Spirit born sons of God, or the children of the devil? Study these two Scriptures, I John 3:10, Gal. 5:16-25.

      With this understanding of the church's state of being, we can understand why they teach all members are still sinners and saints alike, contradicting God's Word of being born again.  What they really mean is, that the members of their churches that profess to be led of the spirit, are still living in the flesh, sin, and have not been born as sons of God. This is also the reason both groups misunderstand what Paul is teaching in Romans 7:4-25. They teach Paul was living by the flesh, because the churches today are still living by the flesh. Paul in Romans 7, was teaching about the working of sin in the  carnal minded person, and just how that person living by the flesh, is constantly being overpowered by sin. Paul at the time, was living by the spirit, and not by the flesh, because he was converted. Key verses in this chapter is verse 5, Paul says, "when we were in the flesh" and verse 18, Paul is making it clear that in his, or anyone  living by the flesh, dwells no good thing, also in verse 25, Paul says with the mind (spiritual mind) one serves the law of God-obeys His law; but with the flesh the law of sin and flesh. Paul was making a difference in living by the flesh, and living by the spirit in this 7th chapter of Romans. Most church people will not be able to understand this teaching of Paul because they are living by the flesh, and  their minds and hearts are not open to this teaching of the spirit.

      Yes, there were many of the church in Paul's day who were still carnal, fleshly, and had not been born of the spirit-spiritually converted, at the time of the writing.  Look at what Paul said to the Corinthian Church in I Corinthians 3: 3, "that the church was still  carnal." Paul was continually exhorting the churches to rid themselves of fleshly-mindedness, and to live by the Spirit, and this was his message in much of his writings. John's message to the churches in Revelation was along the same line. The message to those churches was to repent, and overcome, repent of sin and overcome the flesh, and be motivated by the Spirit of God. Many will say, "But the churches of Revelation 2 & 3 were the churches of God." Yes, they were in that they had been begotten of His Spirit, but many had not been born again, or  were not developing spiritually, and had not come to a full  birth spiritually, to be led by the Spirit, because they were being overcome by the sins of the flesh, and unless they did repent and overcome the flesh, they will not be written in the Book of Life. Likewise today, unless church members that are begotten of the spirit, put forth their hand-be converted, to be led by God's Spirit, to become spirit, born Sons of God, they cannot eat of the Tree of Life, Rev 2:7.

        Unless one can spiritually solve this mystery, and get understanding about Christ's teaching of BEING BORN AGAIN, they  cannot fully understand God's word. One difficult passage that will be a problem is  I John 3:9,  which says, "Whosoever is born of God does not, cannot sin, (why, because he knows the penalty for sin-breaking God's 10 commandments is death) because God's seed remains in him. Christ in one leads, guides and directs one's actions, and he cannot sin-will not sin, because he is born  of Christ and of God." Christ that is formed in you, will lead and guide you away from all sinning situations, by teaching you what is sin.When one understands what is sin, and knowing the judgment for sin is death, a true spiritual son of God keeps himself from sin and  the temptations of sin. People of the church, still living by the flesh of darkness, that have not overcome the flesh, cannot say they are not walking in darkness (still living in sin), v8--cannot say they have no sin, and v10--cannot say they have not sinned, I John 1:6, 8, 10. "Everyone that does righteousness, that lives by God's law (His Ten Commandments), is born of God," I John 2:29, and cannot and will not sin, I John 3:9. Because they are living by the spirit--been spiritually reborn, and "By this understanding, the children of God are manifested, and the children of Satan," I John 5:10. Whoever lives by the flesh is still of Satan. "Whoever overcomes the world and its desires and lusts of the flesh is born of God," I John 5:4, I John 2:15-16.

         God tells all churches and its members, to love one another, and every one that knows God and understands His love is born of God--born again, I John 4:7. The only way the church can be AT-ONE with God and with each other is, to be fully born again, not just begotten of God's Spirit, but daily led by His Spirit. Jesus Christ's desire is, to live in each of us by His Spirit, guiding and directing our every step, guiding and directing His born again sons, in keeping His ten commandments in their full intended meaning, and direction to understand this, is the love of God, and  by this,  one can truly know God the Father and Jesus Christ.

       The churches of God and Jesus Christ, are made up of these two groups of people. There are ones that have professed to be begotten of the Spirit, but still following and guided by the flesh, Satan, and the world,  waiting  and hoping they will receive their new spiritual heart at the resurrection. And there are ones that have been begotten of the Spirit, but who are now fully guided and directed by God's Spirit-born of the Spirit, who have hearts filled  and flowing with the spirit of God. God is soon going to separate the two. One will be led to safety and protection from the great tribulation, the other will stay behind to learn what is means to be born of the Spirit,  by having Christ living them, Rev. 3 : 10 and Rev.12: 14-17.

        Where do you stand in understanding the mystery of being born again? The whole Christian world is in confusion and deception  about being born again. Christ says, "You must be born again to enter His Kingdom,"  John 3: 5-7. Have you been born again?