(7) BORN OF THE SPIRIT

1 Cor. 12:13)- For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. Body is a reference to the 'Kingdom of God', the 'Kingdom of Heaven' or the 'Church' that Jesus purchased with His blood. Some commentaries say the word 'by' could have been translated as 'with', or 'in'. (Matt.3:11-12)- I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner (granery) ; but He will burn up the chaff (worthless matter) with unquenchable fire. -(Mark 9:43-48)-Fire in Hell won't be quenched. This shows that Jesus will do the baptizing 'with' the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13) should read 'with' one Spirit instead of 'by' one Spirit. That would show consistancy of the scriptures. The Holy Spirit is the cleansing, converting power that makes our spirit a new 'creation' - Born-Again, brought into existence. (John 3:6)- That which is born of the Holy Spirit is our spirit. Back to (Matt.3:11-12)- Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John is talking to many people. Some will get saved and most won't; few there be that find the 'narrow way'. Those baptized with the Holy Spirit have eternal life. Those who don't get saved will pay for their own sins in the 'Lake of Fire' (Rev.20:12-14) Jesus separates the wheat from the chaff. He gathers the wheat into the barn and the chaff is burned. What exactly happens when we are 'born of the Spirit'? (Heb.4:12)- For the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. We are body, soul and spirit -(1 Thess. 5:23). The Gospel teaches that we should believe. (Mark 3:16)- He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. The first part of the verse tells us how to be saved and the second part of the verse tells us how to be damned. After believing and confessing Christ as the son of God, we need to be baptized by water. (Rom.6:5)- If we have been planted in a likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Water baptism is symbolic cleansing. In and of itself, it will save no one, but it's the answer of a good concience before God. -(1 Pet. 3:21)- Baptism doth also now save us, not the washing away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good concience before God. When a sinner submits to symbolic cleansing, Jesus then does the real cleansing. He, as the Word of God, sharper than a two edged sword, divides our soul from our spirit and baptizes, cleanses, purifies our spirit with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)- Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the fogiveness of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This is the beginning of our eternal life. Our spirit and soul is our entire spiritual nature, the mind. The Holy Spirit dwells in our spirit. Our soul is referred to as the flesh, and tends to satisfy the needs, the desires and cravings that make up our sinful nature. Our soul and spirit will war against the other until death releases our spirit for the angels to take to Paradise in the presence of God, to always to be with the Lord Jesus. At this time, we will have no body, no eyes and no conciousness of time. To the person who dies, he closes his eyes in death and immediately opens his eyes to see Jesus, and all of us who are saved, at the resurrection. Con ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ MY ANSWER TO- TYSON OLHEISER (click on comment below) 1)- Do I believe that someone must trust in Christ and trust in baptism? Answer)- Trust in Christ, yes. Trust in baptism, no. To be saved we must come to Christ wholeheartedly obeying Him to the best of our knowledge and ability. With all the different teachings, how is an unschooled believer to know what is right or wrong? Jesus is not legalistic. He saved the thief on the cross and all he said was "Remember me". Jesus is the judge. He looks on the heart. Baptism doesn't save anyone, it is the answer of a good concience before God. But, (Acts 2:38) does say that we are baptized for fogiveness of sins. Paul was baptized for fogiveness of sins. -(Acts 22:16) A new believer doesn't understand scripture like we who have been saved for years, but jesus doesn't reject anyone that comes to Him. (Phil. 2:12)- Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This means after we are saved we continue to learn and grow as a christian. 2)- Do I believe that you are a christian? Yes, of course. I became a christian at 11 yrs old, but wasn't baptized until I was 25 yrs old. My excuse is I was ignorant of scripture and my mentors misled me. Con ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Answer to 2nd 'Comment' of Tyson Olheiser (Click on Comments below and then read this answer) Thank you for your persistance for truth. I like that and it gives me something to go on for further in-depth search. I have long mulled over the very issue you bring up. Now, lets work on it. (Rom. 4:8)- Blessed is the man to whom God will not impute sin./ (Eze. 18:27-28)- When the wicked man turns away from his wickedness and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turns away from his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die./ Ezekiel is OT, of course, but this isn't Law, it is God's nature which never changes. Considering these scriptures, (also considering that God knows the future and whether the seed was planted in stony ground, among the thorns or in good ground). It teaches me that when an obedient believer turns to the Lord with all his heart, he is saved, but the process of obedience goes on. He hasn't yet done what the Bible teaches to do for the fogiveness of sins (Acts 2:38, Rom. 6:4-7, Tit. 3:5), be baptized, but his sins are now under the blood. Sin is no longer imputed to him. To take it further, (1John 1:9)- If we, as christians confess our sins, we are forgiven. How do we know that we confessed all our sins. What about the sins of omission? (James 4:17)- To him that knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin. / Did you ever pass someone by that needed help? (Did you ask God to forgive you?) Were you ever selfish with your resources? (Did you get forgiveness?) (Were you concerned about a need enough to Fast and Pray?) Do we deny ourself to follow Christ? (Forgiven?) Are we available to the point where God can fill us with the Holy Spirit and use us, or are we afraid? To be ashamed of Christ is a sin. We have sinned much without forgiveness. It's a good thing that God doesn't impute sin to us, neither past, present or future sins. If we are truly Born-Again, we have eternal security. (Gal. 6:7)- Anyone that mocks God by trying to outsmart Him is foolish and unsaved. God wants our worship, our allegience, our adoration and our realization that we are nothing and He is everything. As a little child depends on his father, we should depend on our Heavenly Father. 1)- You said, "If we are saved through Faith? It is important to note that we are saved 'through' faith', not by faith. We are saved through faith, through confessing Christ (not confessing sins), through baptism, by Jesus that accepts our good concience and then baptizes (purifies-cleanses) our spirit with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Now, we have been born of water and born of the Spirit (our spirit is now brought into existence as an eternal entity). -(John3:6) WHADDA YA THINK? CON PS- Thanks Tyson for demanding satisfaction. Check my other Blogs. You ask questions that someone else might like to know, but don't know how to phrase it. PPS- Check out Tyson's Weblog, tysonolheiser.blogspot.com His Blog Title is 'Bored Physicist'. PPPS- ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WELCOME