Your Spiritual Life Runs Parallel With Your Natural One

Sermon outline

The new birth is God's work of mercy, and the verdict over you is not guilty, so grow up out of spiritual infancy, learn to handle the word skilfully, share your faith without relenting, and reign in life through the blood and the name of Jesus.

1. Regeneration is God's response to true repentance

   Regeneration is a divine act that imparts spiritual life and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the new birth: before it we are spiritually dead, and when we receive Christ we become alive to God and are reconciled into His family. It is totally God's work of mercy, not a weighing of good deeds against bad, and if He showed mercy while we were still sinners, how much more now that we are His children.

   Illustration: The prodigal son, starving and in rags in the pigsty, comes to himself and is received home transformed, cleaned and beautiful, and there is great joy in the house.

   “So, regeneration is totally God's work of mercy.”

   • Luke 15:11-32
   • Romans 3:24-25
   • Titus 3:5
   • 2 Corinthians 5:17

2. The new life must grow and develop

   God does not want you to be an infant all your life. He has seen people grow old in years without growing in understanding or becoming able to teach the word. The testings and trials that come are not there to put you down but to make you mature and strengthen your feet. You did not join the church to be a bench warmer but to become a disciple who can pray for people, believe God, impart faith and rightly divide the word of truth.

   Illustration: A ten year old still in nappies and asking for milk means something is wrong. A baby cries when it is hungry, but a growing child can go to mommy and ask for food. A child moves from baby class year by year to matric and then university.

   “The spiritual life runs parallel with your natural life. That means you must start growing and you can't stay in baby stage.”

   • Hebrews 5:12-14
   • 2 Timothy 2:15

3. The absolute necessity of regeneration

   Nicodemus came to Jesus at night with a sincere question, not to trap Him, and Jesus told him that no one can see or enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again, of water and the Spirit. Every time we study and hear the word we grow, until we are steady, not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, and skilful in handling the word so we can correct opinion and philosophy with Scripture.

   “So we must be able to come to a point in our regenerated life where we become skilful in handling the word of God.”

   • John 3:1-5
   • Ephesians 4:14

4. The effects of regeneration: share your faith and never relent

   Regeneration brings a new position and relationship with God, a new lifestyle turned from idols to serve the true God, and a new purpose: to be God's messengers pleading with people to be reconciled to Him. Winning people is not only the pastor's job. When someone sincere is going the wrong way, do not condemn them; use the word skilfully. Measure every famous voice against the word of God, because in the last days even the elect can be deceived.

   Illustration: He was one of the youngest in his family and the first to be saved. His mother told him she was born a Hindu and would die a Hindu, yet she came to Christ, and so did his sisters. He argued with his brother so often that he wanted to take him by the shoulders and shake him into believing; instead he kept speaking the word every time they met, and his brother became a pastor before he did.

   “You can't be in neutral gear coasting to save petrol.”

   • 1 Thessalonians 1:9
   • Matthew 24:24

5. Justification is a verdict: not guilty

   The Bible is like a law book, and justification is a judicial word: a judge's pronouncement that the accused is innocent of all charges, just as if you had never sinned. When the devil, the accuser of the brethren, brings up what you did, Jesus stands as your advocate and says the price has been paid. A case that has been heard cannot be reopened, so answer every accusing thought that you are justified and free.

   Illustration: If he were a judge and his old school friend stood accused before him, he would have to pass a hefty fine, then go behind the scenes and pay it himself. That is what Jesus did. And once a court finds you not guilty, the police cannot come and rearrest you tomorrow.

   “You have been justified just as if you have never sinned. In other words, your verdict is not guilty.”

   • Revelation 12:10
   • 1 John 2:1

6. Made righteous to do right works

   Righteousness is a nature imparted when you are born again. You do not do right works to become righteous; you are already righteous, so you do right works. That is why you do not need to parade your good deeds: pray and give in secret, and the Father who sees in secret rewards openly.

   “So you don't have to do right works to be righteous. You are already made righteous to do right works.”

   • Matthew 6:6

7. The blood still has power

   Some want to take the blood out of the equation, which is exactly why we take communion. We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony, and Jesus gave us power of attorney to use His name. Plead the blood over your house, children, car, family, property and workplace; even witchcraft against you will fail. Our justification is sealed, and the devil knows you and your family are sealed with the blood, as Israel was protected by the blood on the doorposts at the Passover.

   Illustration: A man of God he read about years ago had a revelation of the blood, and would walk into a meeting saying only 'the blood of Jesus', and people leapt out of wheelchairs. In his police work, items sent to the pathology lab were sealed with melted red wax so the receiver knew nobody had tampered with them. The blood was put on the lintel and doorposts, never on the floor, because it is not to be trampled.

   “The blood has power. Remember that.”

   • Revelation 12:11
   • Exodus 12:7
   • Exodus 12:13

8. The results of justification

   He lists six: the peace of God; no one can lay a charge against you once God has forgiven you; you are saved from the wrath to come, with an advocate who costs you nothing; eternal life, meaning the fullness and quality of life as joint heirs with Christ; you are glorified, so God looks at you through Jesus and not to condemn; and you will reign in life through Jesus Christ. Use His name and authority in every vocation and call those things that be not as though they were.

   Illustration: Advocates are not cheap, but we have an Advocate who has given us salvation for free.

   “So what could be a mountain today will be gone tomorrow.”

   • Romans 5:16-17
   • Romans 4:17

In this message