Becoming a New Creature in Christ

So many people who are trying to believe on Jesus are besieged by turmoil, frustration, and confusion; and truly just don't know what to do about it all. So what is the problem? Well, I will tell you that in many cases it is just that the Christian religion has lied to them, and shaped their thinking into a wrong shape. Christianity has in effect told its adherents that they can put a triangular shaped block of wood into a similarly sized rectangular opening, and it fits just fine; when in fact it does not. How has it done this, you may ask? By teaching a new birth that makes nobody a new creature literally, which is totally contrary to the scriptures: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he IS a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW (II Cor. 5:17). Christianity just wants you "to take it by faith." My question is, what the heck is the "it?" The religion also lies by teaching a remission of sins that leaves "believers" with sin on the inside, screaming to their conscience that they are still sinners. Of course the religion offers the remedy for that as well, telling its followers that they are "sinners saved by grace." In other words, still a sinner, but saved anyway, because of what Jesus did of course. But there are two really HUGE problems with that: One is you're still a sinner with the unrest and lack of joy that goes with that package; and the other is, "Just what DID Jesus come to earth, die, and raise from the dead to accomplish anyway??!!" If it was to leave us in the same sinful state that we were already in, well, that simply makes no sense at all. Thankfully that is not the case, as the scriptures clearly show us: "For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: HOW MUCH MORE shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:13,14). The apostle Paul in fact addressed the whole "sinners saved by grace" mentality a long time ago: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" (Rom. 6:1,2). That's pretty clear, wouldn't you say? So how else does Christianity lie to those who observe it, and further complicate their lives? By teaching and practicing a carnal baptism that Jesus died and rose to fulfill, so that HE could become the baptizer of the soul with LIVING waters from heaven that actually GIVE LIFE (Mat. 3:15; Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 1:4,5; Acts 2:4; I Cor. 12:13). Let's confirm that one a bit further: "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of LIVING water. [But this spake he of THE SPIRIT, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified]" (Jn. 7:38,39). And once more: "I am come that they might have LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly" (Jn. 10:10). Water baptism changes nothing my friend. Nothing at all. However when Jesus baptizes the soul with living waters from heaven, it changes EVERYTHING! That baptism DOES make one a new creature literally, and it DOES truly take sin away from the inner being, even as Hebrews 9:14 states, as we have seen. It also imparts the divine love, rest, joy, and peace that the Bible plainly says is the state of a true believer in Christ (Rom. 5:5; Isa. 28:11,12; Rom. 14:17; Philip. 4:6,7; I Pet. 1:8). I think that's pretty clear as well.

I know exactly what I'm talking about my friend, because I have been there and done that on both ends of that stick. When I was twelve years old I became fully aware that I was just a sinner, and I decided to "join the church" by being water baptized and confessing my faith to the minister in charge. That is all I knew to do, because that is all the Christian affiliation told me to do. I really was serious about what I was doing, but after fulfilling that "confession" it only took me a few hours to realize that I was the same person on the inside, with all the same motivations and unrest that was there before. I didn't blame anyone or anything but myself, and decided I just didn't have what it takes. I didn't realize that the Christian religion that I was trusting in to be representing God, had lied to me. I wanted the real thing, even though the real thing wasn't taught, and I didn't get it. But fourteen years later when I ran into the real thing, and found out I needed to be baptized by Jesus himself, I GOT the real thing! Ohhhh yeah, I got it REALLY good too! And I've seen countless souls trying to go the same way I tried to go in the beginning, with the same failed results. Some will hear the truth and open up to the reality of the power of God, but most have been so immunized against reality by Christianity's false teachings that the truth just scares them, as though it is some alien thing to flee from. I talked to a man last night who is in all kinds of adversity in his life, and full of frustration and turmoil. In fact he is about as clear a picture of unrest and lack of peace as I've seen lately. He told me he's done everything that his "church" has told him to do, but everything just continues to get worse, especially the state of his soul and mind. He said the "church" tells him he is blessed and that he just needs to accept that. But as he said, he doesn't FEEL blessed at all, and I promptly told him that he doesn't feel blessed because he ISN'T blessed. I told him that his "church" has lied to him, and that the Christian religion is the biggest part of his problem because it has malformed his thinking about God, and has thereby in effect caused him to think that God hasn't given him a fair shake. The man is ready to forsake what faith he has, because he equates what the religion has dictated to him as being God, when in fact it is NOT! I also told him to forget the church, me, and everyone else; along with EVERYTHING else, and get alone with God. I let him know that if he airs everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING out with God with a humble and honest heart, and seeks him diligently; that God WILL answer him with peace and rest, and that he WILL BE blessed. As far as everything else in his life, or mine, or anyone else's; that will all revolve around the true condition of our heart and soul, which is what means the most to God, and should mean the most to us. Jesus said it like this: "But seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Mat. 6:33). And about a thousand years before that, David said the same exact thing in just a little bit different words: "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread" (Psm. 37:25). Oh how I love it my friend! The blessed holy Spirit of God says the same things throughout ALL generations, for it IS "the Spirit of truth," and truth never changes (Jn. 16:13; II Cor. 3:17; Heb. 13:8; I Jn. 5:6). And the truth is that you, I, and anyone else who hopes to one day be raised from the dead in a glorified body; must truly "work out [OUR] OWN salvation with fear and trembling" (Philip. 2:12; I Jn. 3:2,3). The equally good news is that it is not a hard thing to do, as long as we go by GOD'S instructions, and not get sidetracked by the instructions of religious man. Amen.