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"YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN." John 3:7 "Never leave off watching, reading, praying, striving, till you EXPERIMENTALLY find Christ Jesus formed within you... Be frequent in self-examination morning and evening. Pray earnestly from your heart. WRESTLE WITH GOD, BEG HIM TO HASTEN THE NEW BIRTH." George Whitefield, Letters, XI "He that thirsteth aright, NOTHING BUT GOD CAN QUENCH HIS THIRST... Cry to God to reveal Jesus Christ unto you; there is none teacheth like him." John Bunyan, The Water Of Life & Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners People are not born again when they are in bed and asleep, so that they do not know it. They FEEL it; they EXPERIENCE it. Galvanism, or the power of electricity, may be mysterious; BUT THEY PRODUCE A FEELING, A SENSATION. SO DOES THE NEW BIRTH." C. H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume I, The Victory Of Faith "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it." Matthew 7:14 |
The pathway to the NEW BIRTH is a very narrow pathway indeed, and yet, it is also most glorious. In fact, the NEW BIRTH is the greatest EXPERIENCE one can know this side of heaven, for when Jesus Christ PERSONALLY introduces HIMSELF to you by the indwelling Holy Spirit, you have just found yourself on the HOLY GROUND of the Son of God in his GLORY, and thus the following brief statements, in tandem with the above, are statements that ALL who are GENUINELY born of the Spirit can honestly and legitimately testify to --
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"A certain teaching tells us to 'take it by faith' and not to worry about feelings. 'You may feel nothing at all,' it says, 'but if you believe this Word and its teaching you can take the Holy Spirit by faith irrespective of any feeling.' THE WHOLE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHES THE OPPOSITE. So does the subsequent history of the Christian Church... YOU CANNOT BE BAPTIZED OR FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHOUT KNOWING IT. IT IS THE GREATEST EXPERIENCE ONE CAN EVER KNOW. THE TEACHING THAT ASSURES US THAT WE MAY FEEL NOTHING AT ALL RUNS ENTIRELY CONTRARY NOT ONLY TO THE TEACHING OF THE SCRIPTURE BUT TO THE RECORDED EXPERIENCES OF COUNTLESS CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES." D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Romans - The Sons Of God "To be BORN AGAIN is the GREATEST BLESSING that will EVER come to us in this world." D. L. Moody, The Gateway Into The Kingdom THERE IS A DISCOVERY OF THE DIVINE SUPERLATIVE GLORY AND EXCELLENCY OF GOD AND CHRIST PECULIAR TO THE SAINTS; AND THIS IS AS IMMEDIATELY FROM GOD AS LIGHT FROM THE SUN, AND IT IS THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF HIS POWER AND WILL... THIS LIGHT, AND THIS ONLY, WILL BRING THE SOUL TO A SAVING CLOSE WITH CHRIST." Jonathan Edwards, A Divine And Supernatural Light "Believing in Christ and spiritually seeing him are parallel... he that has had A CLEAR SIGHT OF THE SPIRITUAL GLORY OF CHRIST may say, I have not followed cunningly devised fables, but have been an eyewitness of his majesty, upon as good grounds as the Apostle Peter, when he had respect to the outward glory of Christ that he had seen." Jonathan Edwards, A Divine And Supernatural Light "Now if any man have NOT the Spirit of Christ, HE IS NONE OF HIS." Romans 8:9 |
He who cannot so testify is he who is deluding himself if he thinks he's born again. Wait and see. For as Tozer warned --
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"In that great and terrible day, there will be those WHITE WITH SHOCK when they find that they have depended upon a mental assent to Christianity instead of upon the miracle of the new birth." A.W.Tozer, The Tozer Pulpit, Vol I |
Accordingly, if you would tread the pathway to the NEW BIRTH, and it is a NARROW pathway indeed -- fair warning -- then make your way to Jesus HIMSELF, for if your eyes are not FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF, you will surely wander off the path, and that without knowing it. Therefore, keep your eyes FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF if you would be BORN AGAIN -- SUPERNATURALLY BORN AGAIN, as given in the brief examples above, and then some -- for while your eyes are FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF, the pathway to the NEW BIRTH will be illuminated one step at a time SUPERNATURALLY before you. I say, if you keep your eyes FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF, then Jesus HIMSELF will take notice, and Jesus HIMSELF will illuminate your path. One step at a time. And that SUPERNATURALLY. Wait and see.
Don't look at your steps. Look at Jesus HIMSELF. Step on your steps, but don't look at your steps. Look at Jesus HIMSELF. Nor should you be bothered about theology proper, or systematic theology, or any other form of doctrine, per se. Not now.
It is just here, of course, that the unregenerate religionist will protest, for doctrine itself, and systematic theology proper, is the great saviour of the unregenerate religionist today, for doctrine and theology take the place of the SUPERNATURAL LIVING LORD JESUS in the mind and soul of the unregenerate religionist, who lives in his doctrine, but who knows NOTHING WHATSOEVER of the SUPERNATURAL LIVING LORD JESUS. Indeed, doctrine and theology is both head and tail to the unregenerate religionist, but I warn you nevertheless, If you would be born again, GENUINELY born again, SUPERNATURALLY born again, just like the examples above, and then some, then it is Jesus HIMSELF who must be your Saviour, a LIVING Jesus who is not only capable of MANIFESTING HIMSELF to his ELECT, but who also actually DOES SO, and that SUPERNATURALLY, just as in the examples above, and then some, for as ALL who are GENUINELY born of the Spirit know, the SUPERNATURAL MANIFESTATION of Jesus Christ to his ELECT is MORE TANGIBLE than ANY human interaction in existence, BAR NONE, as ALL who are truly born of the Spirit KNOW, and that INFALLIBLY, and thus, if you will keep your eyes FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF, you will be SHOWN in due time, and yet, ALL ON A SUDDEN, just as in the examples above, and then some -- I say, you will be SHOWN, and ALL ON A SUDDEN -- indeed, if you will keep your eyes FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF, you will be SHOWN in due time -- and yet, ALL ON A SUDDEN -- yes, I promise, and Jesus HIMSELF promises, if you will keep your eyes FIXED on Jesus HIMSELF you will be SHOWN in due time ALL ON A SUDDEN, just as in the examples above, and then some, I say, you will be SHOWN, and that SUPERNATURALLY, and ALL ON A SUDDEN, that Jesus is HIMSELF true doctrine, that Jesus is HIMSELF true theology, that Jesus is HIMSELF eternal life, that Jesus is HIMSELF ALL, ALL, ALL TRUTH, that Jesus is HIMSELF the MYSTERY OF ALL LIFE -- and MUCH MORE besides -- and that all else is Satanic diversion, including LIFELESS doctrine, which is so rampant today, lifeless pandemic doctrine which exists APART from a VITAL UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF through the MANIFEST SUPERNATURAL POWER of the Holy Spirit, even the LIVING LORD JESUS CHRIST OF THE BIBLE, for, as I just said, TRUE doctrine is Jesus Christ HIMSELF, and there is NO OTHER. None at all. Which is why it is written --
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"For ALL the promises of God IN HIM are YEA, and IN HIM AMEN, unto the glory of God by us." 2 Corinthians 1:20 "And HE IS BEFORE ALL THINGS [including DOCTRINE], and BY HIM ALL THINGS [including DOCTRINE] CONSIST." Colossians 1:17 |
Yes indeed, Jesus Christ is BEFORE doctrine, and it is BY Jesus Christ that doctrine exists, and it is FROM Jesus Christ that ALL, ALL, ALL TRUE doctrine unfolds, and he who thinks that this is metaphor, or a spiritualizing of Scripture, or what-have-you, is he who is graceless, is he who has no clue as to how Matthew could have ever interpreted Hosea 11:1 as Messianic (see Matthew 2:15), and is he who has therefore NEVER actually EXPERIENCED the SUPERNATURAL MIRACLE of the NEW BIRTH. Not even close. Or, as Charles Spurgeon accurately observed --
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"To be taught of the minister is nothing, BUT TO BE TAUGHT OF THE LORD IS EVERYTHING. IT IS ONLY THE SPIRIT OF GOD who can engrave the truth upon the fleshy tablets of the heart... He that professes to be a believer, while he has never received the truth in the POWER of it, AS SENT HOME BY THE SPIRIT OF LIGHT AND FIRE, has need to begin again, and learn the first rudiments of the faith. He has learned NOTHING ARIGHT who has not been under the DIRECT TUITION OF THE HOLY GHOST." C. H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol XXX, Receiving The Holy Ghost |
In order for a biblical text to be learned in TRUTH, the Spirit of God must descend upon it EXACTLY as that heavenly fire descended upon the altar of an Old Testament sacrifice and CONSUMED it, and if that is not the case with you, I don't care how long you may have professed it, how long you may have held it sacrosanct, if the Holy Spirit has not descended in POWER upon that BIBLICAL TRUTH and EMBLAZONED it in your spirit and soul by the MANIFEST SUPERNATURAL POWER of the Holy Spirit, just like the CONSUMING FIRE of an OLD TESTAMENT SACRIFICE of old, or, as Spurgeon noted, AS SENT HOME BY THE SPIRIT OF LIGHT AND FIRE, then you have NEVER learned that truth ARIGHT -- not even close -- no matter how much you deceive yourself to the contrary, and all your doctrine is DEAD doctrine, and all your theology is DEAD theology, and therefore all of your hope is a DEAD hope. Wait and see.
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"Jesus Christ must be REVEALED by the Holy Ghost -- no man knows the things of God but by the Holy Ghost... the FINAL FLASH that introduces your heart to Jesus must be by that ILLUMINATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF, or it isn't done at all." A. W. Tozer, The Tozer Pulpit, Vol II "To understand a Bible text it takes AN ACT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT EQUAL TO THE ACT THAT INSPIRED THE TEXT IN THE FIRST PLACE. A revelation of the Holy Spirit IN ONE GLORIOUS FLASH OF INWARD ILLUMINATION would teach you more of Jesus than five years in a theological seminary." A. W. Tozer, The Tozer Pulpit, Vol II |
My friend, Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ ALONE, can do this for you. There is none other. Fix your eyes ANYWHERE ELSE, and you will NEVER be born again. Not in a MILLION eternities. Fix your eyes on the Father, and you will NEVER be born again, for the Father directs ALL who are taught of him to JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS, and none other [John 6:45]. Fix your eyes on the Holy Spirit, and you will NEVER be born again, for the Holy Spirit bears witness ONLY to JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS, and none other [John 15:26], [John 16:13-14]. Fix your eyes on the written Word of God, and you will NEVER be born again, for the written Word of God bows to JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS, and it is JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS that the written Word of God testifies of as being THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE, and none other [John 14:6].
If you would be born again, GENUINELY born again, just as in the examples above, and then some, then FIX YOUR EYES -- I say FIX YOUR EYES, aye, SET YOUR FACE LIKE A FLINT -- on JESUS CHRIST THE RIGHTEOUS, and NONE OTHER... not the Father, not the Holy Spirit, not the written Word of God, but JESUS CHRIST ALONE [Isaiah 50:7].
I tell you -- and I call Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to record against that day I stand before the Lord Jesus at his judgment seat -- indeed, I tell you that Jesus Christ can be KNOWN, and KNOWN more INTIMATELY than ANY other person in existence. Jesus Christ is not only the source of all life, he is likewise the sustainer and dispenser of all life, and he is therefore capable of making HIMSELF MANIFEST to his ELECT more certainly than any created being can make himself known to you, exactly as he has promised in John 14:21-23, and numerous other passages [John 14:21-23].
If you will not prize your soul above ALL ELSE, you will NEVER be granted a SAVING audience with Jesus Christ. Blind Bartimaeus, as recorded in the gospels, would be saved at all costs. Will you be saved at all costs? If you will not be saved at all costs, you will not be saved by Jesus Christ at all.
How? How can a man FIX his eyes on Jesus Christ?
There is one way, and one way only, and that is the following way, if you would be truly born again...
Would you be born again? GENUINELY born again?
Then take wise counsel --
pick up a Bible based on the Traditional Text -- in English, the ONLY VALID
Bible based on the Traditional Text is the King James Bible -- and then read
with SOLEMNITY, beginning in the Gospels preferably, and beg Jesus Christ
to reveal himself to you, and give him no rest until he does, for if you read
the TRUE written Word of God, you will find the Lord of Glory, even Jesus
Christ, moving upon the face of the waters in its pages, just as he moved upon
the face of the waters when he walked across the Sea of Galilee, and if you
follow the advice just given, and if you persist, Jesus Christ HIMSELF
will verily MANIFEST HIMSELF to you (for he HIMSELF promises to do
this for those who truly heed this advice), just as he MANIFESTED HIMSELF
to his disciples when he moved upon the face of the waters as he walked across
the stormy sea some two thousand years ago, and just as he did with ME
not too many years ago, and just as he has done with a FEW others from
day to day since that time, in this very generation, and just as he will do for
YOU if -- IF -- you heed my advice, and if -- IF -- you
persist therein, for he who promised is FAITHFUL.
John 14:21,
Matthew 14:25-27
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"Never leave off watching, reading, praying, striving, till you EXPERIMENTALLY find Christ Jesus formed within you... Be frequent in self-examination morning and evening. Pray earnestly from your heart. WRESTLE WITH GOD, BEG HIM TO HASTEN THE NEW BIRTH." George Whitefield, Letters, XI "He that thirsteth aright, NOTHING BUT GOD CAN QUENCH HIS THIRST... Cry to God to reveal Jesus Christ unto you; there is none teacheth like him." John Bunyan, The Water Of Life & Grace Abounding To The Chief Of Sinners |
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