I’d like to ask you this question, what is your reality as a Christian? For many people when they were evangelized they might have just been told, pray the sinner’s prayer, and you will live a happy life and make it to Heaven when you die. Anyone who honestly looks at the New Testament will find no such mention of a sinner’s prayer, this does not mean that everyone who has prayed that prayer isn’t genuinely saved. However, this type of evangelism more often than not puts people on a foundation of sinking sand.
Salvation is when one is convicted of sin, repents, and believes in the finished work of Christ for the redemption of sin and everything tied to the old nature that we inherited from the first man Adam. We cannot in our own strength gain right standing with God, it is only through the finished work of Christ.
Now when you are truly born again does that mean that you get to do as you please and you will still make it to Heaven? No, you cannot say that you have had an encounter with God and still remain unchanged. Being Born Again is having an encounter with God when His Spirit convicts you of your sin, and then come into your spirit man and makes you a New Creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Jesus even said in Matthew 3:8 (NKJV), “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,”. Additionally, the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:12 tells us, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;”.When we are genuinely Born Again there are fruits as a result of God’s work in our lives. Some people’s process of sanctification might be slower or faster than some. However, one thing remains true for those who are Born Again, “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” (Philippians 1:6).
Often in the church, many people get stuck in the rut of believing that if they sin they just need to repent and try harder. While it is true we must continue in a desire to live holy and sanctified we must also come to the realization that we are New Creations in Christ Jesus, and that old things have passed away and all things are new.
If you are struggling today with sin in your life, and have already placed your faith and trust in Christ, then I’d like to ask you what is your reality? Is your reality just “I am saved and I just have to deal with this bad sinful habit in my life and try harder”. Or is your mindset renewed and set on the fact that you are made new in your spirit man? 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”. We need to realize mankind is a tri-being. We have a spirit and a soul in our bodies. Our spirit is what is transformed the moment we are born again, and it is our soul or mind, will, and emotions that need transformed by the Word of God, and let dominate in our bodies.
Colossians 3:3 (NKJV) says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”. When we are born again, we enter through Christ’s death and come out resurrected in our spirit man. Our old nature is dead, it is crucified, but too often because of watered-down preaching many don’t come to the revelation of this. It is time to come to the revelation of in Christ your old life is dead, that nature you inherited from the first man Adam is dead, and you have a new nature planted inside of you and it is time to cultivate that seed and let it grow. Yes, there will be times it is painful, even when we grow up as children to adults there are growing pains and puberty. Don’t rush the growth process, trust the Lord and yield to His work in your life!
Our confession as believers shouldn’t be “I am saved, and just need to try harder not to sin”, our confessions should be “I am saved, and I have the righteousness of Christ, sin is dead in my life, I walk in righteousness by the power of Christ and will glorify the Lord in every area of my life.”. We need to start believing right about who we are in Christ, rather than accept the devil’s lies of defeat. The devil will do everything in his power to throw your past at you and trap you back up in your old nature, but when you live in the revelation that you are made new as a born-again person you will see change!