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Join us as To The Saints tackle the phrase “Born Again.” Is it a title for the more elite Christians? Is it something Jesus talked about? If, so what did He mean when he said it?

What does it mean to be born again?  

At base, it means that our spirit has become alive whereas before it was dead and we were strictly ran by our souls.  So what is ‘born’ is our spirit?

Scripturally 3 ppl asked Jesus ‘what must I do to have eternal life?’ Nicodemus, the rich young ruler, and the religious expert.  It is JUST as scripturally accurate to instead of asking “are you a born-again Christian?” to ask “have you sold all your possessions and given them to the poor?” or “have you sacrificially loved someone in need that you hate?”  because that’s what Jesus told the rich young ruler and good Samaritan. Now don’t hear me saying that in order to be saved you have to give away all your possessions. That is not my point. The point is that it’s JUST as scriptural to ask those two questions as it is to ask if someone is born again. But why have we hyper-focused on being born again? Because it is easy to mentally ascend to this whereas it’s very difficult to either 1) give all your stuff away or 2) sacrificially love people you hate.

Paul doesn’t talk about being born again. You can take pieces of the Romans road and use the language of being born again to kind of make it fit, but it’s actually not there.  Consider that: the man who wrote ⅓ of the new testament, who has had such influence over theology, didn’t talk about being born again. He spoke about transformation and going from glory to glory, but that language Jesus used with Nicodemus wasn’t in his wheelhouse. It was in 1 Peter though.

It is hard for us to grasp the fact that we are being renewed. Because, naturally, it is impossible for something to be new more than once. But Jesus uses this born-again metaphor because it’s universally relatable. Not that there isn’t a clear demarcation between the kingdom of darkness and the one of light, but we forget that there is an ongoing freshness…

Greek:

The Greek word used in John that is translated as again is ἄνωθεν (ἄνωθεν), which could mean: again, or from above

Thayer’s Definition

from above, from a higher place

of things which come from heaven or God

from the first, from the beginning, from the very first

anew, over again

The Greek word used in 1 Peter that is translated as “born again” is ἀναγεγεννημένοι (anagegennēménoi).

Thayer’s Definition

to produce again, be born again, born anew

metaphorically: to have one’s mind thoroughly changed so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of God

Some of the words used to translate this verse are born again, anew and born from above. I like the use of all three because it gives fuller meaning to the miracle that’s taking place when someone accepts Jesus. They are born again, anew, and from above.

To be Born Again means

* New life, a new creation

* Born Again-River of life

* “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and spirit he will not enter the kingdom of God.” John 3:5

* DNA of Christ

* Expressing His Life

* Born into a new Kingdom

* New creation diet

* Eating things from above, spiritual food

* Partakers of divine nature

Growth (not overnight maturity)

We are not born again adults but born again babies with everything we need already from the...

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So many Christians use Romans 7 to validate or justify their struggle as though it is the normal life of a Christian. They live a life of measuring the amount of good they do versus the bad, and that becoming a better Christian means doing more good than bad. They think this is what Christ intends for them to live out here on earth till they go to heaven. But this is not the normal Christian life for those in Christ.

Seeing Romans 7 as Paul intended,

* Paul is talking to the Jews in Rome, not the Gentiles. It was to Jews who knew the Law. They knew, by experience, what it is like to live their life under the law. So now that Christ came, things have changed and Paul was trying to help them see they were married to a new law, Christ.

*  Romans 7 is talking about life in the flesh NOT life in the Spirit.

* It is Life in the Spirit that allows us to love one another – if a community of Believers is stuck in Romans 7 then they will have a very difficult time loving one another. They will devour one another.

* The “good” Paul is referring to is the Law.  Doing “good” is doing the law. It is not a set of Christian expectations or trying to sin less.

May it Never Be 

Romans 6:1-2 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 May it never be! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

Romans 6:15 Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? May it never be!

Romans 7:7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? May it never be! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”

Romans 7:13 But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? May it never be! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes.

The people in Romans 6 and 8 have victory

Romans 6 – Truth: Sin will not have dominion over you because you are united to Christ.

Romans 7 is sandwiched between 6 and 8 so the Jew could understand the greatness of Christ.

Romans 8 – Truth: You are not condemned, but free because you are united to Christ.

Rom 8:1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 

Rom 8:9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 

Romans 6 and 8 describe the Normal Christian life

There is a struggle, according to Gal 5:16-17  the solution is let the Holy Spirit guide your lives not the Law:

Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 

Trying to keep a set of Christian expectations as the new law keeps you in the Romans 7 mindset and will only cause you to walk in the flesh which leads to sin and death. But we are people of Romans 6 and 8 knowing we are not in the flesh but in the spirit, we are in Christ. He cannot sin and He fulfills every expectation of God’s, every time.

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Have you ever wondered what our top listened to episodes are? Well us too. It might surprise you! We took a look at our stats and compiled (or discerned) a list of our 10 most downloaded episodes. We put them all in one weekly post so you could binge listen. We also added a few honorable mentions. 

(Also, we encourage you to take a certain resident of the North Pole’s advice: whenever you make a list, check it twice.)

TOP 10 DOWNLOADED EPISODES:

1 TTS-064 Dones Part 2

2 TTS 063 Dones Part 1

3 TTS 056 What’s in a Name

4 TTS 057 In Christ

5 TTS 065 Passion for Jesus’ Heart by Jon Zens

6 TTS 052 Tripartite Man

7 TSS 067 The One Thing by Milt Rodriguez

8 TTS 068 Reframing My Personal Relationship with Jesus

9 TTS 055 Help My Unbelief Part 2

10 TTS 054 Help My Unbelief Part 1

Honorable Mention:

TTS 034 The One New Humanity: The Immense Significance of Christ

TTS 027 Christ’s Waning Authority in the Church

TTS 028 Christ’s Functional Authority in the Church

TTS 030 Christ’s Reigning Authority in the Church

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JESUS’ PERSONHOOD

He is a real living person with thoughts and feelings. I am not sure if you’ve seen the movie Avatar (with the blue people) but they have a saying it is, “I see you.” I see, acknowledge and validate your existence and for someone who is invisible like Christ, it’s precious to Him when we acknowledge His presence and personhood.

DOES CHRIST NEED TO BE CARED FOR?

CARING DEFINITION

verb

* feel concern or interest; attach importance to something.

* look after and provide for the needs of

Jesus doesn’t lack anything but he does need us

Caring for one another like in a marriage

Showing concern, interest in your spouse

Acknowledging their presence

CALLED INTO FELLOWSHIP

1 Cor 1:9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

This fellowship is about

-Communication talking with one another

-Participation in and with each other lives (active)

* It’s about us entering into the enjoyment of one another, Him and You.

* It’s about Him enjoying you and who you are and You enjoying Him and who He is.

* What and Who He is becomes ours and all of who we are becomes His.

* Enjoying each others company and sharing ourselves with one another: becoming One.

We are giving Him our bodies for His visible expression and He is giving us His life to be expressed.

SPENDING TIME WITH THE LORD

This has been a religious act

We can think spending time with Jesus is sitting with our bibles, praying certain prayers or a certain way. We can do these things and still miss Jesus.

We don’t spend time with Him out of a sense of duty

We don’t spend time with Him because we have a need

We spend time with Him because He is a person worth spending time with

INCREASING OUR AWARENESS

Becoming increasingly aware (conscious) that He lives in you and you in Him on a moment by moment basis

You are in Christ

1 Cor 1:30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

Christ is in You

Col 1:27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

He desires to be a part of your day

He spent 3 years day in and day out with the disciples. They lived, ate, walked together. They shared their lives together. That same Christ is in us today.

He loves being with you and sharing your day together

It’s your alls day together.

PRACTICALS: Caring for Jesus as a Person:

Start your day greeting Him by turning to and sitting with Him quietly for a few minutes.

Small downtime moments: at a stop light, standing in line waiting,

Turn to Him and sit with him in your spirit and enjoy Him. Let Him enjoy you too

Call on His name, tell Him you love Him

It turns those ordinary moments into something more holy

Daily routine: Washing your face, brushing your teeth, showering

You have washed me clean by your blood and water

Getting dressed: you have clothed me

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Gal 3:27

Calling on His Name

It’s a practice lost to most of us but it was a common practice of those in the 1st century.

KNOWN AS THE PEOPLE WHO CALL ON HIS NAME

Acts 9:21 – All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as pr...

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LISTENER REQUESTED MOVIE (SPOILER ALERT!)

STORY OVERVIEW

Mortal Engines is a 2018 post-apocalyptic adventure film directed by Christian Rivers and with a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson, based on the novel of the same name by Philip Reeve, and starring Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, and Stephen Lang. An American–New Zealand co-production, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic world where entire cities have been mounted on wheels and motorized, and prey on one another. -WIKI

CAST

* Hera Hilmar as Hester Shaw

* Robert Sheehan as Tom Natsworthy

* Hugo Weaving as Thaddeus Valentine, Head of the Guild of HistoriansJihae as Anna Fang, a pilot and leader of the Anti

* Traction League, a resistance group banding against the moving cities devouring Earth’s resources.

* Leila George as Katherine Valentine, daughter of Thaddeus Valentine and one of London’s elite.

* Ronan Raftery as Bevis Pod, an apprentice engineer whom Katherine befriends.

* Patrick Malahide as Magnus Crome, the Mayor of London.

* Stephen Lang as Shrike, the last of an undead battalion of soldiers known as Stalkers, who were war casualties re-animated with machine parts, and Hester’s guardian.

SCENES/PEOPLE WHO REVEALED CHRIST

* City on the Move

* The bride holds the key to life and death

* City in the heavens (clouds) – a type of Bethany, away from scavengers, safe, called Air Haven,

* Shrike releases her from her promise – she was able to rest from her efforts to maintain this promise. Shrike was determined to free her from herself by making her like him.

* Anna Fang – flesh/spirit quote “I can face anything, even death, as long as my spirit is free.”

* London city ingests smaller cities – gates of hell will not prevail…against the city of God on the move.

* Kate – disowning her father after she sees him for who he really is. He is the father of lies and she refuses to identify with him.

* Not always easy to see Christ in movies – but there are always themes of life, live, redemptionThese are imperfect pictures – at times, certain characters may reflect Christ and other times they may not

* How does she find the key – by beholding, Shrike kept the key for her until the time was right?

QUOTES

Anna Fang: You look at her and all you see are the jagged edges. But she is something quite different, she’s beautiful and strange, and very, very rare.

Shrike: You are sad. Always sad, Hester Shaw. Your heart is broken. I will take away the pain. I will remake you, as I was remade.

Hester Shaw: You’re going to kill me.

Shrike: For a little while.

“Go where the wind takes us” quote at end of the movie

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Most people think of Financial Freedom as having enough resources (wealth) to be able to live your life however you choose. Your needs will be met (and some wants too) and you won’t have to do something you don’t want to do (like work a job, or work a job you don’t like) just to meet your needs. Most people are working toward this lifestyle in retirement.

However – this isn’t the freedom that Jesus offers us concerning finances.

So today we are going to talk about FINANCIAL FREEDOM.

Extreme end 1: God wants his followers to be wealthy (to live their best life now) and so we should pursue great wealth at all costs. Having wealth is evidence of God’s blessing and pleasure with us and if we are having trouble becoming wealthy we are either displeasing the Lord in some way, or we need to pray harder against the evil forces that are trying to keep us poor.

Extreme end 2: Money was created by man (or the god of Mammon) and is a part of the world system and is therefore evil. We should avoid it at all costs – only having it for absolute necessities. Poverty is evidence that you are truly following the Lord. Having wealth will lure us into sin so it is much better to be poor (resisting temptation).

* We live in a very wealthy country

* Prosperity gospel: The American Gospel: Christ Alone (documentary)

* Wealth is our security

When asked once, “How much money is enough money?” He replied, “Just a little bit more.”

(Rockefeller quote – By the time of his death in 1937, Rockefeller’s remaining fortune, largely tied up in permanent family trusts, was estimated at $1.4 billion. Rockefeller’s net worth over the last decades of his life would easily place him among the very wealthiest persons in history. As a percentage of the United States economy, no other American fortune—including Bill Gates or Sam Walton—would even come close.)

Ecclesiastes 5:10 Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!

* We idolize those with lots of wealth

* Billion dollar industry around managing and/or acquiring wealth

* The idea that it is important to be wealthy has permeated the church

It was already in Israel – Jesus tells the disciples that it is harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Then they ask, “then who can enter the kingdom?” bc in their mind it was easier for the wealthy to enter it…

[Mat 19:23-24 NIV] 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

* Horrible work/life balance – striving, stress, depression, anxiety

* The stress of managing our abundance of stuff

* People try to look wealthier than they actually are

Pendulum swinging – minimalism, poverty = godliness

True financial freedom is having our eyes fixed on Jesus Christ no matter what our bank account looks like. True financial freedom is being willing to follow the Lord no matter how it affects us financially (whether toward more wealth or less).

* God uses wealth to accomplish His purpose

* God uses poverty to accomplish His purpose

* It’s not about either – it’s about Him.

* We need to learn to find our security and provision and pleasure in Christ.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ (whether in want or plenty – verses before)

1 Tim.

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Did you know that as a Christian (a saint, one who is in Christ), we are a new species? We’ve discussed this truth many times before.  (For starters, see Episodes 32, 34, and 66.) And did you know that each species on earth has a natural habitat? Even Christians have a natural habitat. In today’s episode, we’re going to look at the different habitats (or kingdoms) in which we as Christians try to live, and we’re going to identify which ones are counterfeit habitats, and which one is our natural one.

What is a habitat?

“A habitat is the environment in which a particular species lives. It provides the members of a species with food, shelter, water, and the appropriate climate for it to survive. Every species has a native habitat to match it.” Viola, Frank. From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God (pp. 173-174). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

“Anytime you remove an organism from its native habitat, that organism risks extinction. If it manages to survive, some of its natural instincts and functions will cease to work properly.” Viola, Frank. From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God (p. 174). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition.

Into the Wild Mary Rodriguez

Perhaps you’ve heard us discuss various kingdoms/habitats throughout our previous episodes? We’ve discussed the kingdoms of Egypt, Babylon, and God (naturally). We’ve also discussed, and dedicated an entire episode to what we call the Wilderness (see episode 98). These are all different kinds of habitats in which Christians try to live. Bet you can’t guess which one is our natural habitat.

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So, today’s episode is part 2 of our discussion that stems from a question from a listener – Jakob in Israel:

“A year ago, my wife and I were invited to the conference of the Home Churches in Israel. The idea is – the main thing is multiplication. Once a week, they gather at home for a bible study group and ask five questions. when a group grows to ten, it is necessarily divided by five. If the group does not grow – change the leader of the group. I was very upset to hear all this. And now when I met with the brothers from the simple churches of Ukraine again I hear about the methods of multiplication.I know that we all want to see saved souls. But so often it becomes a system. I would be very happy to hear in your program what you think of Matthew 28: 18-20”

[Mat 28:16-20 NIV] 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What is God after?

“Many use the ‘great Commission’ doctrine to formulate a mandate for God’s mission. They say that the whole purpose of God and the Church is to save souls. Your purpose as a Christian is to lead others to Christ. That’s why you are here. That’s why the Church is here. But…The true “Great Commission” is founded upon something that Paul calls the eternal purpose of God (See Ephesians chapters 1 and 3). Notice that this purpose is eternal. It was in the heart of God before creation. This means that the purpose is before the garden and before the fall of man. So it has nothing to do with the saving of souls. In fact, it has nothing to do with human needs at all! But it has everything to do with God’s heart desire and passion. There was something in his heart that motivated him to create. We can see it in the very beginning before there was sin.

“Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth . . .”

‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’ Gen. 1:26 – 28

From this passage we can see that God wanted three things:

* An image or representation of himself

* This image (or expression) would exercise God’s authority on the earth

* The image would be fruitful and multiply

We could call this the “Adamic commission.” And it reveals much of what God had in His heart for man. We also can see this “commission” repeated over and over again throughout the story.

He gave the same commission to Noah (Gen 9:1 – 11). He repeated the commission again to Abraham (Gen. 17: 1 – 8). And then again to Jacob (Gen. 28: 13 – 15). The themes involved in this covenant/commission are that:

* God wants a people (a corporate entity) or image

* He wants these people to rule in the earth

* He wants these people to multiply and to take the land (inheritance)

Does this sound familiar? But what is this idea of the land (or inheritance) all about? For Israel, the inheritance was the Canaan land, a land flowing with many riches. But that is only a picture of the eternal inheritance (Heb. 2:15).

So, today’s episode stems from a question from a listener – Jakob in Israel:

“A year ago, my wife and I were invited to the conference of the Home Churches in Israel. The idea is – the main thing is multiplication. Once a week, they gather at home for a bible study group and ask five questions. when a group grows to ten, it is necessarily divided by five. If the group does not grow – change the leader of the group. I was very upset to hear all this. And now when I met with the brothers from the simple churches of Ukraine again I hear about the methods of multiplication.I know that we all want to see saved souls. But so often it becomes a system. I would be very happy to hear in your program what you think of Matthew 28: 18-20”

[Mat 28:16-20 NIV] 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

What Mainstream Christianity Thinks:

“In Christianity, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples to spread his teachings to all the nations of the world” -Wikipedia

“Christ’s Great Commission is the Call of [insert organization name here]—it’s why we exist! We are compelled by Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations. Reaching the lost is a cause for which we are willing to go to the ends of the earth—this is no small task!” -a denomination’s website

Timebound vs. Timeless

In previous episodes, we have mentioned that while all scripture is beneficial to all people in all times, every passage does not affect us the same way. Some passages are time-bound, meaning they were intended for the audience at that time and it would not be appropriate for us, today, to assume they apply to us in the same way.

We understand in Matthew 28, Jesus is specifically addressing his disciples.

“The so-called “Great Commission” was an apostolic commission that Jesus gave to the 12 apostles – the men whom He lived with for 3.5 years, trained, and then sent out to the apostolic work.” -Frank Viola Rethinking Evangelism

Meeting the Christian conversion quota

“What I sense is that we have allowed evangelism-discipleship to become our obsession, and in the process, Jesus Christ is pushed to the periphery.” -JZ

“Does Father want us to constantly feel guilty about not ‘fulfilling’ something, or does he desire for the life of his Son to come to expression through us – the Son he has put his seal upon – the Son he has told us to hear in all of life. Father delights in his Son. Isn’t that where our delight should be?” – JZ

“In the first century, the greatest evangelist was the ekklesia of God, a close-knit community of believers that loved Jesus, showed Him forth by their life together, took care of one another, and served others.” Frank Viola

What Means to What End?

“Jesus becomes a means for us to fulfill a pressing duty. Everything is about ‘making disciples,’ ‘multiplication,’ and programs designed to accomplish these ends.” -JZ

Contrast that with:

“Leading people to the Lord is a means to God’s end. He doesn’t just want living stones lying around the landscape. He wants a house, a city, a dwelling place where he can express himself, rule, and multiply his life.” -MR

Resources:

Rethinking Evangelism by Frank Viola

We’ve hit 100 episodes!!! This week, we pull back the curtains to give you the To the Saints bonus features: deleted scenes, outtakes, behind the scenes info, and a major announcement. This one’s been 100 episodes in the making. Caution: we’re not as spiritual as one might think we are.