“3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water (natural child birth NOT water baptism) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto you, You must be born again.” John 3:3-7.
As I was traveling down the interstate the other day I saw a sign that read “Deny Fear”. How does an unbeliever deny fear when God has not given them the Spirit of power, love and a sound mind…when the Lord has not given them the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:7) to isolate the spirit of fear? How do the lost overcome fear lest they be born again? How do they just say no to fear?
As far as that goes, how does one just say no to anger lest they be born again? How about pride…how do we “deny pride”? If we can deny fear, surely we can deny pride as well, right?
” 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21.
If one can simply deny the works of the flesh, which is born of Saints who walk after the flesh or sinners who are not born again (born of the Spirit), why did Jesus go to Calvary’s Cross to give His Children dominion over the flesh? We are not under law, we are under grace (Romans 6:14). If the law of denial will set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2), howbeit our Lord Jesus had to go to Calvary’s Cross to set us free? The ONLY law that is greater than the law of sin and death is the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus which requires faith in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe. Then and only then is the Holy Spirit commissioned to free us from the law of sin and death; to free us from fear, anger, pride and any and all other works of the flesh which manifest from walking after the flesh.
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. The devil will not flee unless we are submitted to God’s Redemption Plan – faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, the power of God for those of us who are saved (1 Corinthians 1:18).
The billboard I saw was on the side of the interstate. It was not a “religious” billboard but more of an athletic motivational billboard. However, sadly, this is the same gospel being proclaimed behind many pulpits today. They may add some Scripture to make it sound more religious but the source of their victory remains “self” and the means “self will or self effort” (denial). This “victory”, which is born of the flesh, will not overcome the law of sin and death…it simply can’t.
All of this being said, the message today is for those struggling with unsaved loved ones. Unless they be born again, they cannot see the Kingdom of God. Evil cannot discern righteousness. They see evil in everything. Their anger provokes them to see anger in everyone. Their pride provokes them to see pride in others. Nothing can be said or done to help them overcome these works of the flesh unless they be born again.
However, this does not mean we stop praying for them. This does not mean we stop loving them. We must simply realize that no matter what “we” do for them, unless they be born again, unless they receive the Spirit of Life, the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ Jesus, they cannot deny themselves, pick up their cross and follow Jesus. An unbeliever cannot deny themselves, they do not want to pick up their cross and they certainly can’t follow Jesus. They may know the ways of Jesus but they can’t follow Him. Many know the ways of the Lord but are not born again.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17.
Recognize, unbelievers cannot discern righteousness and do not be caught in the snare of the devil to partake in their works of the flesh.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 