“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 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.” John 3:5

It is the ministry and power of the Holy Spirit that effects the regeneration in the hearts and lives of the born again Believer.  Once the sinner repents and accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, we are born of the Spirit (aka born again) and become a NEW creature in Christ Jesus, not a rehabilitated creature (2 Corinthians 5:17).  It is by Grace, the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, through faith that we are born again.

“⁸ For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹ Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Once the Believer is converted and made a new creature in Christ Jesus, we are responsible for partaking in God’s Divine Nature.  Before our rebirth, the ungenerate man did not have the power to freely submit to God.  We must CHOOSE to believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ for our Salvation and the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and dethrones the reigning monarch, namely satan.

No matter how “good” we consider ourselves, if we are not born again, the devil is our lord.  Because of Adam’s original sin, Satan is the lord of this world and it’s system that we are born into and he rules and reigns over the unregenerate man and woman.  If we in our flesh had power over the devil, the Cross of Christ was in vain. God forbid no!

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

Submitting to God’s plan for our regeneration, which is faith in the redeeming work of Jesus, allows the Sanctification process to take place as we partake in His Divine Nature.  It’s not a fight against sin that ensues for that fight has already been won through the Blood of Jesus, it is a fight against flesh…our flesh that wants to do it’s part in our Sanctification.  Therefore, we deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23).  Denying our flesh (our self will to self help), and picking up our cross (partaking in God’s Divine Nature) gives us the ability to follow the Lord Jesus…we can’t follow Him any other way.

40 days of purpose will not allow us to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Jewish feasts and festivals will not allow us to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Humanistic psychology scattered with Scripture will not allow us to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. In order to partake in God’s Divine Nature we must deny ourselves and submit to God.

The Cross of Christ was a place of great suffering for Jesus but for us, His followers, It is a place of grace and mercy…a place where all of our blessings flow from the Throne Room of God.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Are you partaking or spectating? Time to partake. The harvest is great.  Allow the Holy Spirit to do that which He is commissioned to do and just believe in the Power of God – Jesus Christ and Him Crucified (1 Corinthians 1:18).

-Donna Clark Warren