@Presby02 are you still going to deny it now ? Will you continue to bury your head in the sand ?
What saith the scriptures above and below on the gospel of grave as the means of salvation ?
Notice the biblical order from Scripture when the new birth occurs. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ- the gospel
1 Peter 1:23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
above one become born again after hearing the word of God
James 1:18
He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.
the same is said by James the new birth was through the hearing of the word of truth
John 1:12-13
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God
notice John says its by those who have received Him, believed in His name that they were born again, children of God, saved.
And Paul in
Romans 10 gives the same order in 8-14. It comes after one hears and believes the gospel that they are saved, born of the Spirit.
John 3 the context, illustrations, text from the OT that he would be familiar with which Jesus points to for Nicodemus.
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” ( notice belief precedes life )
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life. (
notice once again belief comes before life)17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Faith/Belief precedes life. John opens his gospel with belief preceding life ( John 1:12-13 and ends the gospel with the same John 20:31 ) Jesus teaches the same in John 3.
Conclusion: Ezekiel 18 declares : “a NEW SPIRIT I WILL (future) put WITHIN them…” These predictions mean that even Ezekiel was not regenerated, nor was any man prior to Ezekiel. And Ezekiel lived near the end of the OT time period. Scripture talks about 2 kinds of life. Physical and Spiritual. What other “kind of life” does the Bible talk about other than the life we are given in the flesh when we are born of the flesh, and eternal life which we are given when we are born of the Spirit? There is no other “kind of life” taught about in the Bible. When a man is born of the eternal Spirit, by the eternal Word of God, he is given eternal life. A man is regenerated when He is made alive with Jesus Christ (
Eph. 2:5). Can a man be “made alive with Jesus Christ” apart from having Jesus Christ dwelling in him? Also, Paul explicitly states, “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit IF THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL IN YOU. And if any man HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST HE IS NONE OF HIS.” (
Rom. 8:9). We are born again THROUGH THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST FROM THE DEAD (
1Peter 1:3). Can a man be born again through the resurrection of Jesus Christ before Jesus Christ actually rose again from the dead? No so Jesus in
John 3 was not talking about spiritual life in the OT but the promise of the Spirit that would come at Pentecost when His spirit would be poured out upon all who believe in Him and become born again children of God from the preaching of the gospel and receiving Him as Lord.
hope this helps !!!
