Title: Salvation and Rebirth
Contents
Sermon Day-101107 Weekdays
Bible - 2 Corinthians 5:17
Title - Salvation and Rebirth
Saints are those who have experienced two births.
Once, I experienced a physical birth through my mother's womb, and once again, I experienced a spiritual birth through the work of being born again by the Holy Spirit.
Here, spiritual birth means new birth through God alone, which has nothing to do with human will or effort.
However, the problem is that even though each of us has experienced the work of regeneration, which is a spiritual birth, it is difficult to find traces of regeneration in our lives.
And it is true that there are saints who sometimes doubt or doubt their spiritual birth.
Then, God led our regeneration!
In other words, what is the history of being born again and what kind of change has it brought about?
Example - Memorize the names of Bible characters
This grandmother used to read the Bible often, but the strange thing was that she didn't read the entire Bible, but only the names of people. The pastor was curious and asked.
"Grandma! Why do you only read people's names?" asked
This grandmother was full of confidence and hope for salvation. You can smile if you look to heaven when you are having a hard time.
* Source: A story like sunshine
Yehwa - Marriage to an unbeliever
A young woman came to Pastor Spurgeon.
“Pastor Spurgeon, I am about to get married.”
"Oh yeah? That’s good.”
“But that man has not yet been saved.”
"Ah. Yeah...that's not good.”
“I will marry him and lead him to the Lord. May I marry him?”
Spurgeon listened quietly and told the young woman to stand on the chair.
Then he reached out his hand and asked him to pull him up.
The young man tried to pull it up, but it was hardly possible.
Then Spurgeon gave strength to his hand and pulled him down.
The young woman fell as if toppling under the chair.
Spurgeon said.
“It's easy to fall down, but too hard to go up.
Sister, think deeply.”
1. The decay of the old self
The reality of man before he was born again was that he was a heinous sinner.
Indeed, as a corrupt and depraved being, he was unable to stand before a holy God.
Nevertheless, God loved sinful and fallen human beings and gave them the grace of being born again.
This is because if we leave our sinful old self as it is, we cannot accept God's grace and participate in the work of regeneration.
Indeed, God is holy and always requires holiness of His people in His fellowship.
Therefore, God absolutely requires a fundamental change within the sinners who will be reborn as God's children.
Illustration - Grace of Salvation
There is a place called ‘Triangle Forest’ at Seoul Women’s University. One time, while walking through the triangular forest, I had the opportunity to talk to unbelievers. One of the students asked me a question.
“Teacher, there are many people who believe in Jesus, but their lives are messed up. On the other hand, there are good people who don't go to church. But if God saves those who are living in a mess just because they go to church, and doesn't save them because they don't go to church even though they're good, what kind of fair God is that? I do not want to believe in such a God.”
There was something I could relate to to some extent, so I nodded my head and answered.
“I think it is good to save good people.
However, I have two questions for you. The first is, “How good does it have to be to be good?” Is it good not to get angry when someone steals 100,000 won? I wonder what that standard is. Let's say we set it as $10,000. If so, I think 99,000 won would be too unfair
Second, from what I see, good people usually grow up in a good environment with good friends since childhood. But on the other hand, who in the world would not want to be born to good parents? But no one can be born by choosing their parents. So, it seems unfair to give salvation according to a person's personality or culture. The Bible says that the way of salvation is open to everyone. As long as you have an attitude of faith, God pours out His grace. No matter what kind of parents you were born to or how your personality was ruined, as long as you accept Jesus with an attitude of faith, the grace of salvation will come to you.” - Galilee Village
2. Whole personality is renewed
To be born again by the grace of God does not simply mean a change of thinking or a little change of behavior.
It is a great transformation of the whole personality and a great reformation of the whole soul that shakes the whole human heart, thoughts, and actions.
Therefore, the born-again soul will have the opportunity to thoroughly repent and confess for the sinful life so far, and will re-examine their life before God once again.
If you are truly a transformed person, you should at least let all traces of yourself and the world disappear from your life, and that only Christ the Lord Jesus will live and work.
If there are no signs of these changes, wouldn't it be appropriate to reconsider the sincerity of his regeneration?
It was God's sovereign grace that allowed a sinner who was destined to die forever to be reborn as a righteous person and receive eternal life.
This grace will never be revoked or destroyed, even if we sin and fail.
This should keep us from sleeping or being lazy.
Instead, we should rely more on God who loves us and strive to live according to His will.