When we accept Jesus Christ as LORD of our heart and place our hope in Him for this life and the next, we are born again!
“Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”” John 3:3
However, being “born again” should also entail a complete transformation.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
A lot of times, we do a poor job explaining this transformation in Christ. I’ve heard it said that “Christ’s blood covers us, we’re still the same sinners we’ve always been.” This is partly true, but ignoring the fact that Christ transforms our hearts to a life free of sin through sanctification sets up the believer for failure and discourages those who are told that as they are still outside of Messiah. They would easily think “Well then what’s the point if I’ll just continue living the same life I’ve always lived?”
“He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus Christ paid our penalty of death and now is our presenter to the LORD for all who are in Him. He presents us as holy and righteous as Himself even if we aren’t, but we should not be telling ourselves and others that we are just sinners with no hope. Our hope is in the LORD Jesus.
“He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people for His own possession, eager to do good works.” Tiitus 2:14
We should not be remaining in our former life of sin because Jesus redeems us from those old ways to sanctify us and make us zealous for good deeds. “Our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” only when we continue to live against God, outside of Christ (Isaiah 64:6), and especially if they are legalistic! However, the one born again in Christ should be walking in His righteous ways.
Another misconception about our faith is this idea that because the Israelites could not stop sinning on their own and kept disobeying Torah, that God sent His Son to follow every command perfectly and to be our perfect final sacrifice to forgive us of all sin and free us from the law of the past that was just “too hard.” Jesus came to do it for us so that we don’t have to. However, this idea is satanic and should be scrutinized.
“The one who says he remains in Him should walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:6
If you have this idea that Jesus obeyed Torah so you don’t have to, then the Bible says that you do not truly believe in Him as Christ. Anyone who does truly believe will follow in His ways and love obeying Father just as He did. Our faith produces action.
“But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16
We were saved without any good work of our own, so that now in Him, we may be redeemed from our sin to be a holy people for God, destined for good works.
“For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
We do good works as an outward expression of our love for Christ as righteous examples of His love - as “the light of the earth” (Matthew 5:16).
“You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins, and there is no sin in Him. Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.” 1 John 3:5-7
This does not mean that believers are perfect, and will never sin; but it means that when we do sin, we are living inconsistently with our new and true identity in Messiah. If we think the commandments are not personally meant for us, then we have not yet been truly grafted into the family of Christ - the nation of Israel. All true believers are adopted into the family of Israel.
“So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh — called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” which is done in the flesh by human hands. At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.” Ephesians 2:11-13
“This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants — not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all” Romans 4:16
When we have an improper understanding of biblical salvation, or being “born again,” it affects the way we live out our spiritual lives. When we are told, over and over, that we are nothing but sinners whose righteous deeds are filthy rags, we will never aspire to be anything more than forgiven sinners. When that same Gentile Christian realizes that, by faith, he has been brought near, into the commonwealth of Israel, and is a son of Abraham too - suddenly he realizes that the Land, the people, and the Scriptures of Israel are relevant to him. As a new creation, Christ now resides within us.
“and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Now, the in the inner presence of the Messiah is living through my outer person. In other words, there is a Torah observant Jew living inside of me and He wants me to be His hands and His feet! The same is true for you if you believe that Jesus Christ is redeemer of the world, too!
“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but one who does good works — this person will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25
As believers, our truest and deepest identity is our new life in Messiah, a life of righteousness. The only way to look in the mirror and see the image of righteousness is to learn Torah. Torah is the mirror of God. That is where we learn the LORD’s image of holiness, and then we submit. That is also where we learn what the image of the LORD is NOT, and then we separate ourselves from such evil.
If you are watching or reading this and have not yet come to place Christ as the LORD of your heart with the faith that He is the final Redeemer, saving us from all of our iniquities, then you are not yet saved and “born again” with Christ. All of your righteous deeds are still like filthy rags, as they are for anyone not in Messiah and not able to live according to the ways of the LORD. I highly encourage you today to make that profession of faith out loud right now that you have placed your hope in Christ and pray to the LORD to enter your heart, free you from the chains of sin, and redeem you as His own for a life of righteousness. Tell a friend about this important decision in your life and become a member of a church, where you can fellowship with other believers and enjoy this brand new life, tossing the old aside, as a new creation in our LORD, the Messiah!
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