Faith # 3

[Brightfame52]

The Natural Man cannot believe in Christ !

How can the Natural man, he that has never been born again of the Spirit of God, how can such a one believe into Christ, resulting from an Gospel Command 1 Jn 3:23

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

For scripture states plainly of the Natural Man Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law / Command of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Does Believing on Christ Please God ? Yes, Look at 1 Jn 3:22


22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep[give heed to] his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Now how can anyone born only of the flesh, meaning by natural childbirth alone, Jn 3:6

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

How can such a one have a mind set on anything other than things of the flesh ? The Mindset is only consistent with what we are by nature. The Mindset of an Gorilla can only be that of an Gorilla and not a Sparrow, Two different natures ! If we are of the Flesh, the mind set is set on things of the Flesh,which mindset Paul says is enmity against God, and so enmity against Christ !! and thats just the way it is,so the remedy Jesus states Jn 3:6-7

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 thee, Ye must be born again.

Even the mindset man had in the beginning, in Adam, it was enmity against God, evidenced when tempted by the serpent !

 

[Brightfame52]

Faith and Repentance !

Faith in Christ and Repentance towards God Acts 20:21

21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith in Christ and Repentance toward God are acts from those who have a much superior quality of life given them than the life they had from adam, or out of the flesh. They are acts indicative of having Spiritual Life from Christ communicated to them by His Spirit.

Its only an Holy Life that can respond to a Holy Calling 2 Tim 1:9

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

With a Holy Faith Jude 1:20

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Such would require a True Holy Man already Created Eph 4:24

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

That's the man who responds in Faith to the Holy Calling 2 Tim 1:9

9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 4

 

[Brightfame52]

Faith in Jesus Christ and Repentance toward God are blessings of the Everlasting Covenant or at times termed The Covenant of Grace, or The New Covenant, which is ordered in all things which pertain to Salvation, which the saintly David acknowledged 2 Sam 23:5

5 Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.

That word ordered is the Hebrew word `arak and means:

to arrange, set or put or lay in order, set in array, prepare, order, ordain,

The Triune Covenant God has provided in it [Everlasting Covenant] all that is needed and required for full Salvation to be experienced by all the Elect, from Time to Eternity, which does include believing on Christ Phil 1:29

29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

This could very well and truthfully read "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ to believe on him ".

When ungodly men teach that Faith in Christ is an condition performed by men to secure their Salvation, they corrupt the Covenant, and Pervert its Blessedness.

That both Faith and Repentance are blessings of the New or Everlasting Covenant is pointed out in these words Ezk 36:26-27

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Its then we are made meet to obey the Gospel ordinances [ a decree or command] Gospel Commands of God Acts 17:30

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now [God] commandeth all men every where to repent:

1 Jn 3:23

23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

Acts 16:31

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Believe here is an Gospel imperative, a command ! If this Gospel Imperative is obeyed its because of this Ezk 36:26-27

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

 

[Brightfame52]

Before a person can believe in Christ !

Before a person can believe in Christ unto salvation, a new creature he or she must be ! By being a New Creation, we are given by the Spirit both light and Life, by which we receive New Spiritual faculties appropriate to receive Spiritual and Divine Truths. That's why Jesus said that he with good ground received the word and understandeth it Matt 13:23

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

That's because the New Spiritual faculties of the New Creation.

It is then also we are given spiritual eyes to see Jesus Jn 6:40

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Heb 2:9

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

But we see Jesus,.... Not with bodily eyes, but with the eyes of the mind, and understanding; that he is Jesus, as the Syriac version reads; and that he is designed in the above words; and that he has all things made subject unto him; and that he was humbled, and now exalted, as follows: JG

It is then we receive spiritual ears to hear the glad tidings of the Gospel of our Salvation Eph 1:13 We need to be of God to hear God's words as such is the Gospel Jn 8:47

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

We cannot be of God without having God's Life in Us by His Spirit ! We are given a spiritual palate to begin to hunger and thirst for the things of God Matt 5:6

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Yes, even the word of righteousness Heb 5:13

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

Without these things from a New Life, and are remaining natural and in the flesh, then we are war and enmity with Christ and the hings of God Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Cor 2:14

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

14 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.AMP 4