SABBATH BIBLE STUDY
3-22
(2018)
MESSAGE: Except a man be Born of Water and Spirit, he cannot Enter…
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True Reformation:
The Reforming of the Church according to Scripture
Part 8
Except a man be Born of Water and Spirit, he cannot Enter…
Lev_26:44 And yet not even thus, while they were in the land of their enemies, did I overlook them, nor did I loathe them so as to consume them, to break my covenant made with them; for I am the Lord their God.
Lev 26:45 And I will remember their former covenant, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage before the nation, to be their God; I am the Lord. (Brenton LXX trans.)
Joh_3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler (Archon) of the Judeans:
Joh 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi (Master), we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Again, like a rope or large cord is Salvation, a rope to be used in being Saved, and if one were to use this Rope, regardless of if we know how it is made or not we shall be saved from our enemies: No mater if as in Lev 26 mentions, we are delivered from Egypt, or in Acts 2 from “this untoward generation”, it is the land of our enemies at any point in history, physical bondage that prevents YHWH’s Spiritual Children from exercising the Law of liberty ordained for his kingdom is a power of Satan, of Sin and death, it is the power of the curse and the reign and dominion of Sin are Sovereign over our mortal body as manifested in literal bondage as well as in bondage to works an deeds done contrary to God’s Law. We see in this portion of Leviticus’ curse (which we have read many times) that the merciful Grace of God is extended while Israel is yet dead in sin and trespasses YHWH does not loathe them as to break his covenant with them, it is for this reason we are called back to Covenant with our God to be His people and for He to truly be our God by Returning to His Path of Reformation according to His Word.
Christ in this Context of John 3 offers to Nicodemus a ruler, a man with authority and dominion, who comes to Christ because he SEEs that God is with Christ; this is a master of Israel, admitting that Christ is a teacher of God. We could then say that this Ruler of Israel recognized Christ’s authority.
When we consider the context preceding the Baptism of the 3000 Judeans added to the church on the day of Pentecost from Acts 2, it was emphatically pointed out that the Sovereignty of Christ as Lord was paramount (using Psalm 2 and110) Peter taught that Earth was Christ’s footstool with his enemies being made subject, with Christ as Lord and Christ (meaning anointed) he is King, thereby bringing ‘The Kingdom’ in to focus as a loaded biblical thought, yet the duel connection of Flesh and Spirit seen in the Water of Baptism giving a renewed measure of Spirit in it’s literal Sanctifying power should not be missed.
When looking back through the story line of John, as well as gathering pieces from some of the other Gospels to fill in the testimony it is seen that Nicodemus ‘saw’ God in this teacher who was just baptized, that is fully immersed water. And John the Baptist, Christ’s cousin according to flesh who was a son of Aaron and a priest after the course of Abijah was just recorded to have said this man was the Christ and that he would baptize not only with water but with the Spirit.
In this path we have two elements which are obvious, and our Lord Christ, the Word made flesh teaches us by a lesson he gave Nicodemus, an Elder of Israel, he was a leared man considered a master of Israel and of the Law (a Rabi); and in harmony with the portion of Scripture contained in the Law of Leviticus 26, this confession of lawlessness / iniquity / sin is part and parcel to the sight which is the first element spoken of, this logically precedes Entrance into the kingdom, which is the second element, yet both are well in advance of the Eternal life at the end of this earthly life, lest we confuse the issues. Perhaps a way to help remember prior discussion concerning having salvation, being saved and Eternal life and their distinctions to help divide the scriptures, is seen here in this illustration Christ gives, but his context in totaly in line with John 1, 2 and 3 of the context laid out by John as well as the chronology, time line, of these events.
Now before we enter into this conversation which seems to be happening at the passover due to Joh_ 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
Yet before Christ went to the feast, as probably part of the required lawful washings which one would due in order to enter the courts of the temple during the feast day, this Baptism or Imersion would wash (Luo) away uncleanness which would come by a dead body or another common source, according to God’s Law, Christ’s cousin was a Priest of Aaron’s seed, and he was called the Baptist, he was a man who would do this cleansing, but would carry with not an empty work of physical cleanness, as if that act were possible to make the soul (life and spirit) holy, sanctified, but John would only offer this purification to those who as he said: Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance…Luk_3:8.
Joh_1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Joh 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
Joh 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Joh 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
Joh 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.
Joh 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
In another place which records conversations not written here it says:
Mat_3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Here is the context: Christ was getting Baptized on his way to the feast all of this happened, some of the People privy to it believed and here is what Nicodemus saw that night:
Joh_3:2…Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God:
Christ says:..
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Our Lord then teaches the Next fold:
Joh_3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Here is ‘enterance’ into the kingdom of God. Again the Earthly and the Spiritual is advanced, and the depth of the meaning here is so great that it is perhaps deeper than the waters of the earth which the Spirit of God moved, that is in this lesson we could focus upon a connection which unifies Heaven and Earth in the Water first moved by the Word of God, as a total recognition of the Kingdom of God and it’s origin; as well as by considering the full context of that portion of Creation performed by the WORD of God, and this beneath the direct correlation in 1Pe_3:21 given by Peter of the anti-type of how Baptism is like the flood of Noah’ an allegory of repentance is seen for those who as part of the earth are called up out of the Waters upon the earth in a newness of life, a new creation arising in baptism by the Word of God, being born again from a calling from above, yet another reason why Baptism is directly proceeds our Faith in the Scriptures:
Joh_3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind (Pnuema-Spirit) bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
This situation in relation to the Law which in multiple places teaches of washing for uncleanness of the filth of the flesh, was multiplied by John the Baptist beyond the simplicity of touching the unclean thing that required the wash, rather John used the Reality of the Baptism in the flesh to affect the Spirit, and by no means was literal Baptismal purification being set aside, rather it was being offered in the most literal of ways, the most Realistic of ways, to reform the flesh and the spirit after the Grace of God was acknowledged and conviction and confession had come by Faith. It seems that Baptism, according to Scripture is the first step of Sanctification after one has confessed that they have lived an unclean life (in the flesh and spirit), and that knowledge is part of our True Reformation. Baptism by Faith is Scriptural part of salvation, though it is by no means salvation in and of it self, rather we are Baptized because we believe, we do not believe because we have been baptized.
Remembering:
Mar_16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
The Gospel of the Kingdom
is
THE LORD GOD’s TOTAL SOVEREIGNTY
Though before delving more into the Depths of God’s Law as God’s Holiness for His peoples Sanctification as started in Baptism,
It is important to establish the Sovereignty of YHWH as True LORD of our Reformation, and As Christ as King of His Kingdom by His WORD.
So it is to this point of not establishing you in the Law of God to assure Faith, for we know that the Law is Not of Faith, Rather my goal here after is to establish the Kingdom of God, which is the foundation of all Biblical Law; to show an Epistemology and Systematic method of assuring our understanding by the Scriptures, so that our Faith may come by hearing the Word of God in truth, and not by our own self deriving. This is important because when we as Servants of Christ preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, and we reasonably preach the Law of God as the Law of that Kingdom and that the very Law of God given to Moses is the standard of Righteousness thereby our works are judged, and as such it is the reasonable service we hold to under grace through Faith, it is important to Establish that thoroughly.
When we consider the the key statements which in the conversation of Scripture surround ‘the kingdom of God’ we are obliged to refer to the Scripture as God’s revealed revelation of His reality to ascertain the meaning of this Idea of Christ as King and Lord and that all things indeed are put under his feet.
In our modern time the Kingdom of God or of Heaven is loaded with spiritualism alone in it’s limited dominion and a heavenly after life as it’s focus, yet if the Kingdom were to be evaluated from a biblical context the Kingdom represents not only the abode of God in the spiritual realm of the heavens of heavens but that realm which YHWH God rules in his total creation.
Thus in this way we have a reality offered to those who consider this Truth as seen in the first statement of holy Scripture:
Gen_ 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Gen 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
as well this is sumerized including the finished work of creation thus:
Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
and again Moses summarizes the creation of God’s Kingdom in the 4th commandment:
Exo_20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is,
and by this we may plainly see that when Christ teaches us the Lord’s prayer is saying:
Mat_6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Here is were we can see the connection between the two synonomus terms ‘kingdom of God’ and ‘kingdom of Heaven’, that is that God is in Heaven and as such his kingdom is the kingdom of heaven. Yet this Kingdom afects our Earthly life:
Mat 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
This is the scope of the kingdom seen, is that God is the ruler of all. The heavenly and spiritual realm as well as the earthly and physical realm: fleshly, mortal, carnal, No matter what word we use to describe it, it is refering to that which is material and tangable as we physically see and feel it.
YHWH is thus totaly LORD in all things and has preeminance in all respects and aspects of life and death.
Many of the modern spiritually focused vein of religion loose sight of the fact that the LORD GOD rules over the kingdoms of men as well as the entirety of the universe and it’s total system, yet the heavenly and Earthly dominion of God’s Kingdom is paramount in this question concerning sanctification in the hearts of the seer of the kingdom Christ is referring to.
As we have discussed, in the way heretofore described, the one who has acknowledged this Grace and has recieved it’s Word by Faith has seen that the Kingdom of God and it’s Judgment of Blessing or Curse, Good or Evile, Life or Death, and that this legislation includes our mortal body that it is truly the LORD’ God’s, as he is King of kings and LORD of lords, he is GOD of gods, and it is by this authority and sovergnty that the Word of God is His Law, and the Law of God is Perfect and dictats the defining of Righteousness and Wickedness. Thus when the Israel of God is asked to consider what YHWH God requiers of the as the people of His delight and as His chosen seed above all people, YHWH establishes our possition and His Dominion: by his soverngty:
Deu_10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deu 10:13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
Deu_10:14 Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD’S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
This was established at creation very clearly, that YHWH made Heaven and Earth and all that in them is, thus he is LORD of All, both of the Spiritual realm and of the Physical realm: including your mortal body is part of his dominion and reign, even more so are the people of his covenant, not that they are more His than any thing else, for all is his absolutely, but that those whom he has called by the Grace of his choice, not of any thing they have done but of His foreordination and predestination by the Word of his Grace, he says:
Deu 10:15 Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.
Deu 10:16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
Deu 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons…
Thus, the salvation of God is a total action of Spirit and Flesh, Heaven and Earth, for He is Lord of all and therefore David sings in the Spirit:
Psa_50:1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.
Psa 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
Psa 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.
Psa 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.
Psa 50:5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.
Psa 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.
Therefore if you See this Kingdom, you are persuaded by Faith to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, your reasonable service / your Logical service/ that is Your Service by the Word of God… God is Judge by himself!
So when we ask about where Christ as the Word fits into this Dominion and how the allegiance to his name is equated to allegiance to YHWH GOD The Father, the answer ultimately resides in Christ’s per-existent state as the WORD of God, the word which called light from darkness, the word which gave the law and the word which spoke to every prophet, including Isaiah who speaks to the Israel of God who escaped from the the nations of Lev 26 and Deut 30:
Isa_45:20 Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.
Isa 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I YHWH? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Isa 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Isa 45:23 I have sworn by myself, The WORD (Jesu(s) Chrst) is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
Isa 45:24 Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed.
Isa 45:25 In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
This is repeated twice in the Epistles of Paul and in place of the Word we find the Name of Jesus Christ establishing his eminance Rom_14:10-12; Phi_2:10
Php_2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus (THE WORD) every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Thus, from creation to today
Psa_8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Psa_110:1 A Psalm of David. YHWH said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Psa 110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Thus in the totality of the question of the Kingdom we are considering:
Psa_2:1 Why do the heathen (nations) rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his Anointed (that is literaly His Christ), saying,
Psa 2:3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Psa 2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.
Psa 2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
Psa 2:7 I will declare the decree: YHWH hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
This is how we establish the sovereign dominion of Christ in our theology from the Scripure:
He is the WORD which said let there be light as the SPIRIT of GOD moved the WATERS in Gen 1,
Speaking from Heaven to earth and forming both as the word of God, It was that word which was made flesh in the son of man Jesus Christ that was crowned with glory and honor and all things were placed under his feet, he who is the Word that all shall bow to and confess to the Glory of the Father, and it is against his Kingdom, his power, dominion and sovereignty that the Kings of the Earth rage against but the King who sits in the Heavens laughs at as he confirms His Son as the King of all the Kings of the Earth. This is the battle which has raged since heaven and earth was established in the hand of Adam when God said…Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion…over every living thing that moveth upon the earth and… every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, all things given by the creator of all was forfeit in exchange for a the carnal lust of heavenly knowledge beyond God’s commanded Law which imagined vain rage saying thus:
Gen_3:5 …your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
Yet, This is the fall of the first man Adam in the Genealogy of our lord Jesus Christ through His mother’s womb. The war for the kingdom of God has never not been in the sight of the son’s of Adam, the opening of the eyes will either be to the dominion of YHWH God by His Word, His commandments or it will be to own desire to be in God’s stead desiring what is forbidden by His dominion over us as his creation.
Therefore the Word of God, the voice of Christ heard in John 3, of the seeing of the Kingdom is Just as well Seen in the word of God in:
Deu_30:15 SEE, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
Deu_30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deu_30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days…
Thus, the Godhead of YHWH is absolute, the Lordship of Christ Established, Confirming the Word of God his Sword of Justice: quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb_4:12)
DO you then therefore SEE the Kingdom and Dominion of God who rules from the Heavens over all things? And thus has the Power to proclaim his method of Sanctification for entrance into His Kingdom according to His Law as King over Good and Evil, Blessing and Curse, Life and Death?
We could perhaps, consider that we were seen by Christ as he was seated upon his thrown in His Holy or Sanctified Thrown Room and He calling us by a message to come into Him and sup, and even with in his invitation it requiered our appearance to be clean and wearing clean nice garments, and rather we arrived before the King naked and filthy and further arguing the point that we indeed had a spiritual bath and a spiritual garment, or worse we arrived with filthy garments on and persisted that it was a clean garment, or with a clean garment but stank of the filthy body underneath and argued for his spiritual bath disregarding the odder which vapated from our unwashed flesh.
Consider, when we received the invitation it was to enter into the King’s Kingdom as He had requested (Mat_22:12-13), and for those who have read and disregarded the requirements though they received them no excuse will pardon this presumptuousness, this covetousness and this Idolitry of self will esteemed more important than the word of God, the invitation and requierment of the king’s Kingdom.
Mat_22:14
For many are called, but few are chosen.
Many SEE but few ENTER.
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