The fundamental principles of the faith exposed in this chapter are treated in a different form from what it is taught nowadays. They are developed under a prophetic and apostolic understanding that founds us like a building in God, able to contain his last glory.
The apostolic doctrine lays a foundation of repentance in which we become a house of God enabled to contain and hold his glory.
1 – Justification from the focus of a new apostolic Reformation.
It would be impossible talking about iniquity and how to be free from it, without understanding clearly the justifying sacrifice of Christ in the Calvary. (Many false interpretations have been made when trying to understand this foundation) that keeps thousands of people blind, believing they have a salvation they actually have not acquired.
God is restoring all things before his second coming, and one of the most important things, is the preaching of the true word of God( the living word), and all its power and majesty.
I deeply believe in the redemptive work of God in my life, that is why I live. I believe in is absolute, redemptive, and healing power. I believe that we are saved by grace through the faith in him; a faith that gives fruit and powerful deeds in God. But I also believe we have diluted the preaching of the gospel so much, in order to bring people to God’s feet, that we have lost the basic ingredients of salvation.
We have reduced his transforming and confronting gospel, into a sweet and simple prayer (the sinner’s prayer) of the sinner that lacks of spiritual life and commitment with the Lord. A prayer in which a great amount of people that pray it do not have the minimal conviction of sin neither a desire to start living for Jesus and depart from the world.
We make them lots of promises, making them believe all of God’s blessings will come upon them because they are now righteous people, although their lives are full of injustice. The truth is that most of these churches live endless defeats; they walk in deserts never-ending, having the name they live, but being death.
Justification through faith originates when I believe with all my heart that Jesus has taken my sins to the cross and I put my life on the cross to live for him: when I make the decision to leave my old way of living behind because I’m truly repentant and ashamed of all the deeds that made Jesus go through a terrible and painful sacrifice.
The union with Christ is like a marriage. In fact, Paul makes this comparison in his epistle to the Galatians. When someone marries, he leaves his old way of living as single, leaves his parents house and unites to his woman. The same happens when we become one with Christ. We stop living as we did in the past and unite in the same spirit with the Lord.
However, in most cases, people live a gospel with compromise, where living in the old sinful structure is irrelevant. It is such a common belief that they have been justified by grace and that they will enter into the kingdom of God despite what they do, because they spoke with their mouth: Lord, come to live in my heart. That is a dangerous lie.
Although Grace is an undeserved gift from God, and salvation requires no effort from us, it is a requirement to enter the kingdom of God through the cross. We have no other choice; this is the narrow door that leads us to salvation. It is on the cross where the repentant soul gives his life with the firm purpose to start a new life, leaving behind the old habits of sin or the futile and sinful way of living in the past.
Matthew 7:13 – enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that lead to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which lead us onto life, and few there be that find it.
2 – what is to invoke the name of the Lord?
To invoke the name the Lord is powerful, but involves an action from us. To invoke means to call inside. This is calling the spirit of the living God to come to us and unite with our spirit.
This step, essential for salvation, may be done in God’s way, for it is the foundation of our faith:
2 Timothy 2:19 – nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal; the Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
I consider this aspect essential. So, I ask you to open your heart in order to understand in a deep way a truth that has been treated lightly by most churches nowadays.
The first fact that we must understand, is how important it is for us to depart from iniquity in order to receive the Holy Spirit in us. Once he has come upon us, we must stand firm in him so as to remain in holiness.
Everyone wants to be sealed by the Holy Spirit of the promise, but this seal is established when invoking the name of Christ with a true heart. Does not happen with a simple prayer done in ignorance. It requires a step of complete conviction in which we decide with all of our heart to turn from our own ways and iniquity, towards God’s justice.
Romans 10:10 – 4 with the heart man believe with Hunter righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made of the salvation.
3 – We are to believe with the heart, not with the mind.
Believing with the heart involves the firm determination to walk in the justice that comes from God, and take from his grace all the power we need to completely become his justice. It is not just saying I believe in God, and doing whatever I want because God considers me righteous anyway. James refers to this way of belief as useless, for it does not go along with the deeds of the faith. He says:
James 2:19 – thou believe us that there is one God; thou does well: the devil also believe, and tremble. But will thou know, old vain man, that faith without works is dead?
It is in the heart where the system of beliefs is found. The heart is the only one that has the inner strength to determine a change of direction in our ways. The mind reflects and accepts, but lacks the power to break structures of behavior. Determined decisions in our life can only take place in the heart; otherwise, they will just be an emotion of the moment.
Watchmen nee, the famous theologist from the last century, wrote in his book – the spiritual man: everything that belongs to the natural man, for instance, the I of the believer, must die in the cross. If the meaning of this is considered just as an idea or a concept, may be my reason will accept it, but as it is something we must practice, the mind will reject it immediately.
Only the heart may establish the decision to enter God by the cross, humiliate, obey, and leave the pleasures and rudiments of this world. Dr. nee also states in his book: many people consider themselves Christians, but what they actually believe is philosophy, ethic and doctrines about the truth or some supernatural phenomena. Believing in such a way does not produce a new birth nor gives people a new spirit.
When we just believe with our mind, we can know the Bible or recite the creed by heart, but none of these things entail a new birth. It is through the heart. The heart is the only organ intimately bound to our spirit through which we can truly repent and have a radical change in our life.
4 – it is necessary to leave our sinful way of living
The apostle John also talks about this emphasizing that walking in iniquity and believing oneself righteous is a deception. Let us remember that iniquity and justice are completely opposed to each other. If they both were to inhabit together a believers life, he will find himself in a deplorable state of judgment his whole life, because justice is continually judging iniquity:
1 John 3:5 – and you know that he was manifested to take away our sin; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abided in him sin if not: whosoever cenotaph not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that do it the righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He did committed sin is of the devil; for the devil senna from the beginning. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remain within him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever do with not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
When the son of God manifests in the heart of a man who has sincerely invoked his name, something powerful happens. Christ will arise with power in order to undo all the iniquity and deeds the devil has built in the true believer.
John, who deeply understands the action of the divine seed engendered in man, knows without doubt that Christ presence in the spirit and in the heart of a someone, will keep him away from sin. Therefore, the devil shall not be able to touch God’s people.
1 John 5:18 – we know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keep with himself, and that wicked one touches him not.
The gospel is a call to a genuine conversion, which literally takes us from the kingdom of darkness into the light. When the apostle Paul converts on his way to Damascus, the Lord talks to him very clearly about his call, telling him:
Acts 26:16 – but rise, and stand upon my feet: for I have appeared on to the for this purpose, to make the a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; delivering the from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send the, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan under God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
The fact that the Lord uses the word to transfer entails a change of locality, that is to say, we cannot be in 2 places at the same time. To transfer means leaving a place in order to move to another. People who want to be in Christ and the world at the same time, have actually never been transferred, they have never left Satan’s legal authority.
It is necessary that their eyes be open for them to see the condition of their soul in relation to God, so that they may decide to leave the darkness.
After this process they will be able to be transferred to the light.
5 – Are all those who claim to be saved truly saved?
The true gospel is the authentic power of God taking us from a vain, carnal and innocuous way of living, and producing new powerful creatures full of his glory.
When God started to pour his apostolic anointing upon my life, I start to see the word as never before. The Lord started an authentic Reformation in my interior and allowed me to see part of the preparation of his church for his coming. This revelation has drawn me to reread the Bible several times, restructuring fundamental truths that in the past, I had accepted just in a pragmatic way as I had been taught.
I never wondered about the way I was taught, until the evidence of a church, in a vast majority, sinking in sin and the pain that I felt for it, lead me to go deeper in the Scriptures.
For as I live a holy life I know that God’s seed and the life in the Spirit, do not relate with a life in iniquity and sin. Nowadays, the church wants to make people who have never truly repented heirs of God’s promises. These people want what is best from both worlds. They want all the blessings from God but also the pleasures of this world. Today, the church calls sons of God, born again to fornicators, adulterers, cheaters, robbers, people full pride, pornography, abuse, and frauds. Nowadays, we call people baptized in the Holy Spirit, who abound in lust, deception, witchery, and idolatry. There are people who do not even feel guilty when they slandered the famed a precious body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:9 – know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revelers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
This verse was written by the apostle Paul, who also declared the famous phrase:
Romans 10:10 – for with the heart man but he was on to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The gospel that the apostles preached drove people into substantial change in their life; not in an hypothetical way, or in a theological position, but in a genuine practice of the holiness Jesus brought for us on the cross.
The primitive church grew in the fear of God and his justice. They honored what Jesus did for them living in such a way that Jesus was glorified.
Acts 2: 42 – and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. The fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
It was clear for them that one could not live in the flesh along with the spirit, as it happens today. Paul makes a clear distinction as a basic part of the apostle’s doctrine
Romans 8:3 – for what the law cannot do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit.
A genuine conversion transfers the believer into a life in the spirit. Note how in the passage of Romans, that I already mentioned, God’s justice is accomplished when the believer leaves the carnal way of living and turns to listen to the Holy Spirit in order to follow him. When God truly enters the life of someone, they suffer a radical change. Christ living inside of us is a spiritual reality that shakes us from the inside and breaks all of our worldly and sinful schemes. He takes our heart with a powerful strength and immerses us in his gleaming light.
This experience renews our mind. Now we will be thirsty and hungry for the things in heaven. This world will not seduce us anymore. Jesus’ seed in us is full of strength, fire, and resurrection. It is God living in us.
Romans 8:9 – but you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
What the apostle Paul is saying here is that the evidence the Holy Spirit dwelling in a person is the fact that he is guided by the Holy Spirit. He has left his sinful way of living and now walks led by the Spirit of Christ.
Romans 8:14 – for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Being guided by God means to hear his voice in our conscience, through his word, even in our dreams or the prophetic words he might speak to us. It is having the fear of God as a safe anchor through which the Holy Spirit keeps us in his commandments and paths.
The powerful gospel of Jesus Christ is actually a call to follow him. It is not a formula or a prayer without compromise. Our salvation settles in our answer towards the sacrifice of Jesus, surrendering our life with a sincere heart in order to be forged by his power.
We will not be saved until we determine to live in Christ. Maybe we are walking towards salvation, but we will not be sealed until we truly put our life on the cross. Some people decide to follow him and give him their life in a radical way. They make a simple prayer that comes from the deepest part of their heart and they are sealed in that very moment. Others get closer to the Lord little by little, until they surrender their hearts totally. Others just pray for repentance before they die and this is enough for God to save them.
The times and the heart of each man are different; there is not a formula, so we cannot put them all in the same bag.
Galatians 5:24 – and they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections of us.
It does not say: they crucify the flesh little by little, as God deals with her life, as it is taught nowadays.
Salvation not only refers to what it is said in Romans 10 – 9 – 10, but it also involves the deep comprehension of the whole New Testament. As part of a series of truths that complement each other and give salvation substance.
God is restoring both the way we understand and appreciate salvation, as well as the preaching of his gospel. It is not time anymore to live vituperating against his name with injustices of all kinds. God is restoring the right way to live as his body, so that we may raise up his name by living a holy life and giving him the honor that he deserves.
6 – There is a difference between being a sinner and an immature Christian.
The Bible considers a sinner the man who practices sin, that is to say, according to the rudiments and passions of this world. The Bible is referring to the one who willingly sins both, by ignorance sacrifice of Christ not having ever listened about his name, or having knowledge of him.
In James talking to the brethren he calls them sinners.
None of the apostles who wrote the New Testament considered someone who lived in sin as born-again nor full of the Holy Spirit. The Bible makes a substantial difference between the sinner and immature Christian.
It is one to be carnal and a child in Christ and to say, I am of Paul; and another, I am Apollo’s was – first Corinthians 3:1 – 7 and something very different is to be an adulterer, someone who robs, someone who deceives his fellow man, or someone who as a fortuneteller, and calls himself a believer.
One thing is the lack of a renewed mind in Christ and to feel offended when someone hurts us, and another is to commit fraud and be immersed in pornography through the Internet.
Although all sins soil our soul and our spirit, there are sins of death and sins of immaturity.
First John 5:16 – Benny man sees his brother sent a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin under death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. On righteousness is sin: and there is a sin not on the death. We know that whosoever is born of God’s and if not: but he that is begotten of God keep with himself, and that wicked one touches him not.
There are some theologians and say this passage refers to the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit; nevertheless, in whole contexts of this letter, this topic is never mentioned by John. What it is actually abundant in the Scriptures, is the deep revelation that he had related to the ones who belong to God and the ones that do not.
Along this whole epistle, the apostle is talking about how important it is to live without sin. This makes me deduce that John refers to all what is called sin and the law of Moses, that is to say, all the sins we already know that are sins.
Remain holy, without practicing the sin of the world, does not mean be legalistic nor living according to the law. But, living according to the spirit is the consequence of being guided by the Holy Spirit of God.
Jesus said:
Matthew 5:17 – think not that I come to destroy the law, or the profits: I’m not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For I send you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven
This does not mean someone cannot stumble and eventually fall into failure. The word says well: we have an advocate in heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous.
I’m talking about the fake people who have been years in the church and still love the world and practice sin, believing that they will go to heaven by grace; people who have never experienced a true encounter with the sacrifice of Christ in relation to their own life. They believe that their say because they repeated a prayer someone made for them.
Going back to the topic, let us see how the apostle Paul makes a difference between a sinner and a carnal or immature Christian. We read carefully his epistles to the Corinthians, we will realize that there were immature people in the church, there were divisions, competence and jealousy; but there were not practices of sin of death. We can see is a proof of this in the case of a man who was found to commit incest. This case is so remarkable and unusual, that it is worthy to mention as something unprecedented.
First Corinthians 5:11 – but now I’ve written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an adulterer, or a regular, or a drunkard, or an extortion; was such a one know not to eat. For what have I to do not you judge them that are within? But them that are without God judges. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
In his second epistle, he writes with a deep sadness for that man:
Second Corinthians 2:5 – but if I have caused grief, he has not grieve me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
Note how this was not usual in the church. All of them were deeply sad because one had committed sin. Jesus never compromised his principles in order to have more followers. When the rich young man comes to him and asks him how to enter the kingdom of God, he answers something that shakes him and makes him go away.
Matthew 19:16 – and, behold, one came and said unto him, good master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life is to Mark and he said unto him, why cause thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, which? Jesus said, thou shalt do no murder, you shall not commit adultery, thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother: and, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man says under him, all these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack car yet? Jesus said on him, if thou will be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shall have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Jesus did not accommodate the gospel in order to seduce a soul and make a proselyte. He did not even talk to the Pharisees with evangelistic wisdom for them to follow him. Jesus made them see what was in their hearts, so that they might repent and follow him with all their heart.
Nowadays, the rich young man would be told: do not worry, if you do not want to give your money (lover, idol, alcohol, hatred, etc.) Jesus already gave his life for you. Let me pray for you and Jesus will come to live in your heart.
Do you really think he will come? See love. What are we doing with a gospel that actually has power to save?
God’s true love shows us with great mercy what is wrong in us so that we may be re-counseled with the father. Jesus’ mission is reconciliation.
We need to see how painful our sin is to the father in order to understand salvation. Our sin deeply hurts God’s heart, and so it does the body and soul of Jesus. We cannot continue preaching a gospel that omits this confrontation.
7 – Called to be a new generation in Christ.
God wants us to deeply understand what being a new creation in Christ means. This is one of the most important foundations of our life, and God is providing us with a fresh light to understand it clearly.
This may be one of the most preached topics in the church, but also one of the less understood. So, open your heart for I want you to receive this powerful truth of a new apostolic reformation:
2 Corinthians 5:17 – therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
What is it to be a new creation?
Being a new creation does not mean to be accepted as members of a church, nor changing denominations. It is not changing her behavior or moral habits. It is not stopping attending Monday and parties in order to start attending a church. It is not leaving our old friends and having Christian friends. It is not reading the Bible, or taking all of the Christian education classes that we can attend.
All these actions can be received without ever becoming a new creation in Christ. In fact, this is offered by any religious system that includes the name of Jesus. For instance, institutions like the Roman church, Jehovah witnesses, the Mormons, the light of the world and other kinds of cult pseudo Christian organizations, including the Masons encourage these activities.
Religion is the alternative offered by the devil to make us believe we are fine with God under a veil of piety and appearance but, denying its efficiency. It makes us believe that the external of the letter can replace the essence of the spirit.
This is so subtle that it has deceived millions of Christians apparently born again. This is why the spirit stated phrases like:
Revelation 3:1 – I know thy works, that thou has a name that thou live list, and art dead.
Jude 1:12 – these are spots in your face of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit weather is, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots
The new creation is the resurrection of our spirit. It is not what we may do religiously but what we become. The conversion is not the adoption of a new philosophy but a complete change in the essence of our being. Something new and wonderful will start operating inside of us; something that was not there before and couldn’t be done by men.
This is the resurrection of Christ giving our spirit life, in other words, the power of the resurrection working in us. This operation will give birth to a totally different creature, a spiritual one, alive and powerful; one who contains all the glory of the resurrection.
Although the flesh is the structure formed by the principles of a fallen nature, the new creation is the spiritual structure formed by the divine.
How can we become new creatures? First, we must understand that the spirit of the natural man is dead because of sin.
The payment of sin is death. This means our spirit lacks God’s life. This death is the separation between God and men. In a huge portion of the human being, the spirit remains in a lethargic condition; it is asleep without the slightest interaction with the soul in relation to God.
Some other people, their spirits have been awakened by spirits of darkness that activate it in order to use them in occultism, New Age, Zen, Buddhism, asceticism, mental control, or hallucinogenic drug consumption. That is why people who are involved in such practices have experienced the supernatural.
In counted exceptions God awakens the spirit of someone unconverted, for instance, in the case of Cornelius, who was the first Gentile receiving the gospel through the apostle Peter. This also happens to people who, without knowing the Lord, receive revelation from God in their spirit and, eventually, reconcile with God.
The spirit is the most powerful part of men, and the devil knows it very well. That is the reason why he is so interested in activating them in order to control the spiritual world through his followers.
The eternal part of man is his spirit. The soul only adheres to this part to follow it in its final destiny. The soul was created to be the means through which are spirit related with the world, being that the spirit is the one that is to govern our being. After the fall men, the soul took the authority over our being, and a transference in the personality occurred. The I of men stopped being spiritual to become soulical. We stopped receiving God’s life and entered into a death condition where the devil took all the control.
When someone dies, his sleeping spirit or spirit disconnected from God goes back to him, who gave it. In the meantime, the soul separated and goes to its eternal condemnation.
What it is saved or condemned is the soul. If someone receives Jesus in his spirit and submits his soul to God’s government, his soul will be saved and the seat of his personality will be transferred to his spirit again. Whereas, someone who does not receive Jesus will suffer eternal condemnation in his soul. However much alive, the soul feels. However much good it is, its final destiny depends on the condition of the spirit.
A spirit, who has not been refreshed by the union with Christ, will continue in its death condition. Jesus Christ is the only one who may reconcile men with God by refreshing their spirit. It is in the spirit, where the bridge between God and man is established. This does not happen at the level of the soul, which lacks of death or life (as the spirit does) by itself. It is just an instrument to keep us in touch with the material and animal world.
Men were created to be a governing spirit. That is its vital essence and that is the only place where they can receive salvation. Salvation and new birth are not achieved via an intellectual mechanics, but it is a matter of the spirit. The spirit must be engendered by the spirit of God.
John 1:12 – but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
It is not the will of the flesh that produces this engenderment, but god awards it. He brings a precious seed of life and plants it in our spirit. This happens when with a sincere and repentant heart we give him all that we are. Then, we are baptized.
Acts 2:38 – then Peter said unto them, repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, he shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added on to them about 3000 souls.
In the New Testament, the consummation of the faith people had believed was immediately confirmed by the baptism.
Matthew 16:16 – he didn’t believe with and is baptized shall be saved.
It is in the baptism where the union of our spirit with God’s holy spirit takes place, and a new spiritual creature is engendered and starts growing in God’s resemblance. God’s life in us is in the resurrection. All the power of Jesus Christ arose with from death is now what dwells in our spirit.
The baptism is not immersing in the waters in the name of Jesus, but the decision to die to our sinful life in order to be reborn in him. It is crucifying this world with all its desires and passions, just as Jesus did.
Romans 6:4 – therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: the like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father, and even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Is very clear that Christ is our model to follow in what baptism actually means; this is why I remark the words: like as Christ…
The first design is death, then the resurrection. The baptism is a design of death. If we do not enter the waters with the firm conviction to die in the flesh and sin, then, we just get wet. The water does not have power for salvation, but what it does is represent the decision to die in order to be resurrected. This might be done with all of our heart and conscience.
There are people that enter the waters as a mere religious requirement, but without the genuine conviction to follow Jesus with all their being. Maybe they need to be accepted, want to be part of a group to feel integrated in society, want to please their wife, or vice versa.
Then, this important event becomes an errand, as someone who gets a passport. However, their hearts never truly had a desire to die with Christ.
I know several cases of people who enter the waters so as to conquer the heart of the beautiful girl member of the church, because they feel frustrated in their careers, or unsuccessful in their businesses and want to see if there like changes by trying Christianity.
There are people who join a church just because they are lazy and want the merciful fellows to solve their problems. Others get baptized because someone from the group encourage them. Others do so under family pressure. I can name many more examples and cases I have witnessed when ministering to people in different churches.
In all the cases mentioned before, neither the baptism nor the new life took place; it was just a religious ritual. We are not engendered by the will of the flesh which is why, when the time has passed by, we do not see changes or fruit in these people. That is why we see so much indifference in the church. People consider the prayers boring. They do not know what to say to evangelize and when they hear the word tithe, they look for lots of excuses not to do it.
The new creation is real, affects her whole being, invades our mind, and destroys the body of sin. It is a visible light and power of God. It is evangelized by nature. It is full of life and fire, because it is God himself united with us.
The new life is just like Jesus died and was resurrected. Jesus suffered a powerful transformation in the grave, in such a way that the one who arose from it was totally different from the one who entered in that cave. Not even the disciples recognized him.
Paul refers to the apostles saying:
2 Corinthians 5:16 – wherefore henceforth know we know man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
The new creation is not a manifestation in the flesh, but in our spirit, which is transformed by the resurrection.
Once the spirit is engendered, and internal growing begins. Each part of our spirit is awakened and developed. We are more sensitive to the things of the spirit. We began hating things we used to love, and feel foreign to mundane environments. It bothers us to listen to rude words and, above all, we hate sinning and making the Holy Spirit sad.
A new creation longs for the things from above. It cannot remain silent. It has to tell everybody about Jesus. It is please with praying and giving. It is brave and loves justice. It fears God and loves people. It considered everything else worthless. The thought of sin causes it to tremble. It lives to win Christ and the power of resurrection, as the apostle Paul said.
Resurrection is not only the final condition of the sons of God, when we were arisen from the dead; it is the power that gives life to the new creation that is being engendered inside of us.
1 Corinthians 15:45 – and so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
The spirit of Christ engenders our spirit. That which was dead is suddenly filled with life and it is awakened to a spiritual reality that it did not know. All that it longs for is what matters to God. This is not something hypothetic; this new life must be manifested. However, this is not the experience of all the ones who say Lord, Lord!
It is because of iniquity that the spirit in of millions of persons in the church, still sleeps. For this very same reason many people feel as if they have anchors that prevent them from taking firm steps towards God. Their eyes are bandaged not to see the splendor of the gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ and truly turn to God.
They are satisfied, or maybe self-scarified? Not sure of meaning in a religious life, but not able to see in their own life the power of God. Some of them know very well what is going wrong and others have no idea.
For this reason this book may be the most important thing you have ever held in your hands. By studying it, you will see and identify this terrible scum that has covered every one, a scum the God wants to remove once and for all from our life.
In the last chapter I explained how to get rid of it and how to start enjoying in a genuine way all the richness of the glory of God that comes after being engendered by his spirit.