Regeneration More Than Something Received

If thou count me therefore a partner, 

receive him as myself. If he hath wronged

thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on 

mine account; I Paul have written it with 

mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit

I do not say to thee how thou owest

unto me even thine won self besides.

Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee

in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the 

Lord. Having confidence in thy obedience

I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou

wilt also do more than I say. But withal

prepare me also a lodging: for I shall

be given unto you. There salute thee

Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ

Jesus: Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas,

my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord

Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Philemon 17-25

     Paul, a prisoner in Rome for being a follower of Jesus Christ never loses sight of why he was called to preach what he once persecuted. During times of trials it is easy to lose sight by us as to why God called us and what God has commanded us to be and do. In times of plenty it easy to get lost in that plenty thinking of ourselves as being so self-efficient, that we forget that there are brothers and sisters in need, those whom we must, if we be Authentic Christians, to aid them in their need. Would you pay or even repay a debt for another? Paul would, and this is what is to be a fellow laborer for Jesus Christ: If one asks for you to go a mile with him, go two. Paul seems to expect to go to Philemon, but we do not find that this happened, but Philemon prepared just in case it did happened. Would you take in a brother who had no home until that person could find a home? 

     Regeneration is more than something that you receive from God, it is for you, and I, to be holy. Remember in the last blog I wrote about heredity of sin and that you and I had no say in this heredity: therefore you who are called of God can say that you are not holy and likely not ever to be holy, but if this is all that Jesus came to teach then you are in desperate despair. How can I or you be as Philemon was to be and to care for another in Jesus Christ? You may in a philanthropic effort care for another, but this is to receive some sort of claim for being so good. It is not due to your love and relationship to Jesus Christ for His glory. Jesus did not come to earth to tell you what you already know: you are sinful and have this heredity of sin that in your volition you act in ways that are immoral. Jesus came to earth to be the Regenerator, the One who can put His heredity of holiness into you and I, and then we can see what He means when we are instructed to be holy. Jesus brings life and destroys death in His bride for His teachings are life. Now, our moral transaction is in agreement with God's verdict on sin. This cost the life of Jesus on the cross and this He did for you and me. Paul would pay the debt owed by another, and Jesus paid the debt for another, this is the teaching we are to receive by this letter by Paul to Philemon. 

     This moral miracle, Redemption, is that God can put into you a new disposition whereby you, and I, can live a moral life. You will be energized by the Spirit of God in you. All we must do is to recognize that the Spirit of God is in you and then live by this Power from God, not that the Spirit of God will do the work, but will give you the power to do what is required. You, and I, must use this power in our everyday exercise of life, we do, and by the power of God. This is regeneration, a change in disposition. Never forget that God will take you to the precipice but God will not take us over the precipice, as a responsible moral being you are responsible for your moral choices that disposition causing you to sin, and when that Power of God is actively working through and in you then you can cross that precipice. 

     Have you come to that place where you know that you are a sinner? Have you come to realize that you need a Savior? Have you come to the place whereby you recognize that Jesus Christ is that Savior you need and that by Him, His death on the cross, you can be regenerated and that old disposition changed to a disposition of Jesus Christ? Paul wrote this: "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2Corinthians 5:21). Other religions, and even in some Christian Churches it is taught that by some personal act (bowing down in a rug three times a day facing Mecca, or crawling up steps on your knees until they are bloody) that your sins can be paid for, or that Jesus Christ took upon Himself our fleshly sins, but this is not absolutely true, Jesus took upon Himself the heredity of sin which we cannot touch. We we come to realize and believe and convert to Jesus Christ, to become identified with Him then this Redemption of God is yours. Now take action! There is a distinction between knowing and doing, between realizing the revelation of Redemption and the conscious experience of salvation and this can only be conscious experience if you are pragmatically applying this redemption in your life. 

And the LORD looked upon him,

     and said, Go in this thy might,

and thou shalt save Israel from

     the hand of the Midianites: 

Have I not sent thee?

                  Judges 6:14

You are called to be sent

Richard L. Crumb