I love this from today's Faith Food Devotional by Kenneth E. Hagin:
Born of God
August 12, 2013
"Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (1 John 3:9).
People sometimes ask me, "How can I tell whether it is my own spirit or the Holy Spirit telling me to do something? It may just be me wanting to do it."
When you say "me," what are you talking about? If it is the real you - the man on the inside that's a new creature, with the life and nature of God in him, indwelt by the Holy Spirit - then it is right. If you mean "me," and you're talking about the flesh, that's a different thing entirely. Learn to differentiate between the two.
A Christian's inward man isn't the one who wants to do wrong. If the inward man wants to do wrong, that person has never been born again.
First John 3:9 has bothered some Christians. They have made mistakes and failed, and they've thought, If I were born of God, according to the Bible I wouldn't sin. But this verse is talking about the inward man who doesn't sin.
I've done things that were wrong, but my inward man didn't do them. In fact, he didn't agree with me when I did them. He tried to get me not to do them.
Physically, we are born of human parents, and we partake of their human nature. Spiritually, we are born of God, and we partake of His nature. And it is not God's nature to do wrong. Therefore, let your spirit dominate your flesh.
Confession: I am born of God. My spirit has the life and nature of God, and its desires are right desires.
We have to understand first of all that we are triune beings. We ARE spirits, we have souls and we live in human bodies while on the earth (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It is the spirit of man that is born again, instantly, when we receive Jesus as Lord and Savior (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our physical bodies will be changed instantly, in the twinkling of an eye, when Jesus returns for the Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-53). Our souls, however, must be renewed on a daily basis to think like God! (Romans 12:2). Psalm 119:11 says that we hide the Word in our heart (spirit/soul combination) so that we don't sin. Our reborn spirit is created in the image of God and CANNOT sin, but our soul still has the nature of the flesh to deal with and MUST be renewed daily in order to avoid sin. It is an ongoing process and not one person, other than Jesus Himself, has ever fully succeeded! THAT is what 1 John 1:9 is for! ME! AND you! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Live with a song about JESUS called "You Never Fail":People sometimes ask me, "How can I tell whether it is my own spirit or the Holy Spirit telling me to do something? It may just be me wanting to do it."
When you say "me," what are you talking about? If it is the real you - the man on the inside that's a new creature, with the life and nature of God in him, indwelt by the Holy Spirit - then it is right. If you mean "me," and you're talking about the flesh, that's a different thing entirely. Learn to differentiate between the two.
A Christian's inward man isn't the one who wants to do wrong. If the inward man wants to do wrong, that person has never been born again.
First John 3:9 has bothered some Christians. They have made mistakes and failed, and they've thought, If I were born of God, according to the Bible I wouldn't sin. But this verse is talking about the inward man who doesn't sin.
I've done things that were wrong, but my inward man didn't do them. In fact, he didn't agree with me when I did them. He tried to get me not to do them.
Physically, we are born of human parents, and we partake of their human nature. Spiritually, we are born of God, and we partake of His nature. And it is not God's nature to do wrong. Therefore, let your spirit dominate your flesh.
Confession: I am born of God. My spirit has the life and nature of God, and its desires are right desires.
Shalom in Him!
