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NASB | John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name-- [Is 56:5] |
Subject: Are we presenting the gospel scripturaly |
Bible Note: Hi Doc, I know that Abraham is not among the lost. I know that God reckoned righteousness to Abraham. But isn't this making a statement of Abraham's "Legal Status", rather than making a statement about changing Abraham's nature? As I read Romans 4, it is all about imputation of righteousness, the forgiveness of iniquities and the covering of sins, not imputing his sins against him, and so on. None of these things speak of rebirth, or of the creation of a new creature. There is two places I am aware of in the Old Testament where it speaks of anything like creating a new creature, and even so, these are not necessarily rock-solid to what you are asserting. One is 1 Sam 10:9, speaking of Saul, "And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day." But it is also said of Saul, upon the annointing of David as king, in 1 Samuel 16:14, "But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him." If Saul had been born again, how is it that the Holy Spirit would have left him? The other place is from David, as he writes in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." This is a request David makes of God, not a statement of accomplishment, and furthermore, he follows it immediately with "and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me," and so it seems clear that David is not saying, "I want to be born again and filled and sealed with Your Spirit." We do have Ezekiel 11:19-20, "And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God." This seems to be clearly speaking of spiritual birth, and is also clearly prophetic, not something that God has already been doing, but something that He will do in the future. ? Love in Christ, Mark |