What exactly changed when you were born again? You might see the same reflection, act the same, or find yourself yielding to the same old temptations. You might even wonder if you really changed at all. The good news is—you did. mcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
I remember when I really struggled to understand this. But the number–one thing that revolutionized my life was this teaching on Spirit, Soul & Body. It was like someone had inserted a key into my brain and unlocked it.
Until you know certain truths, you aren’t going to experience victory. People don’t like to hear this because it makes them responsible; but not liking it doesn’t make it less true. It was true for me that day fifty-five years ago when I received the revelation of spirit, soul, and body. It opened the eyes of my understanding to the Bible and the true nature of God.
Everything I teach is based on the revelation of who I am in Christ—who I am in my born-again spirit. I want to make sure everyone knows that this truth holds the key to unlocking God’s blessings. Once you understand this, the Bible really comes alive. Every born-again believer has undergone a complete inner transformation:
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.
When I first came across this scripture, I remember sitting there and thinking, God, I know I am in Christ and born again and that I will go to heaven when I die. But this scripture doesn’t match my experience. Even though I had no doubts about being in Christ, the scripture says that if I’m in Christ, all things have become new and the old have passed away.
It doesn’t say that all things are becoming new or have the potential of becoming new—they are new the moment we are born again.
To understand that we are totally new requires us to understand how God created us. What part of us did God make new? It’s obviously not our bodies; we are still shaped the same as before. It’s obviously not our minds; we still think the same and have the same emotions. So what is it? It’s our spirits. Some people don’t realize this, but we are all made up of three parts, just as God is three parts—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost—and we are made in His image.
First Thessalonians 5:23 makes it clear:
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord.
Once I understood that the new part of me wasn’t my body or my soul (mind, will, emotions, conscience), I knew it had to be my spirit. God’s Word confirms this again in 1 Corinthians 6:17, which states that “he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.” The born-again experience creates a spiritual union, and our spirits become one with God’s. Once we understand this, we can apply the truth of God’s Word to our old bodies and souls—that in our spirit, we are a new creation in Christ.
It’s easy to understand our bodies and our souls. We are receiving information from them all the time. For example, if I were to put my hand on someone’s shoulder, they would know I touched them. I could make someone feel happy or sad, or I could hurt someone, simply with the words I speak. Those words are processed by the mind and felt in the emotions. However, you can’t feel things in your spirit the way you do in the flesh.
If you don’t understand that spiritual reality isn’t felt, then you’ll be confused when God’s Word declares that you have the same power living on the inside of you that raised Jesus from the dead (Eph. 1:19–20). If you think truth can be discerned through your natural senses, you’ll be baffled when the Bible says you’re a brand-new creature who can do the same miraculous works that Jesus did—and even more (2 Cor. 5:17 and John 14:12).
God’s Word reveals spiritual reality. If you want to know what your spirit is like, you must find out from the Word rather than rely on emotions or other perceptions. God’s Word is spirit and life. It set me free when I realized God had already given me everything I needed, and it’s all contained in my spirit. All I needed to do was release it. That simple understanding changes everything.
The Christian life is a process of renewing your mind and learning to release what you’ve already received. Unless you understand that—when you get born again—you have already received in your spirit all that you will ever need, there will always be doubt. You may know it’s possible or even promised in the Word, but you’ll always be trying to perceive it in the mental, emotional, or physical realm. That’s a recipe for failure. That misconception can also result in a performance-based relationship with God—wondering if you’re good enough, if you read the Bible enough, if you give enough, and on and on it goes—in an attempt to motivate God to give you what you need.
It’s wrong to think that you have to make yourself worthy to receive God’s gifts. You’re already worthy because of Jesus’ sacrifice!
In fact, you’ve already been given all that you need; it just requires an understanding of the relationship between the spirit, soul, and body. This understanding is the key to unlocking God’s grace and is the basis of comprehending the rest of Scripture.
I’m out of space here, but I encourage you to get my Spirit, Soul & Body package. It contains the Spirit, Soul & Body book, study guide, audio book, illustrated DVD or USB, and my updated teaching from The Gospel Truth broadcast this year in your choice of CD, DVD, or USB. I really hope this teaching, as well as other teachings of mine, have blessed you and are making a difference in your life. God’s unconditional love and grace are so important for everyone to experience.
You are blessed!
