A man must be born again / A new creature

A man must be born again

Every individual that enters the kingdom of Heaven must be born again. There is no other way in. In Jeremiah 13:23, God puts this proposition, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?"

The answer is no. The only was a leopard can change its spots is to move from one spot to another. Under ordinary circumstances this is impossible and so the Lord concludes, "Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil." (Jeremiah 13:23)

It is very hard for bad men to do good. It is harder still for a wicked man to do right. But the Lord, who put the spots on the leopard could change them if he wished to do so. The Lord, who gave man his skin, can change them if he wished to do so. The Lord can do the impossible; He can change a man’s heart.  He has given the promise that He will do that very thing. A man must be born again if he expects to be saved. There is only one way to get into the kingdom of Heaven. Every soul that eventually inhabits that world of glory must be born into that kingdom. 

A new creature

Do you know that there is only one way that a man can be president of the United States of America and that is to be born in America. They cannot import a man and make him president. No, he must be born in that country or he can never be the President of the United States. So an individual must be born into the kingdom of Heaven or else he will never walk those streets of gold. That is the reason that David cried out in desperation, seeing the hopelessness of the whole thing. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10) And St Paul added, "If any man be in Christ Jesus he is a new creature." (2 Corinthians 5:17) That is a good word, isn’t it? If any man be in Christ he is a new creature.

You know how people like to talk about the failings of others. A young man was asked if he would like to give his heart to Jesus. Immediately he started talking about somebody else. He said, "Do you know that woman who has never been attending those meetings conducted by the evangelist recently?" "Well", he continued, "she has a terrible reputation. No one likes her; she is so mean and nasty, everything she does irritates people, they have no time for her. But", he said, "she is not the same person any more, she is a completely different person now," and then he want on to say, "I have decided that if Christianity can do that for an individual, change them so much, I am interested in becoming a Christian too." It is exactly as St Paul says, "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature." (2 Cor. 5:17) He is not the same person any more.

You see, God is preparing a people to inhabit the world of glory and to enter that heavenly land a person must be born again. In the beginning God gave man a beautiful home. But man spoiled the picture. The Bible tells us that at one time there was war in Heaven. There was a controversy in heaven. Sin entered the world of glory; but never again for the promise is given in Nahum that iniquity will not rise up the second time. God is not going to take any chances with the individuals whom he takes into the kingdom: they must be pure people, they must be clean people. Every soul that enters the kingdom of Heaven must be born again.