The Miracle of New Birth & Our Commission
- How can we know the Spirit of God lives in us?
- How can we know when the Spirit of God is giving us a vision of something greater than we could ever imagine?
- How can we know when the Spirit of God is calling us?
When the Old Testament meets the New Testament, the foundation of our faith becomes surer, stronger, and even more satisfying. Thus, so you will not agree at my say-so, let us see what the Bible speaks and believe it at HIS SAY-SO!
- God promised—back in the Old Testament to send His Spirit to those who believe in Him.
- God promised—back in The Book of Ezekiel to send His Spirit to help us obey Him.
- Jesus promised—in the New Testament that His Spirit will comfort, guide, and teach the believers.
- Jesus promised—in The 1st Letter of Peter the “Living Hope” gifted to those who place their faith in Him would lead them to obey Him.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel served during the reign of King Jehoiachin while Ezekiel was living in the land of the Chaldeans (modern-day, southern Iraq). While living in exile, he was camped near the river Chebar, and in this position and place, the LORD began to give His prophet a vision.
- Ezekiel saw a storm from the north.
- Ezekiel saw a great cloud filled with flashing fire and great light.
- Ezekiel saw inside the fire a glowing metal.
- Ezekiel saw four “living beings” who appeared as humans.
- Then Ezekiel also saw how these “living beings” displayed human hands & four human faces & four wings.
“As for the form of their faces,
(The Book of Ezekiel 1: 10 NASB)
each had the face of a man;
all four had the face of a lion on the right
and the face of a bull on the left,
and all four had the face of an eagle.”
These “living beings” displayed bronze, calf’s feet attached to their legs.
“And the living beings ran to and fro like bolts of lightning.
(The Book of Ezekiel 1: 14-15 NASB)
Now as I looked at the living beings,
behold, there was one wheel on the earth beside the living beings,
for each of the four of them.”
Through this fantastical vision, Ezekiel saw how the spirit, directed the “living” beings.
“Wherever the spirit was about to go,
(The Book of Ezekiel 1: 20-21 NASB)
they would go in that direction.
And the wheels rose close beside them;
for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.
Whenever those went,
these went;
and whenever those stood still,
these stood still.
And whenever those rose from the earth,
the wheels rose close beside them;
for the spirit of the living beings was in the wheels.”
The prophet surely must have been in awe by the vision he had received from the LORD, and if that was not enough, the LORD then allows the prophet Ezekiel to hear a sound of wings, “like the voice of the Almighty. . . .” (The Book of Ezekiel 1: 24a NASB)
With the vision secure in his mind and the voice of God secure in his ears, the prophet Ezekiel received the call of God.
- God told him to proclaim the TRUTH whether the people of Israel listened or not.
- The LORD told His servant to speak the Word of God—whether they listened or not.
The prophet Ezekiel received his commission!
In the New Testament, the apostle Peter wrote his first letter to those believers who were living as aliens, who lived scattered across the known world. Within this first letter, he wrote to remind and encourage them.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
(The 1st Letter of Peter 1: 3-5 & 8-9 NASB)
who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again
to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to obtain an inheritance
which is imperishable
and undefiled
and will not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by the power of God through faith
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
. . .
and though you have not seen Him,
you love Him,
and though you do not see Him now,
but believe in Him,
you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”
Peter reminds us (those who believe, who are called Christians) to always remember we are born again for God’s glory. The Miracle of New Birth guarantees—we are also kept IN this world by the power of God—for a glory reserved for us in heaven.
We have a promised inheritance given to us at the very moment of our salvation—the moment we trusted Christ Jesus as our Savior—Imperishable, Undefiled, Unfading, & Secure.
At that single moment, He breathed His New Life into us, giving us eternal LIFE!
- This is a Living Hope.
- This is a Lasting Hope.
- We are His Living Beings.
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you,
(The Book of Ezekiel 36: 25-27 NASB)
and you will be clean;
I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
I will put My Spirit within you
and cause you to walk in My statutes,
and you will be careful to observe My ordinance.”
Just as the prophet Ezekiel received his commission, we too (the Christians, the Believers) are the ones who have received through The Miracle of New Birth—our commission!
“So then, brethren, we are under obligation,
(The Letter of Paul to the Romans 8: 12-13 NASB)
not to the flesh,
[NOT]
to live according to the flesh—
for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die;
but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body,
you will live.”
If we truly trusted God, we would allow God’s Holy Spirit to lead us in His perfect plan—no matter how far our work takes us. Even there, far away, God’s hand will guide us.
Wherever He leads us, God’s Spirit will transform us as we go.
- In our daily work, let us pay attention to His Spirit.
- In our daily work, let us ask God to guide us as we work.
- In our daily work, let us recall how God’s purpose & glory is our goal & is for our good.