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Christ Died For Our Sins
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Galatians 3:3
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

Warfare

As believers, we have a battle to fight. Our warfare is not after the flesh, that is, we don't fight this battle by the strength of the flesh, and is said to be a good warfare. We are told to fight the good fight of faith.

2 Cor 10:3
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

1 Tim 1:18-19
18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

1 Tim 6:12
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

The Scriptures identify the enemies we have to fight.

The devil

2 Cor 2:11
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Eph 6:12
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

James 4:7
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

The flesh

Rom 7:23
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

1 Cor 9:25-27
25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Gal 5:17
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

1 Peter 2:11
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Enemies

Ps 38:19
19 But mine enemies are lively, and they are strong: and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

Ps 56:2
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

Ps 59:3
3 For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.

The world

John 16:33
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 John 5:4-5
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Death

1 Cor 15:26
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Heb 2:14-15
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Those not of the faith have no part in this battle

Jer 9:3
3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.

All believers are in the battle, every one, and are told to withstand, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith.

Phil 1:30
30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Eph 6:13-14
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Jude 3
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

If we are of the faith, the victory is ours

2 Tim 4:18
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

1 Cor 15:57
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:5-7
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Those that know me best, know that I am a supporter of the doctrines of election and predestination. God makes His people willing, as God is not passive in our coming to faith. The unsaved man, the natural man is active in rejecting our Lord, and would not come to the Lord (John 3:3, 5), but our Lord is active in salvation (John 6:37-39, 44; 15:5), making them willing that they come to Christ. We are made willing (Psalms 110:2-3). We are crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). With the gospel man’s sinfulness is made clear (Rom 7:13), and our lack of strength discovered (Rom 5:6), and from there, God rich in mercy draws us to Christ, by the effectual working of the word of God (Tit 3:5; 1 Thess 1:5; Rom 1:16; 1 Cor 1:24; 2:5). “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD” (Prov 16:33). The Scriptures show, God turns the heart of those that of their own will reject our Lord,  the lost, according to His sovereign good pleasure (Rev 17:17). Much more, in mercy, our Lord turns His own sheep as He will, our sovereign Lord makes those His own sheep willing, in the day of His power (Psalms 110:2-3), turning them from death to life, from darkness to light.

Having seen that some stress election, they never seem to reach beyond words about election, and election of itself is not salvation. God-ward, we are never to perish if we are elect, but the only way our election is shown, and the only way we are saved is by our coming to faith. If we are to be saved, we must repent of dead works, with faith toward God. Apart from repentance of dead works, and faith toward God there is no salvation. That is wholly the work of God, as salvation is of the Lord. 

Repentance and faith in sequence of time, order of event, I think is simultaneous for practical discussion. There is no partial, or incomplete salvation. In Christ, we are complete.

Col 2:9-10
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

In actuality, without repentance (godly sorrow) there can be no faith, and there can be no repentance (godly sorrow) apart from faith. Like a piece of money, a coin, there is the two sides, repentance and faith. Some carry on about election and never go on to the foundation, repentance and faith (Heb 6), yet think they are living for the Lord. They have simply embraced facts with the fleshly mind, having a feigned affection of the word of God. 

Hebrews 6:1
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

Opening the precious truth of the new birth, this is easier to understand, I think. Salvation is of the Lord. So many want to have some formula, whereby men can do something, as if to allow our Lord to save, and others think to have arrived, as if they were righteous of themselves now, as if they could do no evil. The new birth does not change the flesh, not one bit, and in us, that is in our flesh, sin dwells. But to the praise of His grace, the new man, the inner man is without sin, does not sin, and cannot sin. Sin is never a real problem to a man, till he is saved. 

Through the flesh I know sin is still pleasure for a season, but sin has consequence (Eccl 8:11). There is a battle (Gal 5:17), for the things we would do, we do not do (Rom 7:19). But one day we will see the Lord, and that wholly without sin.

Ecclesiastes 8:11
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Galatians 5:17
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Romans 7:19
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Look To The Lord And Be Saved

Isa 43:11
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.

Jer 17:14
14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.

Looking at the Old Testament Scriptures, as well as the New Testament Scriptures, here are more words dealing with being born again. Those of the Old Testament that were saved were born again, and all that have ever have been saved or will be saved must be born again. Salvation is of the Lord. Even Jesus told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jew's, that he should have known the need to be born again. The Old Testament is clear about the need to be born again.

Deuteronomy 30:6 says, And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart. That is shown with John 1:13, where it is written, Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. It is of the LORD thy God, and not of men (John 5:21; 17: 8). Of this it is said, praise is not of men, but of God (Rom 2:29). Deuteronomy goes on, and shows the new man, whereby we that once hated God, now love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. The new man sins not (1 John 3:9; 5:18). Now we are faced at what many perceive to be a crisis, claim a better version of the Bible is needed, and make strange excuse for sin. But there is no crisis, no error. The new birth does not take away the flesh, does not change the flesh, but instead imparts new life, a new creation, whereby we are born of God, but we keep the old flesh, for now. The flesh wars against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh (Gal 5:17). The new man, our new nature, cannot sin. Not only does the new man not sin, but the new man cannot sin. Little wonder there is the battle, the flesh at war against the new man, for in us, that is, in our flesh dwells no good thing, sin dwells in us, but we are saved, sealed, and have eternal life. Now, we wait for the redemption of our body. (1 Cor 15; Rom 7; Rom 8:8). One day we will see our Lord, and that wholly without sin. This mortal must put on immortality, this corruptible must put on incorruption. 

There is a poison, a form of doctrine that says salvation is of the Lord, the plan His, but it is left to man to do the right thing to be saved. With that Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast," is turned on its foundation. There is the plan of salvation, and according to some, man must do something to be saved. God is passive, not more active in saving one person than He is another, and men are on equal ground, one man made no different than another that one would come to Christ, and another would not. God is not instrumental in a man coming to Christ, is their claim. These present God as unable and unwilling to save, apart from a sinful man's approval. These say that God is unable and unwilling to make a new creation, apart from the approval of sinful man. These deceived liars deny that our Lord is the cause of a man coming to faith, but that sinful, blind and deaf men, unable to understand the things of God must, apart from God, find there way. God is made by them to be weak, unable to save, hindered through the sinful flesh of man. They wrest the Scriptures, making sinful man sovereign, and God subservient. They think to shorten the hand of God, that God cannot save (Isa 59:1). These deceivers call that grace through faith, faith that is not enough, by their double minds.

Isa 59:1
1 Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

John 6:39
39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 17:1-3, 6, 8-9
1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

John 3:7
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Following is a list of verses that deal with being born of God. After the list of verses, the verses are written out, available to read. 

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Deut 10:16; Deut 30:6; 1 Kings 8:58; Psalms 51:10; Ps 80:17-19, Ps 110:3; Ps 119:49-50, Ps 119:88-89, Ps 119:93, Ps 119:155; Ps 119:159; Prov 12:28; Isa 12:2-4; Isa 26:12; Isa 32:17; Isa 35:5-7; Jer 4:4; Jer 24:7; Eze 11:19; Eze 36:26; John 1:13; John 3:1-8, 10; John 5:21; John 6:63; John 17:8; Rom 2:29; Rom 4:15-17; Gal 6:15; Eph 2:1, 5; Col 2:11, 13-14; Tit 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Pet 1:23; 1 Pet 2:2; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18

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Deuteronomy 10:16
16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

Deuteronomy 30:6
6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

1 Kings 8:58
58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

Psalms 51:10
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalms 80:17-19
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

Ps 110:3
3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.

Psalms 119:49-50
49 Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.

Psalms 119:88-89
88 Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth.
89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalms 119:93
93 I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me.

Psalms 119:155
155 Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.

Psalms 119:159
159 Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness.

Prov 12:28
28 In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Isa 12:2-4
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

Isa 26:12; 32:17 (Eph 2:10)
26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.
32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

Isa 35:5-7
5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

Jeremiah 4:4
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Jer 24:7
7 And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.

Ezek 11:19
19 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:

Ezekiel 36:26
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

John 1:13
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3:1-8, 10
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

John 5:21; 17:8
5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.
17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

John 6:63
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Romans 2:29
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Rom 4:15-17
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Galatians 6:15
15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Ephesians 2:1, 5
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Colossians 2:11, 13-14
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Titus 3:5
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

James 1:18
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

1 Peter 1:23
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Peter 2:2
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 John 2:29
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

1 John 3:9
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 4:7
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

1 John 5:1, 4
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1 John 5:18
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

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Come and hear, all ye that fear God,
and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Psalms 66:16

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