~ 3 Men In 3 Different Conditions ~
Your Choice!
~ The Bible describes three kinds
of human beings. In this and two
subsequent posts we will look at the three from different perspectives. The
most important two questions for each individual to answer are:
- Am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?
- If so, am I living like it?
Man In The Flesh ~ Jesus
in His discussion with Nicodemus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [natural human birth—in flesh] and the
Spirit [supernatural spiritual birth—from above], he cannot enter the kingdom
of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that
I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from and where it goes.
So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John
3:5-8). We were all born humanly in the
flesh—human physical bodies.
Man In Christ ~ “Therefore, from now on, we
regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ
according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled
us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the
word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:16-19). Those who have been “born again” are totally
new creations in Christ Jesus.
“Man Of God” ~
There are many individuals in the Scriptures who are described as being
a “man of God.” Perhaps we read this
more often about Elisha than any other person.
One passage stands out to me. “Then a man came from Baal
Shalisha, and brought the man of God
bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley bread, and newly ripened
grain in his knapsack. And he said,
‘Give it to the people, that they may eat’” (2 Kings 4:42). A key thing about any man of God is that he
has one purpose—to be a representative, channel, vehicle of God on earth.
concluding thought
~ “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and
follow Me. For whoever desires to save
his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find
it. For what profit is it to a man if he
gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of
His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his
works’” (Matthew 16:24-27).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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