CHILDREN OF GOD BORN AGAIN.

MAN is born with a corrupt nature, alienated from God: and although God has provided redemption for him, and "beseeches" him to accept that redemption and "be reconciled to God" (II Cor. 5. 20), he will not do so, unless the Holy Spirit changes his heart. The reason is, "The carnal mind is enmity against God" (Rom. 8: 7). Men are "haters of God" (Rom. 1: 30). Christ told His disciples, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you" "He that hateth Me, hateth my Father also." "Now have they both seen and hated both Me and my Father" (John 15: 18, 23, 24). Therefore the Bible tells us, that men to be saved, need not only the Gospel call, "Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ;" but that the call will be in vain, and men will not believe, unless the word is made effectual by the Holy Spirit. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Eph. 2: 8).

According to the Scriptures, a man to be saved, must be "Born again;" "Created anew;" "Raised from the dead." Christ told Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." "Except a

man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3: 3, 5). John speaking of Jesus says, "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. own, and His own received Him not.

He came unto His
But as

many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become Children of God, even to them that believe on His name which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1: 11). That is, not by natural descent or birth; nor by their own will; not by the will of any priest by baptism, or confirmation; or the will of any man; but of God. "To as many as received Him." To receive Christ, we must know Him as He is revealed in the Scriptures; we must know Him as did Peter when he said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." When we know this, Jesus says to us, as He did to Peter, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 16: 16). No one receives Him, who does not believe in His name, The Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah, 700 years before Christ, announced His Name. "Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel ” (Isa. 7: 14), "which is being interpreted, God with us" (Matt. 1: 23). "And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for it is He that shall save His

people from their sins" (Matt. 1: 21). "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, (Father of Eternity), The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9: 6). If we have recieved Him and believe on His Name, He has given us the right to become children of God (John 1: 12).

They who regard Him only as a good man, or as an example, do not receive Him; they deny Him. He must be known and received as He is revealed and offered in the Word of God, or He is not received at all. Peter explains how we become children of God. “Being born again not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God" (I Peter 1:23). Jesus says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit" (John 3: 6). John says, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God” (I John 5: 1; Gal 3: 26). Paul says, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God.” “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our Spirit, that we are the children of God" (Rom. 8: 14, 16). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and nndefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for

you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (I Peter 1: 3). "Beloved, now are we the Sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (I John 3: 2).

CHILDREN OF GOD CREATED ANEW.

THE Scriptures also tell us, that the children. of God are created anew. David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Ps 51: 10). God says, "I will put a new Spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 11: 19). "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 a heart of flesh" (Ezek. 36: 26). It is written, "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" (II Cor. 5: 17). "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision, availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature" (Gal. 6:15). “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. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2: 6-10). Reader, have you been born anew? Created anew? Have you been "renewed in the Spirit of your mind?" Have you "put on the new